Bridgeton pioneer., 1912-12-19
-'''"@""~tt%%N<~%%~~~~<~$
SEALED By FLAMES /
PROFESSOR AENA !
More Numerous Than Ameri-
cans Today--CitieS De-
signed by QuetzaIcoatI.
-..>>~~~>%%H>%%~>%~%>%A

cement. He supervised the bu 'lding
of one temple in each of the five cities
and then disappeared.
But ere he went this master archi-
tect, designer and director of all the
buildings which have persisted for ff-
ty centuries in Mexico left his mark
on all of them. He signed his hand-
work in stone, just as the artists Of
today sign the productions of their
brushes and pencils. And that sign
which he lett was feathered serpent
Translated into the Nahuatl of the
more modern Aztecs it is Quetzalcoatl
-QuetZal, Il bird. and coat, a serpent
Master Mind of Nation.
This signature, which appears on ev-
cry block of stone i'll Nochicalco and
on every ruin in Mexico, is the link in
the chain which binds all of them to-
gether, the slender thread which SO
strongly shows that all were built by
the same tribe, all designed by the
same master mind. Quetzalcoatl's
work was more extensive and more
voluminous in all probability than that
Of any other architect who has eve"
lived, either in ancient or in modern
times. He alone carved the stone ser
pents, each with a feather covered
head, on the temples, and in XOchi-
calico alone there are more than 800
feet of serpent, each wall containing
snake, its head at one end and its
tail at the other, running in sinuous
convolutiOns along the entire length.
The same serpent, identically feath-
cred, in the same shape and with the
same number of teeth, appears on the
temples of each and every one of the
ruined cities.
There is not a doubt in my mind"
said Professor Mena. in his work on
XOchicalcO, that one great race is
responsible for all the magnificent
ruins of Mexico, and not several, as
has been believed. But the most re-
markable part of it all is that this
race has disappeared completely Not
even trace of its spoken language, its
legends, or its characteristics-phys
ally, | mean-remainS among the In
dians of Mexico, all of whom show
traces of the AZtecs, who We're not the
conquerors of the mysterious race to
which Quetzalcoatl belonged.
THE AZtecs, who arrived in Mexico
about the seventh century A. D., and
who conquered the miserable tribes
they found here, saw only ruins where
these massive cities once stood, and
not one of the Indian tribes then oc-
cupying these lands could tell them
aught of the builders of any ruin, from
Xochicalco to Palenque."
In the Nahuatl tongue the name of
this mysterious dead race was Quiche,
or Kiche-no one knows just which
nor does any one know what the peo-
pie of QuetZalcoatl called themselves in
their own language. But on the walls
Of Xochicalco QuetzalcOatl has left
what is supposed to be a portrait of
himself, seated cross legged beneath
the protecting curve of cOnvolution
of the great feathered serpent. The
face is strong and fearless. the brow
high and noble, and the eyes are turn
ed toward the west, whence he came
What Became of Quiches9
What became of the Quiches is the
question which is puZzling the wise
men of the national museum of Mex
leo. Somewhere between 5000 years
before the time of Christ and 700 years,
thereafter this mighty race, which the
carvings say possessed as many mem
bers as the United States has inhabit-
ants, passed as silently and mysteri-
Ously as it came. Where it came from.
where it went and what wiped it off
the face of the earth are the questions
to be answered, and deep study will
be made of all the five cities to see il
the answers can be found.
Down on the Balsas river, in the
state of Guerrero, about 400 miles from
the City of Mexico, the largest ruin of
all Mexico has been uncovered. In
vestigators sent there by the National
museum of. Mexico report that the
ruins cover an area fifty miles in
length by twenty-five in width, Il city
which must have held three or -four
million souls at the height of its pros
perity. The ruined buildings are close
together, and there are four large pyra-
midS and seven large temples or pal
aces.
1t seems that Nochicalco was the
center of the Quiche empire, accord
ing to Professor Mena. Here lived the
architect Cuetzalcoatl while he WAS
not going from city to city inStructine
the people in the building of their
homes, temples and palaces. His 90
ing seems 10 have been the signal for
the beginning of the downfall of the
great race of the QuicheS. How they
went-pestilence, famine, earthquakes
or f1oods-no man knows or ever will
know, only it is certain that they did
not end their racial existence in war
No bones of defending armies are
found round these ruins. but many are
uncovered in the houses which in each
instance filled the valleys below the