Semi-weekly herald., 1917-09-10


journey to the Mesa Verde National
The Location of the Park.
For the benefit of those who have
never visited the park it will be of in
terest to know more about the loca-
tion of this, the most wonderful of
all of natures parks. 1t is almost
due west of Durango distance of 38
miles by auto road, to the point where
the road enters the park, or some
eight miles west of Mancos. The
northwest corner of the park is four
miles south and one mile east of Cor
tez, the county seat of Montezuma
county which is located in the extreme
southwest corner of the state. The
park is bounded generally on the
east by the Mancos river and canon,
on the north by the famous Montezu-
ma valley, on the west and south by
the Southern Ute Indian reservation
which extends to the Utah line on the
west and into New Mexico on the
south.
Size and Topography of Park.
The park in area is II square miles.
It's greatest length from east to west
is some ten miles and its greatest
length from north to south is some
what less. Its northern boundary line
passes thru series of short canons
opening out on the Montezuma valley
to the north. Not far from this boun-
Diary line there is a sudden elevation
of the country of some $500 feet.
Beginning with this elevation of more
than 5000 feet is the Mesa Verde
table land proper which slopes rap
idly to the south. This table land is
broken beyond description by numer-
Gus canons, about 40 or so at the
northern elevation and about half that
many at the southern side where all
the main canons open up into the
great Mancos canon which has a depth
of about 1000 feet. These numer-
Gus canons at their beginnings along
the north side of the park increase
rapidly in depth until most of them
at the south have reached the same
depth of the Mancos canon. As the
canons continue in their general
course to the south the walls or sides
become solid rock in which are many
caves and cliffs of various sizes. In
the little cliffs, big cliffs and mann
moth caves greater than which can
not be found elsewhere, in the long,
long ago lived people, long since ex-
tinct, so far as the knowledge of man
goes today. These people have left
many conditions now the study of the
scientists of the world, now the won
der of the thousands who have been
fortunate enough to have an oppor-
tunity to visit this wonderland of the
| world.
Left Durango Tuesday Morning.
With these few statements in the
way of a general description it will
suffice for the present. On Tuesday
morning the San Juan sun arose as
usual in all his glory. The wonder
seekers gathered themselves together,
refiled their gasoline tanks and sup
piled themselves with other necessar-
les of the auto tourists and by the
hour of 10 a. m. had lined up along
lower Main avenue, ready for the
prospective trip to the Mesa Verde
park. But before they had begun
their journey they had arrived at the
conclusion that their trip could never
be completely successful unless the
party had with it San Juan motor
ist who can drive anywhere in the San
Juan in the dark of the moon, in the
darkest night, with the lamps all out
and also representative of the daily
press. Jim Jarvis was pressed into
the party as its guest and the writer
was very glad to accept an invitation
to accompany the party on the first
Motor Club run into tho National
park.
The Members Of the Party.
F. W. Dressler of the Oldsmobile
Co., in Denver, had been selected to
take the lead. With him on the trir
were w. p. Eastman, the official
photographer, Miss E. Kurtz, Of To
ledo, Ohio, Mrs. E. L. Brown and the
writer. Following came the s. j
knight car, along with whom were
Mrs. Knight and the Misses Ruth
Marcia J. and Eleanor. Then came
the Jas. J. Jarvis car with whom wal
his son Earl, Miss Christine Hansen
and Mrs. NJ. Newman. Mr.. VIM