Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1912-02-18
PREHISTORIC
H|EROG[YPH|CS
They Will Be Feature of
Interest at Illinois Picnic
Next Thursday in the
Foothills of the Salt Riv-
er Mountains.

The picnic of the Illinois Society
to be held next Thursday. Wash
ngton's birthday. ut the Hieroglyphic
Canyon about seven miles southeast
OF Phoenix. promises to he a very
interesting event. As many former
Tllonoisans are expected To go to
the picnic in their private rigs the
following instructions as 10 reaching
the hieroglyphic canyon are given
by the transportation committee:
Those leaving Phoenix should go
south on Center street crossing the
Center street bridge and continu-
ing one half mile south on the main
Tempe road. then turn one and Il
half miles east and again turn due
south passing the ostrich farm be
yond which signs have been erected
showing the most direct route to the
canyon.
II is expected that quite a large
number of former IllinOisans VIII
come from Tempe and Mesa and
to such the committee suggests that
they drive due west from the road
passing Mr. Niels Peterson's resi-
dence. by the Bartlett Heard pump
ing plant until they came To the
Belgo- American Ostrich farm. then
turn due south and signs Will di-
rect them to the picnic site.
At the hieroglyphic canyon which
has been selected for the picnic
the committee in charge has made
every possible comfort will be eN-
tended the picnickcrs. As has been
previously announced. hot coffee.
cream and sugar will bee furnished
bv the committee but all attending
are expected to bring their own
basket lunch.
4 cordial invitation is extended by
the committee i'm charge. not only
to those who are now members OF
the Illinois Society. but To all others
who hail from Illinois. to attend
this reunion Those who have no
means of conveyance or their own,
will be conveyed To and from the
picnic grounds in special busSes pro-
yided for the occasion which Will
leave from the corner of Center ana
Adams streets the morning OF Fen
mary 23nd at ten o'clock. and m
order that the committee in charge
may know Just how much trans
portation of this kind to provide, II
is requested that all desiring to avail
themselves Of the busride. will either
advise Dwight T. Heard. the pre'i-
dent Of the society. Il. y MARKS
secretary. 40l Fleming block, or Dr.
II. II Wilson. eos National Bank OF
Arizona building, chairman Of me
committee on transportation. of their
intention.
The program arranged for pro-
vides for sports for the children.
several addresses including one by
Gov. Hunt. and the explanation al
the remarkably interesting hero
gIy-phic rocks by Miss Shariot Han
who for many years has been his
torian Of the territory.
Every possible arrangement IS be
ing made by the committee in charge
10 make this one of the most sue
cessful reunions of the lllinoiSanS
that has ever been held. ana large
attendance is hoped for.
Irrespective of the pleasures OF an
Illinois picnic. for those who have
never seen the pictured rocks. TINS
excursion will be worth the effort
for that Measure alone. and ii isl
presumed that among the Illinois
neopIe here many are newcomers who
have never seen the hieroslNpHlCS'
nerboDs never heard Of them. For
their information it is stated that
the Dictures are evidently INTENDED
TO represent people. deer u'ES'
snakes the sun and other objects
any primitive people might be IA
miliar with. The pictures are pre-
historic as not even the present In
dian races have any knowledge oil
who made them o. what they rep
resent. but that they were pace"
an tho rocks for some other than an
idle purpose is quite certain. Inc
fact that in various places all over
tho southwest. the same idehucaI
figures are found. shows That their
nurnose is a message of some sort
and that those who made the PIC
tres inhabited vast eXpanse oi
country or travelled over it and eX-
oec,ed that those who came after
,rouId be numerous and Travelled.
Whether key 10 their meahihs WIZ
o,,nr hp found is problematical ana
evidently none of the students ~
archaeology have yet found such
kev for these pictures have attract-
ad the attention of many ana theH
have been treated of in the Shl'l-
,oriop publications. but nothing more
han speculation has ever been OIL
rored as to what they mean.