Rocky Ford enterprise., 1900-01-11
MAYAs OF YUCATAN.
WE'RE THE PYRAMID BUILDERS
OF AMERICA.
And Had an Advanced Civilization BE.
fore tho Advent Of the spaniards--
They Are Now Fighting the Next

Behind the massive stone walls OF
hugo prehistoric fortresses. reared
1000 years or more ago. the descend-
ants OF the Egyptians OF America-the
pyramid building Mayas Of Yucatan-
are awaiting the approach OF the
armed expedition sent against them by
the Mexican government. Theirs is
ilization on this continent. and for
more than one reason the outcome OF
the conflict will be awaited with in
terest. The regions inhabited by these
wild people are as yet to 80 great an
extent uncXplored. the enormous
structures upliftcd upon pyramids
which serve them as military refugees
ARE SO very great and Of such mystic
rious origin. and the resistance OF the
tribes to subiugatlon by white au-
thority has been SO sI:cessfui hitherto
that an atmosphere OF veritable ro-
nance may be said TO envclop the sit
uation. Meanwhile n fleet OF twenty
four iisht-draught boats has been sent
up the Pondo river. carrying troops to
attack the natives. who are obstructinS
the commercial development OF the
country by interfering with the gath
cr!ng OF dycwoods and In other ways.
Extensive portions OF the peninsula
OF Yucatan remain UNKNOWN to the
seosraphcr simply because the boldcst
explorers have not dared to venture
into them for fear Of the fierce and
waEllkc inhabitants. Several tribes OF
the latter have dcficd III. authority OF
the government of Mexico for more
than thrcc-quart-ra OF n century. hold
ins the temples and palaces of their
foEcfathcrH by force Of arms and main
'ainin. f-ud against all eomcrH. whit.
q! rcd. OF these sironEhoias the most
impor'an, Is tha; OF Puloom. oft seen
but never visited by civilized travellers.
II stands on high bluff. In full view
OF the sra-a frownins outpost OF saw
as. domination. Tho structure In OF
immense sisc. and many centuries ago
II was the strongest place held by the
Mayas. whose descendants keep watch
from It's batticmsn,s today.
tn. status Of the ancient Mayas at
the time Of the discovery OF America
vas much like that Of the Egyptians
Immediately before tho dawn o. his
tory In the old world. l.: fespec, TO
civilization they were considerably
ahead OF any other people on tho
American continent. They were trad
.rs and nasisators. building vessels %
large size and maintaining a commerce
with Cuba and Florida. Their arts
were highly developed and their archi-
lecture was of so notable character
,ha; as the pr,zcn, time thousands OF
square miles of the territory they once
occupied are dotted with the ruins OF
their towns. indeed. in ;ha, country
the traveller Is seldom ou, Of sigh, OF
some massive structure OF antiquity.
and in one ease mountain 1000 feet
hiEh has been completely rcmpicICd by
artiiicc into a system Of pyramids aud
terraces.
Some Of these buildings. like the Cii-
Hec OF puioom. are so we'll preserved
"a 10 serve the purpose OF tuTtrcsscs
mos; admirably even now. Tho pc
Tioi OF their construction no man
knowc,h. but many Of them undoub,-
sdiy date back to period before tic
time of Columbus. In that n1 stcTiuus
theatcr OF vanished Maya civilization
arc found the remains OF asty-osc
cities. while greater number arc
probably hidden beneath the tropical
forests and in the unexrlorcd region
of the cas-, and south.
There is something extremely pie.
,urcsauc and even weird abuu, the mo-.
tion Of n race of sayagcs lurking ia the
hait.ruincd fortTcsses and palaces
built In dim antiquity by their civilized
ancestors. Some day. doubtless. these
mysterious retreats will be explored.
bu, meanwhile the accessible remains
Of ancicn, yucatan cities afford a sun
GENTLY attractive field for chronological
study. The country has almost no sur
face water. nearly all Of the streams
running underground. In places tho
roofs of these sub,crTancan rivers are
perforated by the disiutcgration of the
limestone strata. forming natural wells
or sinks 100 feet or more in depth. the
water in which can he reached In many
cases by ropes or ladders. In oldcn
times every such we'll, or group ct
wells. was cncircici by buildings cncr-
nous In size and richer in barbarious
sculpture than any others in old Amer
lea.
Barring the Egyptians. the ancient
Mayas OF Yucatan seem to have been
the greatest pyramid builders the
world ever saw. Sometimes they
shaped entire hills to serve as supports
for temples or groups Of shrines. but
ordinarily they would take small
elevation and add courses Of stone in
such a manner as TO give Increased
height and symmetry. In the interior
Of some of the mounds thus uplifted
have been found supporting construc-