The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-01-03

George +. Price of the local recruit
ing station.
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 fugi-
tiVes in natural fortresses. The cav
as they were centuries ago, and in
many cases have apparently never
been trodden by human foot since the
death of their ancient inhabitants
The petrified remains of 400 prehis-
toric little people were found by Ser
geant Price in a vast cave. The
Apache Indians, who now inhabit
that district regard the cavern with
superstitiOus dread and cannot be in
duced to enter it's gloomy portals. No
white men had ever set foot there
before Sergeant 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 it's strange legend.
A few miles east of the fort, on the
White river rise some immense cliffs
of red sandstone. From the glisten-
ing stream the cliffs rise almost per-
pendicularly to a sheer height of 300
feet. Crevices and little edges of
rock form the only footholds for dar-
ing climbers. While fishing for trout
one day, Sergeant Price noticed high
up on the cliff a black hole.
Believing it to be a cave he at
once determined to scale the cliff and
several soldiers volunteered to ac-
company him. The ascent was ex-
ceedingly hazardous and difficult, but
after long climb they reached the
hole. .Jutting out from the face of
the cliff was a natural 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
entered the cave with torches and
lanterns. They explored over four
and half miles of passages and COR
ridors. Many people had once occu-
pied the winding passages OF the cave
village. The soldiers penetrated in
to the furthermost recesses and found
a big council chamber far back in the
interior of the cliff AS the flicker
ing light of the torchs pierced the
gloom of the large room the grew
some scene was revealed.
Huddled together on the cold damn
floor of stone, as if for mutual SYM
pathy and protection lay the ghast-
ly skeletons of over 400 little cliff
jewellers petrifed by their exposure
during the ages past. y short dis
lance apart from the others lay the
frame Of the chieftain leaning against
the wall opposite the entrance to the
room. His skull was resting upon
his breastbOne, just as he had died
1t seemed to the alscoverers that he
perhaps, had died last of them all
and before his spirit fed had taken
a final look at his people. Then his
chin sank upon his breast and the
people of White river cliff were nc
more. Scientific observations have
shown that these people lived about
1000 years ago.
Sergeant Price began a systematic
; questioning of the 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 theil
idea of the number they tossed ur
handfuls of sand into the air-the
: small men lived in the cliffs. The,
: were at war with other small mer
/. who lived at some distance Battles
were frequent and the tribe which
: occupied the White river cliffs were
I worsted.
: Many of their best warriors were
slain by the clubs and arrows of the
enemy. Retreat finally became nee
: essary and the defeated men hastil.
: scaled the beetling cliff to their HON,
S near the summit. Once within tn,
t great cave the felt themselves secur,
9 from further attacks. The carried
!! with them such scanty supplies al
4 they could quickly gather and the,
9 hoped that in case of siege their corr
A would last until the siege was raised
: ,Swarming up over the ledge t.
i the entrance to the cave came thei
| enemies. Several they killed but
y We're soon driven back from the en-
t trance. Wonderingly they crouche,