La Junta tribune., 1915-11-06
HOME OF CLIFF DwELLERs.
Have Been De~erted From Three
Hundred 70 One Thousand Yeass
and 6till In Good C0udltion.

A short time ago I was fortunate
enough to be included In q small
party going for trip to the cliff
dwellers' ruins In northern Arizona,
near Marsh Pass Indian school. or
Kayenta postoffice. We made the
trip by wagon to near Marsh Pass.
and then made camp. leaving our out
fit In charge OF 4 Navajo Indian. Here
we procured Indian ponies and
guide. for the last part Of the trip
can only be made on Indian ponies.
A white mans horse would most
likely make a mis-step. slip from the
trail. and land you few hundred
feet down the canon. We followed
what is known as segy canon. to
the north, about six miles. and then
branched to the west. following
side canon up the bed Of a small
stream for about mile.
All at once. there In front Of u,
high up In the side Of the canon wall.
appeared small village. set back In
an immense cave 500 feet wide and
800 feet high. There were some
thing like 100 rooms or houses. and
they appeared in such perfect condi-
tion at \ short distance that II Al
most seemed ~ though we ought to
see people moving about with sigus
Of life and industry. Such was not
the case. however. ~ these people
are supposed to have gone from these
deserted homes anywhere from three
hundred to one thousand years.
This seems almost impossible to
believe. ~ these rooms and stone
walls. laid in mud mortar. are still
In very good condition. Although
some Of them are dilapidated and
some Of the roofs. which are small
timbers and sticks covered with mud.
are In some instances fallen In. the
floors are not very deeply covered
with dust and tie old tirsplacss aad
plaess Ter srsnding nsal avs nsstly
4D1Ss-At 49, -
The ovens In the ground outside
are In many cases IN On good condi-
tion ~ when used hundreds Of years
ago. and their grinding stones and
stone hammers and remains Of pot
terry are everywhere In evidence.
Even the fiagpole. or probably the
pole on which they displayed signals.
Is still standing. Most Of the walls
are stone. but q few are OF small
limbs Of trees. intertwined with
twiEs and grasses. and then plaster
cd with red adobe In which finger
prints are still visible. The finger
prints evidently were made by = very
small people. and everything else
about the village indicates that the
people who lived here were very
small. The ceilings In their houses
arc only from four 10 six feet high.
and the rooms are mostly very small.
from three by four feet In size. up 10
the largest. which In not over ten BY
twelve feet. These largest rooms
were evidently used ~ . congregat-
Ing place. or ceremonial chambers.
~ the altars are stiii intact before
the door. The kivas. or lodge rooms.
are circular. and one Of them was
decorated by . band Of white all
around. The opcnings 70 all the
rooms or houses were very small
most Of them not over twenty b.
twenty.four inches In size. A great
many Of the rooms had small poles
built In across the rooms. near the
ceilings. on which evidently thinss
were hung. as hangers Of soap weed
leaves were stili In place.
From the first ruin. which II
known ~ "Bc-to.ta-kin." we retracoA
our way back TO the main canon. and
thence up another canon. six miles
70 the east. 10 . ruin known - KIT
siel." Il wss very similar 70 Tie
first. but somewhat larger. being ~
in the side Of the canon walls. ana
like the first. IN immcase cave. prob
ably one thousand feet Ions aad shree
Or four handred feee high. Thsee
two rulas have only beea known 70
the white man about twsnty yeass.
and very few white mea have seea
them. ~ they are very iaaeeeosl11es
being ise milss from say sallron1
asd half that fas from aAy outoUo-
bile road. le took 20 eevea 1ayo =
make The roan1 tsiD. Thev ase ~.
ably ths nose Deslscliy preserved g
any fulas u exiseence. dneo ehov -
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~ seefs eveshaae sheo. y - -
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