The Coconino sun., 1901-02-23
A GREWSOME FIND.
Four Hundred Skeletons Discovered
 in Arizona Cavern.
Remains of Clin Dwellers UneArthed by Sergeant Price of the Seventh Cavalry in the Whits
 Mountains

an entire village of cliff dwellers about 4,OOO years ago is told by Sergt. George F.. Price, of the recruiting station, at Denver, to the Evening Post, of that city.
 In picturesque Arizona, among the White mountains, not far from Fort Apache, the peculiar race of little climbers once reigned supreme. Among the almost inaccessible cliffs of red sandstone they lived like fugitves, in natural fortresses. The caverns they once inhabited are to-day as they were centuries ago. and in many cases have apparently never been trodden by hu- man foot since the death of their an cient inhabitants. The petrifed re- mains of 400 prehistoric little people were found by Sergt. Price in a vast cave. The Apache Indians, who now inhabit that district. regard the cav ern with superstitious dread, and can- not be induced to enter its gloomy DOT tals. No white man had ever set foot there before Sergt. Price and he found its contents undisturbed.
 During the spring of 1899. when he was with troop G. Seventh cavalry, and stationed at Fort Apache, in his researches about the country the young soldier discovered the great cave village, with its strange legend. A few miles east of the fort, on the White river. rise some immense cliffs of red sandstone. From the glistening stream the cliffs rise almost perpendic- ularly to a sheer height of 3rO feet. Crevices and little edges of rock form the only footholds for daring cl mbers. While fishing for trout one day. Sergt. Price noticed high up on the cliff a black hole. d"
 Believing it 10 be cave. he at once determined to scale the cliff. and sev- eral soldiers volunteered to accompany him. ThS ascent was exceedingly haz- ardous and difficult. but after long climb they reached the hole. ,Iutting out from the face of the cliff was nat ural shelf, about eight feet wide and twice as long.
 Just back of the ledge was the en- trance to the ancient cave. Under the sergeant's leadership the party en- tered the cave with torches and lan- terms. They explored over four and a half miles of passages and corridors. Many people had once inhabited the winding passages of the cave village. The soldiers penetrated into the fur thermost recesses and found a big council chamber far back in the in terior of the cliff. As the f1ickering light of the torches pierced the gloom of the large room the grewsome scene was revealed.
 Huddled together on the cold damp floor of stone as If for mutual sym pathy and protection. lay the ghastly skeletons of over 4O0 little cliff dwell- CTS. petrified by their exposure during ages past. A short distance apart from the others lay the frame of the chief tain. leaning against the wall opposite the entrance to the room. His skull was resting upon his breastbone, just as he had died. It seemed to the dis coverers that he, perhaps, had died last of them all. and before his spirit fled had taken final look at his peo- pie. Then his chin sank upon his breast. and the people of White River cliff were no more. Scientific observa- tions have shown that these people lived about 4,O0o years ago.
 Sergt. Price began a systematic questioning of old Indians, and at length adroitly secured the legend of the cavern. Many, many hundred years ago. he was told by the red skinned sages-and to express their idea of the number they tossed up handfuls of sand into the air - the small men lived in the cliffs. They were at war with other small men who lived at some distance. Battles were fre- and A.iho ...k;al :.l