New-York tribune., 1906-08-08
WESTERN WOMEN'S WORK,
Colorado FED" Struggles Eight
Years for National Park.

The bill passed by Congress for the Mesa
Verde National Park crowns with success eight
years OF patient work by the club women Of
Colorado. II was the Colorado Federation Of
Women's Clubs which first in 1898 set out to
secure in some way the preservation OF the
cliff dwellings. The ruins. an object Of interest
and curiosity to every archaologist in the world
were open TO every chance conner and the pot
terry and utensils left there by a vanished race
were hawked about by curfo dealers in Denver
or adorned the ranch houses in the vicinity OF
the cliffs
The federation appointed committee on the
subject, and this committee decided TO form a
separate organization. known as the Cliff Dwell
ings Association. but backed by the federation.
Then ensucd 4 performance unique and unap-
preached in the history Of America treaty
!! between an Indian tribe and the club women Of
4 state.
The Cliff dwellings stand upon the tribal lands
OF the Weeminuche Utes. far from any railroad
In remote and unfrequented southwestern
corner OF the state The club women wanted a
treaty by which they could control the dwellings,.
protect them and appoint a custodian during the
period pending state or national action along the
same lines. The chairman OF the committee
therefore went down into the sad Southwest"
to md 1gnacio, chief Of the Utes. She expected
70 md him at Navajo Springs. with a resident
v,
amid the SUBMITS OF the La Plata Range
Ihither the chairman prepared to follow him on
hoFseback as coolly, as If it were quite the Gus
toIIlary tnlng Tor a club woman to pursue an
Indian chief through the mountains It so hap
pened. however, that Ignacio's nephew and heir
Acowitz appeared Acowitz was a srhAan had
indian. but in exchange for certain coin Of the
realm he promised to produce the chief.
Ihree days later the chief arrived. shaking
WIN bad chill caught i'll the hills. The nego-
tiation Of the treaty began by the chairman Of
1eFing the cnief some cherry cordial of her own
making It met with Ignacios approval, and he
Salo graVely "SQuaw, more squaw wine' Under
the reVivi1ying effect of cherry bounce the treaty
proceeded Ignacio said. Yes. I savez. You
want TO make show Of the old houses as thew
made show of me at the Denver festival
Mhlte man want to make show of every
Terms were discussed and Ignacio said patheti-
cally: White woman, am old man. and
many have lied to me. Speak the truth. Do
the women of Colorado lie like the men?'
eventually terms were reached and the Mesa
Verde passed temporarily under the control OF
the club women Of Colorado, and Ignacios treaty
on behalf Of the Weenimuche Utes ap-
proved by the Secretary Of the Interior on the
authority Of Congress. IN the spring of 1901.
Then began the long agitation TO secure a
national park In this Mrs. Lucy E. Peabody Of
Denver. came to the front. Mrs. Peabody, who
is the wife OF Major w. S. Peabody, formerly of
the regular army, was at one time employe
of the National Bureau of Ethnology. Thor
oughly imbued with the traditions Of that de-
partment she never wavered in her determine
ton to get the famous relics under the protec-
ton Of the federal government. There was op-
position 70 the plan from various sources, which
delayed its conSumr1atiOn. Mrs. Peabody made
two trips to Washington. another to st. Louis
and number through the state, all at her own
expense. arousing interest in the matter and
her correspondence on the subject for some years
past, carried on at her own expense. has been
voluminous. The bill which has passed was
introduced by Senator T NJ Patterson last
January. It creates national park which Will
become one OF the great tourist goals Of the
country, like Yellowstone Park Suitable ap-
proaches to and accommodations at the ruins
viii be constructed. The ruins lie in the midst
OF the widest and grandest scenery Of the San
Juan region and are at present TO be reached
only on foot or horseback.