Pueblo chieftain., 1921-09-06
BY Frederic j. Hasktn.

| Washington, d. c.. sept 3.-The En-
Iohanted Mesa. out in Now Mexico. was
recently climbed for the third time
so far as tho records show. and for
Iparatus than a rope.
! The Enchanted Mesa is one or the
many mysteries of tho Southwest II
/ sta nds Vow miles from the pueblo Of
Acoms IN vast stretch of scmi-arid
I iwildcrnesF-a country of gently rollins
| hills timborCd with uinon and cedar.
/ Many mosas-that ig, plateaus.-rlsc
Iabovs the level Of this country. but the
I Enchanted Mesa IS different from tho
others. It Is. In fact, "A thing unique
/ II rises TO height of 40 fcrt above
Z tho surrounding country. and has a
I perfectly fiat top about tho Flzc OF
ia large farm Tho walls are so steep
/ that thcro Is only ono place whore an
ascent has ever been attempted. and
there a shocr cliff 90 feet high must
be scaled This singular rock Etands
up out Of ihe desert like a grcSt ship
Z from the sea. out-tpppins cycry thinS
for miles around.
/ But tho thing which awakcns most
interest in II is the existence of tra-
ditions supported by bits Of pottery.
AK heads and other remains found on
and about the mesa, that many years
ago. before white men came to Amer
Iica, thcl vas a primitive city OF fu-
eblo Indians on the top OF 10. This
fuesnlAts Totk was once tDN hflUFAltaA
Iof tho Southwest - was an imprcE-
Inabic stronghold from which tho scdcn-
lt1ry >ndfans. who were on the way 10
a civilization Of their own. tho an
l cr1tora Of tho present Puehlov. dcficf
tho Navajos Apachcs and other no
rnadE. In the primitive warfare of that
day, tho Enchanted Nce7 was prnn-
ably a fort which could never be taken
except by starving tho inhabitants out
a LABoRtoUs LIFE
They paid a heavy price in labor for
their safety. however. Every drop OF
water used had 20 he carried up over
ico feet tn JUGS on tho roads os vom-
en-. II is probable that Wells or roacr-
voirs were made ON the crest. whore
enough water could be stored 10 resist
arsicEc. Al OF the corn and BEAM and
other food Of thu lnuians was raised
IN little valleys ecVcral miles away. and
this, too. had TO be carried to the TOP
OF tho mesa. ana enough Of Il stored
there TO mako tho inhabitants safe IN
case Of attack.
An OF this is onJcrturcd. or oourx.
and tho flaw ir tho whole theory lice
In The fact that there Be- at present no
trail to tho tor NJ trc mesa nj all
Thcfudinn belief is that a trail once
existed. and that sndslidc wiped II
out, making tho abandonment Of tho
mesa necessary. Tho sop of DO has been
swept hy wind and rain SO long and 90
thorouEhly that 10 is NOW very dif-
fiCult to nnd vcstlgp uf tho lifc that
once crowned the moSs; but when lJ
was aEcCndCd tu iS9, ty Dr. W. 7.
HODGES, OF tho Eurc-u Of EthnoloEy. I
he found bitH OF pottery. aN-hradB and
other articles which seemed 60 prove
couclusivcly tho truth OF tho Indian
belief that the mrsa onco was inhabit-
cd
-f-.a H.. --z.... - .-At-. - -
find a record was made In 1896 hy rrn-
fCEaor William Lihb~y OF Princeton.
Impressed hy tho HtrCuncrs and height
OF the mcga. this gentleman provided
himself with a Nfo-EavinE apparatus.
including "a mortar, with which ho shot
a rope Cloar over tho mesa and pulled
himself and his party To tho tor pr.
HodEcs did not believe such elaborate
apparatus vas noCcErHrv. Ifc look to
tho ground long ladder In tsyoraI
sections and reached tho top without
much trouble
Tho accent made last summer ves
unique in that nothing but a ronc was
used, and that tho expedition vns ir-
unfod ny women. three Of whom rcaoh-
ed Tho top.
4 DARING CLIMB
Misses Hickey and Ferguson arc two
Young women .of Albuquerque. New
Mexico. who make q profession or con
durtiuE parties about the country, OK
planning 10 them ita historical and
scenl~ Interest Their motto is tn take
any ono anywhere hH wants 10 90. zu
that when oomeono suggested tho top
of tho Enchanted Nrsa as dastina-
ton. ihov Immediately agreed to make I
the attempt rhsy enlisted the aid Of
Richard = Woodscn. a Young Aihua .
uurrqua blEine-s man. who iF addict Z
ID tn attempting the unusual and has
rrruiafio for nerve and agility lie .
ts the only man Who has ever navi- /
ga'ed the Rio Grandn In canoe. and /
ms fr adfH 70 'hiH che distinction ~ I
rcinE tho only man who ever climbed l
the Enchanted Nrra handed lie |
surveyed tho face Of tho tlifl Tor = |
f0w minuts-. and then -trfrd W. climb |
inr fr7ure by cutting tnoholda ar he /
went. -hrrr wac one roirt Ht which |
the -pcrtaforE thought fHU was
Inevitable. ana Woodaou SAWS that hs. ]
ct the umo. aErcHd with thsm. but hn /
finally reached the top. carrying n
rope An ~ tho party including three !
women. snr"ndrd uy this roro ThoF
trrr accompanied hr unr lndIan from
Arama. named Henry Juhnaon. wha
had never been on Tho mCaA before.