The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-12-17
WELLS OF HALLEY'S BLUFFS.
What Many Think Natural Won.
der, No Doubt Work
of Man.

contributor ~ the Kansas City Star.
recently had an article In that paper
concerning romantic Halley's Bluffs,
from which she following is extract.
ed:.
Just beyond the meeting Of the
waters" where the Msries des Cyg
nee, the Litsle Usage and the Mar
NATION rivers In their union form the
Big Usage, there rise, on she south
bank, a precipitous and picturesque
hill hundred feet high, called Hal.
ley's bluff.
The bluff xsends down the river a
little over quarter OF a mile, crown.
ed by II ledge OF red sandstone which
Is overlaid with rich black soil In
which are growing many huge forest
trees.
Twelve or fifteen feet below this I'D.
per ledge OF the blufi-which follows
the windings OF the river extending
outwards aud forming u sheli-there
hes another layer OF stone and with
wide level surface In which are ex-
cavations that may truly be classed
with the most wonderful oiAmerican
antiquities.
In the solid stone are q number OF
cisterns, caches or whatever WAS their
original purpose, cut In the sand
stone with perfect precision. They
are rather jug shaped, about twelve
ieet deep, two feet wide at the top
and averaging four ieet across the
center and bottom.
The remains of thlrty.six still may
be seen, few In fair state OF pre-.
servation. Some are entirely filed
with debris from disintegrating rock
above, leaves and sticks.
These wells are from two and a half
feet to ten and twenty feet apart.
They follow the curves of the bluff
which at one point is nearly smi-
circle. The inside. walls OF the wells
are circular, smooth and fashioned
with mathematical precision.
John Barrows, who WAS born and
reared within a few miles OF Halley's
bluff, says that In his earliest recol
lection many OF these curious excava
sions were In II periecs state OF pre-.
seryatiUn.
There nave been many theories ad.
yanced ds to the probable origin and
purpose OF the excavations. Some
believed that the Indians made them
for hi ing places in times Of disturb
ance among the tribes, Others that
the aborgines formed them s. store
provisions.
Mrs. Asenath Barrows, who lived
nearby in the 30s, said the Indians
told her the excavations were as
great mystery to them IA TO the
she white people, and that there was
no legend concerning them among
the tribes.
Onthe summit of Halley's bluff can
be clearly traced the walls OF an old
stone tort. This fact and the skill
with which the wells were formed
have led many TO believes what is
probably the real origin, that all
were built by early Spanish explorers
the fort for defense while quartered
here and the excavations for stolen
food when they wandered elsewhere.
Whoever these mysterious people
were "they builded better than they
knew" for there remains to perpetu.
ate thelr patience and perseverance
these memorials in solid stone which
are more enduring than brass"
A number of scientific men have
visited the place and sought dill
gently to find some clue to the iden-
tity of the Adventures who, In the
years beyond any history Of this Sec
tion, carved out OF the hard red sand
stone near hall Il hundred deep, round
smooth holes, each as large as an
ordinary cistern. But no one has
been able to find the evidence sought,
and each one leaves the place az
mystified as those who look upon
them to-day. Equipped with odd
crude implements, the makers Of
these wells were compelled to per-
form prodigious amount OF labor.
A people In ignorance of geometrical
proportions could never have fash.
Toned those wells at Halley's bluff
Kansas City Star.