Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-01-27

Hartville. 10 a dcsolate region Of foot.
hills, mcsas aud trcelcss plains unfrc
quented by livestock, ~ tho creek bed
Il dry and tho water supply uncertain.
without a guide it would be impossible
20 fBd the locality. For several miles
before reaching tho site Of tho expodi.
tion passed over a sand desert rcscmb.
ling tho had Lands Of Dakota, but
more picturesque and strange Rising
from this dcsert are rock emincnees
In grotcsquc forms, and others In tho
shape Of castles. monuments and for.
ti6cstons. Two Of the rock formations
rising sheer and naked from tho level
Of the desert. arc almost copies % tho
pyramids Of Egypt
Beyond this desert area, located
upon series Of. hills and tablelands
and along tho ravlnos Of tho Muddy,
aro tho old aboriginal quarries and vii.
lago sites On reaching there tho visi.
tor bcholds a scene Of great loneliness
and desolation No living object l.
visible. Not a sound breaks tho op,
pressive silence. In that environment
ono seems al once 90 have been trans.
ported from modern life into a world
OF remote antiquity.
The excavations consist Of many pits
partially filed with debris, but siill
showing depth Of from go 10 80 feeti
OF tunnels aud open cuts la the cap
rock Of the mesas and on the slopes of
tho hills. The pits are from 80 20 so
feet In diameter The shafts, incllnes
and other openings are Of vdried form
and extent, al scattered over an area
ef half a miles In extent In different
directions Enormous dump piles OF
broken rocks. lying as II ID had been
mined and brought 10 the surface, are
seen around these openings.
Prehistoric Tools.
hath AAniN AAn NANaAa anu NA"F'a
where these mines are situated are
found the level areas which formed
the village or shop sites, whore the
Inhabitants lived and worked the rock,
fashioning il into implements Of all
kinds. such as hammers axes, grind
ers, hide seraPeFs, lanees, arrow
heads, knives and crude agricultural
tools
Hundreds, probably thousands, Of
these interesting prehistoric relies
have been carried away by curious
visitors and scientific explorers. One
party remaining on the ground but a
single day collected and carried away
three barrels Of these curious exam
pies OF ancient workmanship in stone.
The finished work in most instances is
crude, although some beautiful sPeei'
mems have been found, made from bril-
liantly eolOred agate, jasper, Obsidian
and ehaleedOny.
While there are hundreds Of tepe
circles on the mesa, indicating exten-
sive settlements of villagers Within
one mile Of the mine openings, Mr..
Bartlett is Of the opinion that these
are Of a much later period than the
origin Of the mining operations. These
tepe circles are exactly the same as
those made By the present Indian
tribes. II seems that when the an
eient people that carried on these min
ing operations AMI engaged in agrieuf
tural pursuits were conquered and
passed away the present Indian tribes
utilized the results Of the old quarries
into a modern Indian armOry for the
manufacture Of ammunition for their
hunting and war parties All remains
Of the ancient village have been IN
dOubtedly swept away and obliterated
by these late eOmerA So We must
Judge from surface Indications New
discoveries may be made BY scientific
explorers Of the ruins.