Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-07-12

uduSS heavily upon the pre-
IL historic peoples of the Ameri-
can southwest. While science
Is busy about them and has
been able to read in the ruins left by
them much of the pursuits, customs,
habits and religious beliefs of the
builders, 1t Is silent as to their origin
and final destiny.
What is now southwestern Colorado,
central and northern New Mexico,
northern Arizona and southeastern
Utah, comprising a territory OF 100000
square miles, was at one time, hun
dreds, yes, and perhaps thousands or
years ago, the homo of race OF peo-
pie who from the peculiar location OF
their dwellings, are known as the Cliff
DWellers. writes w. G.. Mcbride In the
current number of the Pacific Monthly.
A better conception of the term Cliff
Dweller is obtained by bearing in mind
the fact that the country wherein they
dwelt is unlike any other on the globe.
This territory drained by the San Juan
river and it's tributaries, and partlcu-
larly that part known as Four Corners,
where Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
and Utah form junction, is without
doubt one OF the most rugged, broken,
arid and desolate appearing regions IN
the continent. The zigzag water
courses, most of which for the greater
part of the year are absolutely dry,
flow at the bottom Of deep gorges and
canyons, shut in by perpendicular
sandstone walls, towering at some
places to the height of $500 feet. From
the main canyons others branch OF In
various directions, and from these still
others until one becomes lost in a veri-
table labyrinth Of cracks OF Mother
Earth; an intricate system of canyons.
On the high deserts or mesas the other
extreme is met, for here on every hand
rise immense cliffs and crags Of all
colors and at all angles, single and IN
groups, one upon the other in beWllder-
ing confusion. Worn by the action Of
the clements into every conceivable
shape and semblance, a landscape view
from a high point is magnificent,
gorgeous, sublime. Here is natural
bridge beside which the famous arch
of Virginia is toy; there Is a cathe-
ldal or temple, many times larger than
st. Peters; just beyond, a baron1al
castle with towers and turrets, while
still beyond, down near the horizon,
Is a city with Its domes and spires
twice as high as the Washington mon
nment
First Known to History.
The first historical accounts of the
relics OF this interesting people come
from the Spaniards and from informa-
ton collected by them we learn that
the ruins of to-day are the same as
they were 365 years ago.
Prof. Holmes, of the Smithsonian In
stitution. one Of the first to study the
ruins from a truly scientific method,
makes the following classification,
which has generally been adopted by
students. FfrstALowland villages In
which dwelt the purely agricultural
classes, the sites chosen being always
IN the most fertile valleys and close 10
rivers.
second-Cave dwellings, caves arti-
IDEALLY enlarged, often closed ana
strengthened with stone or adobes OF
kneaded clay dried in the sun, such as
are still used by the modern Pueblo In
dams for building their huts.
Third-CHff houses, true fortresses
to which the people of the valleys
probably retired when danger threat
ened.
It NAV be we'll to state here that II
Is the opinion of most recent 1nvestlga-
tors that the lowland cities and VII
lagos were inhabited by different
neonle from those of the cliff dwellings
proper.
These valley towns were laid out
with great regularity, usually in the
form of parallelograms or circles, ap
parently with the intent OF anordlng
the best protection from the invader
Or the sandstorms peculiar to that re-
gion
That the inhabitants of these ruins
we're the agricultural classes there
seems no doubt, for we nnd lndlspu.a-
ble evidence of their irrigation "orhs
as we'll as of a city water supply. me
arid deserts we're reclaimed through
system of storage reservoirs by dam
ming the mountain streams and con-
Quoting the water 20 tno io"o4
in canals in the same manner as .ne
government is now doing in many ara
Sections of the west When We con-
alder that they were constructed with
,rt The aid OF our modern excavating
machinery and explosives, or even tne
common pick and shovel, we are COM
,eIed to admit that here Is evidences
{ an intelligence far in advance u
.baf ever sAown by any Of the indian
.T!h6s