Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-04-20

! took time with Brother Magleby to
lolio9w what | thought to have been a
wan; cutting our way through the
prush was not so difficult and we easily
i,olio~ed the long line Of piled UP rocks.
III some places the wall Is intact few
ieet up but for the most part il Is
ianeh by the larger piles OF rocks we
yuuBeu that towns had been placed at
intervals apart perhaps guard houses.
Nvachlhs inc creek In our surprise we
came TO stone bridge sull IN good
state OF preservation, about forty feet
Mlue Dy ntty feet long. Whether this
was bridge for the wall or whether
iot d road we could not tell But on the
otuet hank the wall began again and
conuhued Tor about a block when Il
suddenly ended on the ditch bank, as
luuuBh hood Of water had carried il
aWay. on the point Of the mountain
not iar from this we found terraces
walled up ten feet, but we did not have
ulle TO investigate them They may be
the terraces OF an extensive garden or
more nRely they are the terraces Of tho
o1H thal crosses the creek on the stone
side.
We learned from MIR. John Morton
WIN whom we had such pleasant rest
last Friday. that ON the sitn AZ 80
mountain opposite his plantation parts
or the walls which once Summarized n
wide road had been discovered and he
was OF the opinion that with some 1.-THE
trouble this road could be followed
from the ruins Of Palenque 10 the ruins
OF another city, Ii would be interest
Ing If one had the time ana means 10
follow these roads and see 10 what
points they lead. Possibly one the one
we started on, leads 10 ruins al Acosl-
rigo. distance about Ave DAYS travel.
and perhaps little towns or smaller
ruins would be discovered along the
way, The other going west may lead 10
even more important discoveries I
have heard that on this road, distance
a number Of miles from Palenque, have
recently been found some ruins OF i'm
portance, but dd not have time 10
make personal investigation.
ONCE A GREAT CITY.
The soil around PalenQue is rich and
productive, and capabl both for
amount and quality Of supporting popu-
latlon numbering hundreds OF thous-
ands, This ruined city must have been
great city. We see only the Temples,
and perhaps the kings or judges resi-
dences. The other houses, thousands OF
them, built of wood have long since
persisted.
The existence Of the ruins al Pal
enque WAS first known IN the year 1860,
when q party Of Spaniards Is said 10
have found them. 1t was not until 1855
that any exploration was made, and
even then not much notice. was taken.
In 1905 the Spanish government ordered
another expedition but while the work
was good, the results were not great
MIR. stephens. so far as the United
States is concerned. aroused as much
interest as any, Until this day, how
ever, nothing has been done to preserve
or restore them or any part OF them.
They are fast going TO decay The roots
Of trees In many places have pushed
themselves through the walls, on the
roof and water now coming through Is
doing lie work OF destruction, And yet
they are well worth preserving Some
time In the future scholars
may declpher the hIeroglyphlcs, and
then reveal to the world the whole
history not only Of the city but OF the
people who built H. In the meantime
means ought to be taken to preserve at
least the tablets on which these HER
oglyphics are carved. Much OF the
stucco bass-reief is already gone, true
works OF art, and the carved figures
viii surely follow IN time,
As to the age OF these ruins. no one
has as yet ventured positive guess
yet most Of those who have studied
them place them In the remote past, 1t
Is pretty well known that at the time
Of the conquest by Cortez, they We're
not known even by the Indians living
around them Perhaps not until the
hieroglyphlcs are translated viii their
age be known
But the ruins are grand. They are
well worth q trip even the kind Of a
trip we have made, Any one who WIS.,
It's them will feel just as we felt as we
sat around our camp fire In the corrl-
dor last night, mot FOR twice the trou-
bic and expense would we willingly
miss the opportunity"
This evening We came 10 the town.
two and half leagues, and the boys
have been trying since to purchase some
tortillas and pos0l. corn dough. FOR our
return trip, as we must be nearly three
days on the road before reaching q
ranch But food cannot be obtained In
the village There Is TO be fiesta In
a neighboring town next Thursday and
everybody Is preparing 10 go. After a
house 10 house canvas we have sue
ceeded In getting about half enough.
BENZ. CLUFF, JR.