Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-09-26
DISTINGUISHED VISITOR.
Leopoldo Batres of Old Mexico In
the City.

l.eopoldo Batres, probably leading
authority on antiquity of the human
race, arrived in the city last evening
over the Southern from visit to the
cliff ruins of the Mancos canon. Mr..
Baires is inspector general and at the
head Of the archaeology department
OF Old Mexico and has devoted years
to the study of the subject. While
coming to Colorado on his own Volt
tipn, his expenses are paid by the
Mexican government to obtain infor-
nation concerning the prehistoric
race that once inhabited this coun-
try. En- route here he stopped at
Denver. where he was banqueted at
the Brown Palace. He is "A fine look.
ing man OF the Spanish type. is pol.
ished and speaks several languages in
addition to the Spanish. French be-
ing one, although English is foreign
commonplace words.
At the Strater last evening a rep
resentative of The Herald. through
the courtesy oil Madame Mermet as
interpreter. enjoyed an hours convcr-
sation with Mr.. Batres concerning his
exploration of the ruins and conclus.
Ions reached. We know it would be
highly interesting to our readers could
we give verbatim account of wha,
he had to say, as it would throw much
light on the subject, as he backed up
MS reasoning by giving data and
names. Summed up, he holds:
Tha, the cliff dwellers came into
mis- country from the north. being
descendants of Asia and Japan. This
conclusion Is reached from the fact
OF similarity in workmanship on has
kets and other trinkets found. They
resemble and are almost exact pat
terms of the early Japanese product
How long ago they lived in this coun.
try is only conjecture. but for some
reason they must have tired. as they
took their belongings and started
south through Arizona to Mexico.
where they located and became
known TO civilized races as the Tol-
tees. What caused them to desert
the city in the rocks of the Mancos
canon will always remain n mystery.
In some of the rooms Mr.. Batres dis
covered writing. or what we might
term hieroglyphics. which he copied.
and which is an exact counterpart of
that found in the Toltec settlements
of Old NJ xico. with which he is per-
fectly familiar, He made copies
where he could not remove the wall
and viii make comparisons upon his
return home, He says 200 years
ago historians spoke OF some abiding
place of the Toltecs hut could not dis
cover where it was. but now there Is
no question but that he has Just come
from their abiding place before mi
grating to Old Mexico. At any rate.
they were the Greek of the American
continent. Their architecture. which
was OF rectangular and Moorish de
sign. Indicates this. They probably
reached this country by way OF Alnsi
possibly the route that is contem-
plated to connect the American con-
inent with the old worlds by rail
Mr.. Batres said in one OF the rooms
of the lifts he fouvd legend history
Of tie race painted in red on the walls
and he believes this can be translated.
The Investigations of the learned
anthropologist will be printed in Span
ish and then translated, when The
Herald will be pleased to give a more
lucid and clear insight OF the ra,
Mr. Batres departs tomorrow morn
ing Tor Old Mexico.