Semi-weekly herald., 1916-05-15

ton. To make these matters clear
it takes time and an abundance of
patience. Mr.. Wilson is short on time
but long on patience and good sound
argument. He has host of friends
in San Juan county.
In discussing business with the
business men all admitted that every
thing was in good shape and better
han last year. They have lost their
peaches and some apples, but on the
whole they will have good fruit
;rop. Then again, more people than
usual are engaged in general farm
ing and stock raising.
When it comes to the subject of
roads the Pennington people are
proud of their road commissioner,
Frank Allen; be is the road builder of
San Juan county. He is to San Juan
county what Fred .Catchpole is to
Archuleta county. Just south of
farmington they are building mile
n two of permanent roads, surfac-
ing with gravel. 1t was reported
hat the road to Shiprock was in
first class condition. There seemed
o be some discussion about putting
he La Plata river road in better con
ltlon as many are using the La Pla-
Ia road in preference to the other
road up the Animas, which the road
commissioner neglects according to
he concensus of opinion in San Juan
county.
Visit to the Ruins.
Early in the afternoon the party
notored up the La Plata river a dis
ance of IL miles to a point where
he State university and the New
cork Museum is having some old
uins eXcavated. Here has been found
he ruins on the same mound of at
east three different peoples. Be
ginning ut the top the walls and the
ooms have an entirely different plan
rom the one just beneath it. Be-
ieath this second system of ruins is
.till another system wholly beneath
he surface. Apparently the first
ettlers excayated for their houses.
then these people must have been
.riven from their homes and in the
curse of time another tribe built on
-op of these ruins, filling the old
uins with rock and earth. The sec
nd class of builders had altogether
different kind of houses. The indi-
,atlons are that these people were
'rlven from their homes and later an
ther class of people built third
ystem on top of these ruins, hay
ing a style of building altogether
different from the other two. I'll
ould seem that each in turn leveIed
ne earth preparatory to building
again.
Those excavating found that the
Isual burial place was in under the
door i'll the southeast corner of the
zig room. The first builders had cir
eular buildings, while with the otu
er buildings are in rectangular form. |
the excayating party is in the main
searching for curios and those en-
blems, tools, etc, that are usually
found in the burial place. They have
found many interesting things and
are expecting to find more.
Charred corn has been found. Itl
IS quite probable that these people
planted and raised corn in the La Pla-
ia valleys. Old irrigation bitches
nave been discovered nearby, which
goes to show that these ancient peo-
pie irrigated the land after the fash
ion of the present day. The evil
dences are that there was in that sec
ton large population, there being
many ruins.
Alfalfa Fields and Good Roads.
After spending an hour or longer
At these ruins the party motored up
the La Plata river. The roads were
n fair condition and it was pleas
re to motor along beside the green
Italia fields. There was nothing in
he way to mar the progress of the
larty. A short stop was made at La
plata, N. NJ.
Continuing the journey home, the
Kline mesa was soon reached Here
were found good roads with a few
where some of the good
armers had forgotten about the fact
that water running down or across
wagon road may furnish good sport
for ducks and geese, but not for mo-
torists. However, nobody got out of
humor, not even the driver. The mud
holes were not so bad that they caus-
ed any particular delay, but still it
was evident that these few muddy
roads naturally detracted from the
otherwise good condition of the coun-
ty roads.
u.ne .,s:..,z.