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


ror at his deed hat he cannot look
at his victim. Some nave hazarded
the opinion that this is an Indian who
has slain a tyrannical ruler, and 9th
ers take the ground that 1t is merely
a redskin Cain who is overcome with
horror at having slain his brother.
One of the series shows a turkey
hunt. One of the Indians is in front
of the turkey e~ndeavoring to strike
the bird with a stick. Another Indian
is behind it with ~outstretcned arms,
evidently guarding against an escape
from the cal.
The pictures of deer were very nu-
merous, indicating that these animals
were plentiful in the southwest at the
time b ancient pictures were urawn-
There are strange geometrical designs
which evidently hav some meaning
that has not been fathomed.
Near these photographs are the an
cient ruins of San Cristobal. which
are little visited, though they are
among the most accessible of the
ruins in the southwest. There is a
very old pueblo. in ruins. In front of
this is the ruin of a stone wall. The
main entrace was through this wall:
There are smaller entrances, but evil
IDENTIFY these were used only in case
of emergency. There is a large bur
ial ground and the ruin of al old
church. The photographs are the
main point of interest, however, and
will well repay the visit of the our
ist or scientist.
Something similar to the picture
writings of San Cristobal are those
of P~arjarito Park. a few miles from
Santa Fe in another direction. Pa
of cave dwellings-holes scooped out
by thousands in the sides of the cliffs.
Here, it is thought lived a people who
a~ntedated the cliff dwellers. The rude
caves show nothing like the skill man
ifested in h construction of the bet
ter class OF cliff dwellings.
The cliffs and rocks of this vicinity
are literally scrawled with rude pic
lures. In one great cave an attempt
has been made to decorate the ceiling
with pictures that evidently have pic
torial significance. Evidently the dec
GRATED domes of our fine modern state
buildings are nothing new in the mat
ter of inspiration.
= Spanish C~onquerers Left Record.
Whatever the process of the native
in making these rock pictures, it is
evident the Spanish co1quistadores
by the writings on FL Moro or Inscrip-
ton Rock, situated in Valencia county
twenty-five south of the Santa Fe n
Pacific railway. This majestic cliff
IF sand stone rises sheer from the deS-
ert. Here on the smooth wall the
early Spaniards more han two hun
dred years ago carved numerous in
scriptions which are legible today.
One of the characteristic inscriptions
is as follows:
In the year 1716. on the 2Sth day
of August, Don Felix Martinez, gov
kingdom passed by here to the reduc-
ton and conquest of Moqui, and in
his company was the Rev. Father Fray
Antonio Carnage, custodian and judge
ecclesiastical"
!. This rock was on the road to the
Seven Cities of Cibolia, which lured
so many of the S~paniards to death.
There is a fine spring by the rock,
and no oub it was a favorite camp
ing place. While they were resting
beneath its shade, no doubt the mail
clad warriors of Spain registered their
names in this strange book of the
desert. In later years independence
Rock, on the old Oregon trail, in Wyo-
ming, was utilized for he same pur-
pose by the pioneers who were on
their way to Oregon. But it is a
noteworthy fact that these ancient
photographs and writings of the south
west are much more legible, after
hundreds of years, han the names
which were carved with steel instru-
ments a scant half century ago.
No doubt in time the government
will set aside all the ruins in the
southwest, even those which are most
inaccessible, to keep them from the
destroying hand of the vandal. The
Mesa Verde ruins in Colorado lave
been so treated and now form a ma
tional park. Similar care hould be
taken of the ruins and photographs of
New Mexico, if new light is to be
shed on the ancient peoples who in
habited that part of our country. Not
one of these evidences of an ancient
civilization should be destroyed taru
oversight of our government.-Las
Vegas Optic.