The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-08

The most wonderful picture writ
ings, or photographs. in the world are
to be found in the territory of New
Mexico. says an Ell Paso exchange.
The Archaeological will find a life
time study in the rude designs which
have been scrawled on cliffs and rocks
by a long dead race, yet despite he
great lumber of these writings in New
Mexico. little has been done to unrav-
ell the many interesting stories which
a translation would avail.
Some idea of the scope of this field
of investigation can be obtained
from the fact that in Chaco Canon
alone, in northwestern New Mexico.
there are the ruins of no less han
seventeen prehistoric villages-and'
every one of these villages has its
picture writings. Yet the Cnaco
ruins are only one group out of hun
dreds scattered about his territory,
which is richer in legendary lore
than any other part of L United
States.
One does not have to visit the COM
paratively inaccessible Chaco Canon
to get an interesting glimpse of the
work of the ancient picture writer's.
however, At the great ruins of the
San Cristobal. w miles from Lamy
the little junction where the tourist
branches off the main line of the San
IN Ep railroad npo will find rnh h1r
the most interesting and varied lot
of picture writings in existence. If
INV does o wish to maxi the trip
from Lamy, it can be made very readi
ly from Santa Fe itself, as San Girls
o ruins are only twenty-five miles
southeast of New Mexico's capital
city and can be very readily reached
with a good team, as the road is good.
History of a Race or Mountain Side.
These photographs of San Cristobal
o literally cover a mountain side. Here
for a space of a half a mile on the
mountain side. which is the shape of
a half circle, the rocks and cliffs are
covered with strange drawings
wrought no man knows how many
years ago.
There are rude pictures of animals,
vegetables, fowls and human beings,
There are pictures of deer hunts and
wild turkey hunts, and there are pic
lures of encounters between men. No
doubt. these have historical siglif-
canoe and are intended to commence
rate the feats of arms of local heroes
Certainly no historian ever worked
in more imperishable material. for
these deeply craven pictures have re-
sisted the eroding processes of centu-
ries n will no doubt continue to do
so for centuries to come. The pictO-
graphs airy in depth from an eighth
to a quarter of an inch. How they
were cut so deep in such hard stone
is a mystery. Search of the ruins has
not brought to light any instrument
sharp enought n hard enough to
make N impression on the granite.
The making of these pictures must
nave been the work of years and must
have bee a labor of love on the part
of the artist.
One of the most interesting and
symbolical of the pictures is the story
of a murder. An Indian has shot an
arrow through the head of another
Indian. the figures being plainly visi-
bic. After shooting his deadly arrow
he Indian takes his bow in his right
hand and points to the dead man he
has shot. His head is turned in the
opposite direction and he is evidently
bidding some one to look O. his work.
Or. perhaps, he is overcome with nor.