Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1905-05-01
SO Says II, l. A. Culmcr, Who
Has Just Returned From San
Juan Exploring Trip
BUILDINGS WERE STOREHOUSES
Mountains Covered With Snow aud
Clear Days Somewhat Scarce
Valuable Specimens

That the popular conception of tho
early Inhabitants Of southeastern uWh
as "qlln dwcllors' IN erroneous, Is tho
conclusion reached by II, /" A. Gunner
at tho end Of his 30 days of exploration
m the san Juan river valley After en-
amming over hundred structures
built among the ems, Mr. 'ulmcr has
reached the conclusion that II ls a mis-
homer 10 cali those buildings elm
dwellings, aud To refer 10 their bulld"
err aa the "clin dwcllors,' Mr. Culmcy
believes that lhcy were the winter
store houses, the forts, the pottery ior'
torlH, ana the cemeteries of bands. of
ncuplo who rupmud over the plains be'
low, tilng the lana ANA dwelling IN
tcpops IN the nrlle valleys Thp relies
of the San Juan valley are an lnhoN'
lnnco Of the state OF titan, but unup'
preclullyo of tholr value she has AL
lowed sister states tO loot the most ynl'
unhlo forage grounds NJ tholr riches
until now from San Juan county, Now
York chicago ana Denver have vulu'
able collections. whllo ulnh has CONS
pirnilyoly nothing.
The exploring party " salt LNkcls
returned home yesterday allor an NO'
Ronru pl lust 30 days from the city, p
u, Whitaker the photographer ot The
party went on To hia homo nt Ogdou
white Mr., Holmes and Mr. gunner arc
IN Sult Lake, when seen this morning
Mn Gunner WAS nt his Office, ATTENDING
to the routine Of hls business, and the
MOST careful scrutiny lnllod "a. discover
n trace ol evidence mat h. had Just re-
turned from 80 days Of wandering that
had brought over $500 square miloa
of unknown country into the sphere of
the mupmukcrs ana recorders facts,
CLEAR DAYS SCARCE,
when asked In regard 10 the results
OF the trip, ana the dilllcultlcR oncoun'
tered, Mr. Culmrr explained one olos
mout that hud been great surprise
In the winter of SOB and 1904 not 4
drop OF rain on SNOW foll between sept
/ ana May I, while this year the people
came ont Of their houses to celebrate
Whenever clear day made lts appears
nuCC, Tho l,lk mountains ana the
llluo mountains were entirely covered
with snow while the rains broughl
grass and flowers eprInglng from des.
ort earth In great abundance, This un.
expected rain made II impossible to
cross the san Juan for trip over into
the Navajo country ana % penetrate
the mountains 10 explore n country that
ftlll remains unknown ana that IN Hs
large M that passed over the nrst be-.
lng impossible on account of the sWol-
len cond ton Of the stream, ana the
second ON account Of the snow banks.
This trip back into Che mountains IN "A
rlch field for exploration 10 which the
trip Just finished II preliminary
BROUGHT BACK LITTLE LOOT
Tho trip was not one with collection Of
relies ms lts object The party brought
back but llllle Of the nndings In the
cave dwellings, ana these Woro mostly
specimens We decided that making Il
collection was a business " Itself" said
Mr. Gunner, land mat Ia undertake II
would mean 10 40 specially prepared
for H. You see II has its drawbacks. IN
the caves the dust IN llno ana dry and
rises quickly when disturbed, More
than thai, the rats have carried largo
quontltoA OF cactus aplncs into the elm
dwellings ana an hours work In a
cnye means the spending OF half dog-
en- hours Kidding ones clothing of
these rpinos, The caves are not 4 COM
Portable place TO VII down In" The full
list OF materials brought back by tho
explorers consist OF a half dozen "0y0s"
or water pots, a dozen sandals, OF In.