The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-04-01
THE CLIFF DwELLERs' RUINS

SohiS IliiouSH WdiSeIDurS ana Ou-
range and then to Mancos by
narrow gauge or auto: or take the
automobile route from Gallup, New
Mexico, to Cortez, and you arrive at
Mesa Verde National Park Here in
these silent cliffs of southwestern
Colorado are found the remains of
civilization perhaps as old as that of
Egypt Cliff Dwellings.
From Point Lookout on the eastern
extremity of Mesa Verde one has a
magnificent view of Montezuma val
ley, great basin-like depression
Lone Cone and Lizard Head are away
off in the distance to the north, while
the La Plata or Silver Mountains tow
er upon the eastern horizon. But
most wonderful of all is the "Sleep-
ing Ute, which lies to the southwest
Some one has called it the Dying Ute,
symbol of the once powerful Indian
race which has now become almost
extinct. The colossal figure lies upon
his back, his arms folded across his
chest, one knee bent, and the other
leg stretched at full length The fig
ure is perfect even to the foot which
stands erect at the end of the out
stretched limb.
The beautiful Dolores river comes
winding in from tho northeast and
flows out again at the northwest.
Dolores, the river of sorrow,
Dolores, the river of woe"
And to one who knows the Indian leg
end concerning the fate of the an
cient peoples of this region, it is,
indeed. river of sorrow. The Utes
tell of the great war with these peo-
Piles, and of how the Indians were
victorious, killing all the Cliff Dwell.
ers and throwing their bodies into
the Dolores. The spirits of these pre-
historic peoples went into the bodies
of the fish. and to this day no Indian
will eat fish taken from the Dolores
river
From this vantage on Point Look
out, one looks upon a sea of dull pur-
plish-gray sagebrush, broken here and
there by darker patches Of evergreen
trees or the silver of numerous lakes.
The little town Of Cortez stands in
plain sight on top Of = low hill. The
valley is fast becoming an agricultu-
raj region, and many fertile ranches
alternate with the patches Of gray
sage It is picture Of perfect peace
and contentment with never hint
of the past troubles Of prehistoric
race or Of the mora recent difficulties
Of the Ute and the white man The
road from Point Lookout continues |
through sage and evergreen. a6ordinS |
frequent glimpses Of Montszuma val
ley. But what IS that great building
off to the southwest? 1t looks like
stately cathedral, but we arc told it
is no building at all; It Is Shiprock, q
mass Of stone that stands in the .en-
ter of comparatively level valley,
and that has been so weathered as to
resemble a cathedral. The Indians
have legend concerning 1t, similar
in way to the story of Noah's Ark.
They were at one time, they say.
powerful tribe in the far Northland,
when a great horde of ',Huns" invad-
ed their territory. The peace-loving
Utes began to pray to the All-father
for deliverance from the perpetual
warfare which was necessary to main
tain their rights. One morning when
they arose. they beheld this massive
bulk of stone near their camp; q voice
called to them and told them to take
all Of their belongings and climb
upon this rock, and they would he
waited to land Of peace. The In
dians did as they were told; and after
everything had been gathered together
and put upon this rock, and every
Ute Indian had found a place of safe
ty. the rock arose into the air and
sailed across the land until 1t came
to this peaceful valley in the Rocky
Mountains. where it settled to the
ground This massive stone is sacred
to the Indians, and no man dare at
tempt to climb it if he values his
life.
The Cliff Dwellings Of the Mesa
Verde were unknown to white men
until 1888, for the reason that the In
dians sacredly guarded them from all
outsiders; but one day one Of the
Wetherell boys from Mancos was rid
ing on the Mesa, when he reached the
edge of the canon and saw on the op-
posite side Cliff Palace, as he named
it. 1t would be hard to find more
fitting name for this dwelling; in pre-
historic times 1t must, indeed, have
been a palace. 1t is built in the rim