The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-02
ghs aaita na1u Eagle. Saturday g1orno gnue 2 1900

Crossing the widest and least settled
portions Of the country. they had many
interesting adventures. The story of their
travels brings TO mind the old days of
the emigrant wagons, when the hardy
settlers pushed brayely forth In the IN
known wilderness to find new homes
The party consisted OF E E. Farms
worth. his wife and her father, Mr.. L.
Small. and for one year they lived in their
novel house on wheels and never saw the
interior of hotel or ordinary dwelling.
In the course Of their pilgrimage when
ever they came to a place they liked, they
simply halted the wagon and took I'D a
temporary residences. remaining until they
wearted OF the place or their stock of
provisions became exhausted
Speaking Of his journey. Mr.. Farms
worth said:
Starting from Winfield March .. 1899,
we first made for the Rocky mountains,
reaching Pueblo. Col. after a journey OF
twenty-four days.
ION May We crossed the Sanger de
Christie range at Poncha Pass and travel
ed south through the San Louis Valley
The region is a veritable sportsman's
paradise The cold, clear mountain
streams fairly TEEN with trout and other
game fish. and the country is so inacces-
sible that the supply has not been de-
pleted by the hordes of visitors.
''The St Elmo Valley, the site OF
some OF the most noted cliff drewwings in
existence. consider by far the most i'm
portant Of our journey. Being thoroughly
provisioned and comfortably housed, we
q hla m q ~
and made extended Investigations of
these wonderful homes of prehistoric
man. As a consequence we were able TO
discover much of Importance and inter-
est
1.-THE McElmo. Montezuma, Mahcos.
Annimas and San Juan Valleys and sur
sounding county is a continuous chain OF
ruins, where lived this prehistoric race
that passed away hundreds of years be-
fore Columbus visited the new world.
They had no beasts OF burden, and they
know not the sound Of metal, yet they
built cities. which, II it were not for the
hand of vandalism, would last thousands
Of years
"Some OF the buildings are built Of
solid masonry to the very top. Those
under the cliffs are simply great walls
built up to meet the projecting rocks.
The approach to these cliff houses is up
almost perpendicular rocks. and feet and
hand holes are cut in the face Of the
rocks.
Every approach is covered by portfolios
through the masonry. The doors are very
small, scarcely large enough to admit one
on hands and feet The buildings on top
of the cliffs are generally square or OBJ
long, others square. with one round cor
ner, and others perfectly round. From
the amount of masonry one you'd Judge
that there were more inhabitants in this
valley a thousand years ago than there
ever will be again.
Some statistics OF our long journey
may not prove uninteresting. The total
time out was 357 days. and distancel cover
ed was 1854 miles The entire trip was
made with the Same team, and the aver
age progress per day, when travelling.
was % miles. The total cost was ride
ullously small. and did not reach s1e0o.
The wagon cost $175, and provisions and
expenses aggregated about $500. total of
ss75-or very little more than 1t would
have cost we three persons to i've at
home"