The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-10-12
WAR GOD IDOL OF Stone
How It Was Found In a Colo
RADIO Canyon.

SS0S ~S~AAJ ~A>>
FIRST SEEN BY A PROsPEOT0R.
Archaeological Relic Discovered In
Cavern In Buckskin Mountains II
Supposed 20 Have Been Left By an
Unknown Race-Chiseling on Image
30 Fine That Even tho Hair Il Thus
Marked on the Idol
An idol Of stone-a war god Of some
hitherto unknown race, apparently ne+
thex Indian, Aztec nos cliff dwealer-
has recently been sent from Salt Laks
Cty to the Smithsonian institution at
Washington In its discovery W. l.
Bachten, who has been sending az
chseoIosieal specimens to Dr.. George
P. Merrill Of the National museum, has
got trace OF lost people, says a Salt
Lake City dispatch
+ The relic was taken from a cavern
high On clin side where the Buckskin
mountains lift their submits nearly
10000 feet ABOVE the silent desert at
the Colorado canyons northern rim
and was brought to Salt Lake City.
Features Of Caucasian cast, about its
throat carved chain links and on its
stone breast an amulet symbolical Of
the rising sun, the image shows handt
work Of some old Light worshtpers.
But men who have studied the potter
les and the painted rocks Of the cliff
dwellers say some other race than they
bowed before It when the first slanttnS
rays found their way over the noun
tain tops into the caves rift.
Bachtell himself Is no ordinary man
even among the prospectors Of the All
zona strip. A Maryland boy, he found
bis way to the west. And among the
spurs OF the Rocky mountains where
they stretch away out from the main
range into the silent reaches Of the
thirsty desert he has for many years
spent a strange, solitary existence,
wandering through dry gorges and
climbing precipices In search OF rem
nants Of prehistoric peoples.
Last March be left the Salt Lake route
at Las Vegas. Ee took an outfit and
went down into the desert he made
his way to the rim Of the Grand Can
yon Of the Colorado by route few
men have Travelled. Those few were
prospectors, searching for gold and
copper.
It Is a strange country this north
edge Of the Grand canyon. To It the
desert stretches In long plains, from
which rise painted mesas. The lofty
floor Of the Kaibab plateau hangs
over one part Hike a giant roof garden,
forest covered. with meadows OF Aow-
efA In another, close to the deep
gorge where the river runs more than
q mile below, the Buckskin mountains
fise right out Of the alkaline sands.
Bachteal spent three months In these
mountains. BE found some arrow
heads and many mineral specimens.
He was moro anxious for these latter
at the time than tor anything else
and be overlooked no opportunity to
talk With prospectors. From these be
got much valuable information. 10
find mine1ah where Life itself Is q
fight requires peculiar ability which
few even among the prospectors Of
Utah and Arizona possess, and 80 these
men, when they told anything, coudded
information Of value. From one Of
them BachteIl learned Of the stone
god
The man had found It while looking
for copper, and the story Of his dlscov-
cry sounds uncanny. BE was follow
Ing up some copper foat-that Is to
say, he bad run ON bit Of mineral
tied rock which be knew must have
been detached from ledge. he went
back tn the direction whittier he knew
the ledge must he. It might be miles
or rods away. As be went he ran
across other float, and some Of thk
showed richly. he crossed a steep
ridge descended into q deep gorge,
following up the other side, toiled ON
upward toward the crest Of the range,
where tts backbone les, sharp and
3agEed at an altitude Of between 1900
and 10000 feet.
And 30 he had reached the little
break where be had made up hts mind
tho outcropping must show. he Set
tied himself on a Sheh Of rock and
pitched into the rotten formation with
hs hammer. A small rift suddenly
yawnsd into an open cave mouth a.
ths fragments fell away before him.
Hs wdsnsd the aperture. Before him
opensd q cavern. Eventually be crawl
Cd tnto ths place. he ht a candle and
saw q great chamber IN the living fock,
and n 6e room were signs Of hfe that
had bean when tie mountains were
young An these things were Of stone.
Cooking ueRnsis, bowls and pestes
whsss bey bad pounded their grain
and ODD shaped baGins Uttered the
foop. In ths middle, right opposite the
Ao,~ A,oov x,,oo $ha fy,a 90 ~ tho f1nd