The Ordway new era., 1912-07-12
RUNS QFAEORG0zZEWRE0lZE

~ HE fascination OF mystery still
hangs heavily upon the pre-
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 IL silent as to their origin
AMI final destiny.
What is now southwestern Colorado.
central and northern New Mexico.
northern Arizona and southeastern
Utah. comprising n territory Of 100000
square miles. was at one time. hum
dreds. yes. and perhaps thousands OF
years ago. the home of a race Of peo-
pie who from the peculiar location OF
their dwellings are known as the Clin
Dwellers. writes w. c. Mcbride In the
current number Of the Pacific Monthly.
A better conception of the term Clih
Dweller is obtained by bearing In mind
tho fact that the country wherein they
dwelt is unlike any other on the globe.
This territory drained by the San Juan
river and its tributaries. and particu-
larly tina: part known as Four Corners.
where Colorado. New Mexico. Arizona
anC Utah form a 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.
now at the bottom OF deep gorges and
canyons, shut In by perpendicular
of
place; 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; N 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 ali
colors and at all angles. single and In
groups. one upon the other In bewilder-
ing confusion. Worn by the action OF
the elements 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 Virgini: is a toy; there is cathe-
st. Peters: just beyond, baronial
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
ument.
First Known to History.
The first historical accounts of the
relics Of this interesting people come
from the Spaniards and from informa-
tion 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. Frst-Lowland villages in
which dwelt the purelys agricultural
classes, the sites chosen being always
in the most fertile valleys and close TO
rivers.
sccond-Cave dwellings. caves arti-
ficially enlarged, often closed and
strengthened with stone or adobes OF
kneaded clay dried in the sun, such as
are still used by the modern Pueblo In
dian7 for building their huts.
Third-Cliff houses. true fortresses
to which the people Of the valleys
probably retired when danger threat.
ened.
1t may be well to state here that 1t
is the opinion OF most recent investiga-
tors that the lowland cities and VIII
lagos were inhabited by a different
people 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 affording
the best protection from the invader
or the sandstorms peculiar to that re-
gion.
That the inhabitants of these ruins
were the agricultural classes there
seems no doubt, for we find indisputa-
BILE evidence of their irrigation works
as we'll as Of a city water supply. The
arid deserts were reclaimed through
system of storage reservoirs by dam
ming the mountain streams and con-
ducting the water to the lower plains
in canals in the same manner as the
government is now doing in many arid
sections of the west. When We con-
slider that they were constructed with
out the aid of our modern excavating
machinery and explosives. or even the
common pick and shovel. we are COM
pelled to admit that here Is evidence
of an intelligence tar in advance OF
that ever shown by any of the Indian
trihtE.