The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram., 1911-08-19

coe~
the exact whereabouts Of the tr,sa-
nre. II that indeed il It's purpose.
According to the experts. howevee.
the face undoubtedly represents an
Idol worshipped by the early Hopt
Indians or their predecessors. as Is
evidenced by the trough in front OF
1t in which the blood Of the animals
sacrificed Is believed to have run.
In the southwestern area most
OF the picture writings are painted
as well as pecked. while in the
northern areas the artists seem TO
have dispensed with colors, This
may have been because the south
western tribes had a greater sense
OF color. or perhaps II VAS because
the pigments were easier found
among the highly eolored sand
stones of the desert than among ths
gray plains OF the North
In the Tule River region Of CALI
fornia. where pictogra phs abound.
there Is rock covered with picture
writings. brilliantly done In colnrs.
At the base OF the rock Is to ha
found series OF cup-like depres-
sions. in which the primeval artists
mixed their eolors. The pigments
are still in evidence In these depres.
sions. and have literally become .
part OF the rock. a. they cannot be
removed by steel instrument.
1t Is certain that many OF these
rock writings were used "a sign.
posts. pointing the way to the near.
est springs, camping places. or trails
that shortened distances Of travel.
In the Mohave country 10 a rock
picture which describes the effect OF
the bite OF the cidatus, and the use
OF q certain herb for its cure. In
Nevada has been found boulder
on which Is representation OF
woman with an olive branch In her
hand. In the San Juan country Of
New Mexico there Is a clin on which
appears a long procession OF AMI
mails with men to keep them In
order. In Yellow Jacket Canyon.
I'tah. near some remarkable ella
ruins and community houses which
have only recently been discovered,
is wonderful series Of cliR writings.
One Of these shows procession ot
men with great hands held IN
strange position
The Colorado River, which Aows
between walls OF rock for hundreds
OF miles. contains countless petro-
glyphs. One OF the rock pictures In
the Colorado Canyon. below the
mouth Of the Dirty Devil River. tells
a stirring story OF the defense oe
the crossing, the stationing Of gar
rison and the death OF officers OF
rank.
At Lake Chelan. Washington, pic-
ture writings appear on the face OF
a clin thirty feet abov, the surface
Of the water. It has been deter.
mined that stone wedges were driven
into the face OF the clilY, enabling
the artists to climb where their work
would show to better advantage.
In Maine there are rock writings
which are several fest below the
lowest tides.
Prospectors in the Southwest have
long held the idea that some OF
these Indian inscriptions tell Of
hidden gold mines. and Government
scientists at Washington have long
been pestered with inquiries as to
TRANSACTIONS OF certain writiugs
which have been thought to deal
with trelSure. Nothing has ever
been discovered iaat would bear out
the prospectors' theory. but mining
men still cling to the belief that.
some day a Golconda will be uncoy.
cred through q key found on some
cliff or boulder.
Many of the prehistoric artists
were clever In depicting astonish.
ment or negation IN drawing theis
characters.