Arizona republican., 1903-12-14

er surveys and reconnaissances have
been made in various localities, nota-
bly, along the Colorado river
Under the head of Reservations"
the report alludes to the ruins of Casa
Grande as follows:
This is one of the most unique and
interesting prehistoric ruins in the
United States the building having
been erected by one of the most ad-
vaneed races who once Inhabited the
The Casa Grande ruin is situated
Is miles northeast of Casa Grande
station on the Southern Pacific rail-
road, in Pinal county, Arizona. The
structure is built of the material
known as cajen-that is puddled clay
nodded into walls and dried in the
sun. ana is of perishable character. 1t
covers a. space OF SO feet by 43 feet
3 inches square. with an outer door ON
every side. There are five rooms Or
compartments on the ground floor.
The building was originally five o.
six stories high, but the walls have
greatly disintegrated, owing to the ac-
ton Of the elements, and the outer
walls at no place show more than
three stories. The walls of the inner
rooms are ore story high.
BY the act of March ?, 1889, $4,000
was appropriated for the repair and
protection of the ruin, and this was ex-
pended in removing debris, supplying
underpinning filling cavities, and fix
ing in place wooden and iron braces.
BY the act of June 2S, 1902. an ad-
ditional sum of $4,000 was appropTiat-
ed for the repair and protection of the
. =.
was awarded for the erection of a
corrugated roof over the ruin, which
should protect the structure from the
elements and yet not impair the OIigt-
nal outline of the ruin. This work ha s
been satisfactorily completed.
The custodian. Mr.. Frank PinckIey.
who resides on the reservation. states
that widespread interest has been
manifested in the ruin and the number
of visitors has been steadily ircreas.
inc.
IN addition 10 the roof which has
been supplied during the past summer
over the structure, some additional re e
pairs are yet required, consisting OF
renewing the lintels of doors and win
dOws and supplying underpinning for
the walls in several places. When these
are made. the ruins will be in a fair
state of preservation.
He recommends an appropriation
for the excavation of the mounds ana
ruins on the reservation. the-work to
be performed under the supervision OF
! the bureau OF American ethnology. He
expresses the opinion that ii would
greatly enhance the value of the ruins
| if some weapons Industrial imple-
ments. or domestic utensils should he
found. which would throw some light
/ upon the manners and customs of the
/ race inhabiting these ruins. and rec
ommends that $4,000 be appropriated
for the protection and Improvement OF
the ruin and excavations on the reser-
vation.
the attention Of the secretary of the
Smithsonian institution was called to
this matter, and ne stated that the in
stitution would be very glad to take
charge of the work of excavating the
mounds if authorized by congress, anJ
expressed the opinion that such eX-
Cavations could not fail to disclose
many objects of great interest and val
ue in the field of archaeology"
With regard to the Importance of the
subject, he further stated:
4 cannot speak too strongly, as un-
der existing conditions nonscientific
( explorers are fast pillaging the most
| interesting sites and destroying rec
ords which history and science should
have forever at their disposal Fur
thermOre, the agents of foreign mu-
seur-s and associations are rapidly
carrying abroad these important traces
of our aboriginal inhabitants, which
should properly be preserved at our
own capital. this being in accordance
with the policy of most foreign coun-
tries having antiquities worthy of pro-
| lection.
I most earnestly recommend tina;
! the appropriation of $4,000 be made
/ by congress for further investigation,
etc. in connection with these ruins"