Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-05-09
GIANT FOOT PRINTS

In northwestern New Mexico is a
country rich In agricultural possible.
ties as well as prehistoric relics. The.
Denver 4 Rio Grande railroad leaves
II to the south. while the Santa Pc
skirts its southern border. Between
these roads lies the fertile Animas
valley, traversed by three rivers. az.
fording abundant water for irrigation.
Here, in recent years, farms have been
opened up, whose treasures OF fine
fruit have lured dealers from distant
cities who come every season and buy
on the trees at remunerative prices.
although the fruit must be freighted
for sixty miles to Durango, the nearest
railroad shipping point. says the Path.
! finder
! But whore the white man now
| plants his orchards. his ruder brother
OF prehistoric times once followed out
/ his lines of endeavor In the fulfllment
of his ideals. Some knowledgo Of
what these ideals W, 70 can be CLEANED
from the ruins and relics scattered
throughout this and adjacent valleys
any canyons. No systematic work has
yet been done in bringing 70 light
these curious remains. but enough has
been discovered to awaken much curt.
osity as TO these people, who hundreds
and perhaps thousands OF years ago
lived and loved in the secluded val.
ley.
OF their manner of life, We may In.
fer that they were strong and enter.
prising; the remains of an ancient
road has been found that leads east
and west. swerving not an inch for
any obstruction and ending on the top
of an isolated mound or hill This
was probably a place OF worship.
though there il no sign or altar or
temple there now
A house of 1900 rooms, partly ex.
humed. shows them TO have been com.
munists In their instincts. As 10
their personality. mummies have been
found In very perfect state OF pre-.
seyvation. Some OF these were wrapped
in cloth made OF reeds or grass and
others. perhaps belonging 10 the kinsly
, caste, in soft blankets made Of downy
feathers of birds. These nummiss
are OF medium size with no REGULARITY
of conformation; hut there he a foot
, print, In solid rock, which has swsk-
ened much curiosity and speculation.
On a perpendicular wall OF sand
n stone, over q hundred feet in heisht
I, there IL the proof OF a human foot,
about six feet from the ground; II vas
evidently made when the rock was soft
O mud. for every contour is perfect and
4 the weight OF the body had pressed the
n mud up between the toes. There was
v certainly nothing small about the per
u son who made this track, for " Ia
Il about eighteen inches long and has 81,
a. toes; these point towards the top q
e the cliff and farther up is another foot
II print of the same size, but less distinct
A. Nearer the base of the cliR are two
n other smaller footpr!nta, but each hav
y ing six toes. also pointing upward
p There are heiroglyphics or pictsr'
A. signs. cut into the face Of the rock
Is which have never been deciphered, bu
s, which may one day tell the story o
y these peoples ana their times Sihc'
At this wall OF stone is vertical the cues
ton arises, how came these footprint
p there? Certainly II must have been II
I'd a horizontal position when this sian
g. with six toes took his evening strol
n or morning constitutional. with hi
OF wife meekly following behind, and u
ne process OF time some CONFUSION ri III
OF ture must have broken It away from II
no surroundings and placed II on enc
ed But there Is no other evidence OF sue
TO- upheaval In the vicinity; indeed fro'
"A. the top of this rock there extends
Oh plain on which there are other ev
gu dences OF prehistoric life. So tn
~ ignorant End the scientific will CO.
M tinue to speculate on this mystery, an
", y" the truth may never be known