The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-02

EXPLORATIONS into the mysteries
of the san Juan country in Utah.
bounded within the Elk mountains
on the cast and the angle formed by the
san Ju1u rivers. are 70 be made BY II
D. n Gunner the artist. and Samuel T.
Whitaker under the direction of the
Commercial club. Thess explorers left
yesterday for Bluff city. san Juan
county, where they will obtain
months provisions and several guides
I" assist Them in their expedition. \
baSt OF supplies viii be eSta blish q
at the head of some stream i'm the Elk
mountains. and from that point they
intend 10 work their way into the un-
Known country
No living creatures. save COYOTES and
lizards make tn fl home m this desc
late country Even the scientist has
rallied 10 penetrate into the depths of
This region, and the geological "A &c of
the rocks has been # undetermined.
The government surveying and expIor-
alton parties have spent y ars battling
with the Cataracts i'm their descent
Gown the Colorado and San Juan rivers
They succeeded i'm penetrating into sa--
IONS OF the country and the tributaries
or the San Juan There they found
ruins Of the h3h'tati1TG of vanished
races in desolate and barren places on
lodges and in caves. whose past his
Ally ~ UilhllONl- I n" Story or the
@ the 5bOrigines lived Is only known
ass told hy these ruins. ny their bones
their pottery. their rude garments.
tools and weapons TIicrCElyphics and
Inscriptions are scratched ON to cliffs.
but tn translation has never been rem
dered.
Canyons Never Hitherto Explored.
the side canyons. extending far into
this unknown region. which always
of feet i'm depth. have never en- ex-
pioved. The cliffs and gorges seem
almost uuapproucha5le. No streams
flow from this region and the scarcity
OF water adds To Tin" difficulty of ex-,
p'oratiou. What records OF ,he cliff
dweliers are enCulfed i'm this territory
are unknown IL is evident that they
built their homes and fortjfcations in
this region as they did in the surround
ing valleys and cliffs Wild rumor
come from the cowboys who have
Tisked their lives i'm roaming about in
the Elk mountains that villages and
towers can he seen i'm the distance on
cliffs Great natural bridges are also
reported.
Tn evidence Of erosion for centuries
is everywhere present. The lower strata
iu his country is said TO be sandstone,
while the upper formation is con
RlOmerate deposit of evolutionary
rocks. The soft sandstone has yi=lded
y
Is carved and sCulDtured.
Tradition of the Moquis.
An old tradition has been handed
down for centuries among the NOQui
tribe OF Indians i'm Arizona. II was told
go One explorer by AN old chief through
an Interpreter. He said:
Formerly the aDorigines inhabited
aU this. country as far west as the
head WATTS of the san Juan. as far
north us che Rio Dolor-s. west TO the
intersection of the Colorado and san
Juan. AMI south throughout Arizona.
They lived ch-re from time immemOrial
and cultivated the valleys. Once they
were visited by strangers from the
north. supposed to he the ancestors of
the pres mt Ites who fell upon them
ana devastated their farms. To save
their lives they built houses upon the
cliffs VIII 'rc they could store their
grain and defend h-mselvcs- These
strangers NorShipped the sun. and soon
/ drove the inhabitants from their homes
4 and across tho CheorlosS uplands. For
' many moons they fought until the hol-
lows in thc rocks We're fill q with the
mingled blood of conquerors and con
qUcTcd. Victory was with the cliff
dweIierS and they beat their foes back
out Of tho country. They moved grad
ualiy further south into tn deserts of
Arizona and there built new homes"
The Moquis still occupy the hauuts
of their forefathers on almost unaD-
proachable cliffs. where they are care
fully preserving th5m.
May Find Mineral Resources.
II IS into the wilds of that country
that Mr. Gunner and Mr.. Whitaker in
tend TO 20 and put on record the Won
.ders Of this scenic stretch of land.