Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-08-22

| the Cliff Dwellings, of which Mrs.
McClurg is president. had to contend
with; now that Senator Patterson
had made a personal investigation.
| it was believed the desired results
could soon be accomplished.
Mrs. McClurg did not go to the
ruins this trip with the rest of the
party, as she was not prepared for
| 1t. so she came back to Mancos and
remained there till the party returned
She has been all over tho ground
in previous trips. however. Her first
trip to the ruins was made in 1852.
| and an escort of four soldiers and an
| officer was furnished her from Fort
Lewis, as without protection such a
trip would have been extremely haz-
ardous on account OF hostility of the
Indians
In 1855 she again made the trip,
having n guide and a photographer.
this time spending three weeks and
taking most complete line of views
She came agin In 1889 and still again
in 1901.
One of these visits she was accom-
panied by several members OF the
American Association for the Ad.
vancement of Science, the party num-
bering 81. DR.. Fowkes. one of the
foremost men of that organization.
who is now in Porto Rico. made the
statement that the Mancos and Mesa
Verde dewllings were the most spec-
tacular and representative cliff houses
statement coming from such an en-
inent authority. is of great import
One specially significant thing Mrs
McClurg mentioned was that Senior
Don Leopaleio Batrez, government
Inspector of antiqities for Mexico
had visited our ruins and had found
them of sufficient Importance to write
very interesting book about them
His government had ordered the pub.
lication of this book The significant
thing about this is that sister and
inferior republic should have a book
prined about ruins In our country
when our own government had over
looked the matter.
Mrs. McClurg expressed the belief
that at some future day, If the ruins
can be properly protected, they will
be southwest Colorado's greatest as.
set, She deplores the continual van
dalism. which at present there Is no
way to prevent. and cannot help but
notice that more interest is taken In
the preservation of the ruins by out.
siders than by our home people. She
says II the government had set these
ruins aside as early as 1885 they
would be in so much better state of
preservation than now, and the fact
that the government has been so
slow to act will be a matter of deep
regret to all generations to come.
Red Rock said to her: "You white
woman say you want to keep ruins
see white man tear 'em down all
time. | no sabe"
That is surely hard matter for
the Indian to understand.
To correct wrong impression which
many have, Mrs. Mclurg said that
Mesa Verde was of value to the In
dians for grazing lands. and that there
were number OF springs on the
mesa, which furnished water for the
small fiocks. One of these springs
was improved by the society, 800
having been spent on it. The money
was donated by Mrs. John Hays Ham.
mond. and SO the spring was named
Hammond spring
AcawitiZ. a prominent red men who.
Mrs. Mclurg predicts. will be the sue
seccor to Chief Ignacio, declares that
Hammond Spring and all the land
for miles around belongs to him. and
in case of the land being sold to the
government he wants all the money
He claims the land because his father
and his grandfather lived there and
claimed 1t. II is true his father held
undisputed possession of the land sur
rounding the spring, but there is some
doubt as to the truth of his claim
about his grandfather owning the
land In case of the land being
ceded. Acawitiz will undoubtedly lay
claim to all the money for that por-
ton of the land mentioned, and It is
not presumed either the Indians OF
the governemnt would recognize his
claims, in which event he would prob
ably make trouble.
In conclusion, Mrs. McClurg said
that the commissioner of Indian af
| fairs. many congressman and the pres
| ident were interested and this gave
her sanguine hopes. She received a
| telegram while here from President
Roosevelt about some ruins in New
Mexico. in the preservation of which
he is very much interested
USSo-JAPANESE WAR.
| ST. PETERSBURG, Aug 18-An of