The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-05-05

n and out Of the way a halt
II days Journey from the pueblo
OF Laguna. which is on a trans
continental line OF railway, AGO
ma Is as remote from civilization as II
was when discovered 300 years ago
Probably not over a dozen white men
call al Acoma In the course OF year
II Is n hard trip over there. across
the hot desert. and the Acomans. who
belong to the QUERIES tribe. are none
too hospltable to the stranger. I'm
less you have pull with the gober.
nador, the Pooh Bah Of the pueblo
you might as well make up your mind
10 say good-by Just as soon as you
have said hello because you'll be Civ.
en- to understand very plainly that you
are not wanted. This isn't from any
special unfriendliness on the part OF
the Acomans. but they simply prefer
TO be left alone and figure that they
have worried along pretty well with.
out white assistance for several hun
dred years and will be able TO do so
for several hundred years more.
There's not much OF anything of in.
terest before you reach Acoma. You
are beginning to nod In the wagon
when suddenly you are aware that
there has seemed to shoot up out OF
the plain n wonderful mesa. on the
top OF which is town. looking not un.
like sprawly sort OF castle. The
mesa Ia In the southwest corner Of n
basin four miles wide and ten miles
long and open from the northeast
only. The general altitude of the ba.
sin Is about 1900 feet and the mesa
shoots up from 200 to $50 feet right
out Of the desert. the sides being Ell
Their vertical or overhanging.
The top OF the mesa consists OF
about 300 acres Of denuded rock and
what induced anyone to build a town
there is one OF those little mysteries
that even the archaeOloglst will have
hard time making clear to you. But
In all probability the pueblo was
built there for purposes OF defense.
AS you approach the mesa you under
stand how easy It would be for the
Acomans 10 defend themselves against
airy attack that might be made upon
them
The main trail is plainly defined. 1t
winds across the desert and brings
you up against the base of the mesa
between a couple Of big groups Of
sandstone 200 feet high. guarding the
pass like giants The trail slopes up.
ward from these giants and mules and
horses can make the ascent to the
top There are two other trails. but
they are for foot purposes only and
unless the visitor has a clear head
and is a good climber se doesn't want
to tackle either one Of them. as the
paths are cut in solid rock and in
some places are merely footholes in
the side OF the preciplce.
Long files OF Indian girls are pass.
ing up and down these three trails all
day long, carrying water from the
springs on the plain below. There is
no water on top OF the mesa except
that which lie collected in the vast
basin scooped In the sand.
stone. In time of drought this basin
Is as dry as n bone and all the water
that Is used by the Acomans is
brought up from the plain below in
the gaily decorated water Jars that are
balanced on the heads OF the Acoma
maidens.
The town itself, when once you
have reached the top Of the mesa, Is
never to be forgotten. II is
built after the style Of most pueblo
villages, all the houses being OF adobe
Some OF them are three stories In
height, the upper floors being reached
by the ladders which are always
leaning against the walls and which
add q picturesque effect,
There are three long rows OF build.
,ngs. with ten large communal houses
The streets and alleys are narrow.
and when looking down them one al.
ways gets the wonderful effect OF dis.
lance, for the vision leaps right of
The edge OF the mesa and out on the
plain, no matter which way you look.
Some OF the houses are built right on
tho edge OF the cliff. and as nearly all
he Acomans sleep on the roof. espe-
,ially during the summer months. It Is
! wonder that some Of them do not
roll off or step off when walking In
heir sleep and dash themselves to
pieces 300 feet below. When the
stranger wakes up In the morning
after his nap on the roof of one OF |
.hese dwellings and finds himself on
he verge Of such a tremendous de-
scent he is apt to plead for sleeping
luarters that are less airy.