Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-10-20
washington. D. c.. Oct. 1.-THE

Washington, d. ca Oct. 7.-Ih
discovery of tobacco pipes in the ruins
of the Colorado cliff-dwellers this
summer by DR.. (. Walter Fewkes.
Ethhology, adds another bit to the ac-
cumulation OF data on which archeo-
loEists are building up the history Of
the prehistoric people that Inhabited
the area now set aside as the Mesa
Verde National Park. 1t had not been
known before that the cliff-dwcllers
knew the solace of that weed which
Columbus discovered the West Indian
savages smoking three hundred years
after the cliff-dwellers attained the
summit of their civilization
Each summer-the government ex-
plorers ~excavate in the ruins on Mesa
Verde only during h summers
adds more to the knowledge Of these
remarkable people. It Is possible now
to give their civilization an anproxi-
mate data. We know fairly well now
how and why they Oh to stand SO
! much higher in intelligence and in tri-
bal achievement than the savage
tribes that surrounded them. We
have a good idea Of their communal
life. What brought them to disaster.
where they wenf, and whether they
have left descendants. are still mat
ters of conjecture, but investigation
is going on in a direction that may
some day give q complete picture, OF
the cliff jewellers.
Enough is known now, however, to
make 1t certain that theirs was much
1.-The highest culture developed in pre-
historic times on this continent north
Of the Rio Nrande. South of what
Ia now. tho Mexican border there were
other indian civilizations even higher
those Of the Aztecs in Mexico, the
Mayas in Central America and the
Incas in South America. But the Gull
ture OF the cliH-dwel1ers was a devcl-
opment Independent OF these others.
The cliff -dwellers were probably a
tim!d, unadventurous people; and.
according to DR.. Fewkes, they knew
little Of the world outside a radius
Of a hundred miles or SO from their
own narrow province. There was
tprobably no communication between
them and the Aztecs to the south.
The opening OF. automobile roads
in the Mesa Verde Park and the in
crease in recent years of automobile
turing have made the magnificent
ruins Of the cuff-dwellers familiar
called a young nation, yet in these
ancient structures we have anti4ui-
ties which, In age rival those of north.
fern Europe. Thousands of Americans
hooking at the ruins Of the Cliff Pal
ace, the Sun Temple. the Spruce Tree
House, and other remains must have
Wondered what sort OF. people they
were who could build structures Of
such durability and imposing size
tinent peop1ed with men Of their owT
racial blood but who nevertheless hae
never been able to rise much above
1.-the plane OF naked Sayagely.
Indian Corn q Ovilizing Influence.
The spade OF the archeologist Il
gradually revealing the cli6 people tt
= US. Year after year the ckcavatint
goes on, more structures are uncov.
cred, and the museums at Washing
ton and elsewhere are further enrich
ed by implements, utensils, orna
ments, and other artifacts taken from
the sitesS Of these buildings. ALONG
y, auctions about the cliff-dweller
themSelves
According to Dr. Fewkes, the maiz
piant-Indian corn--explaiIs the gu
perior civilization Of the ctln-dwellers
A small-statured, unwarlike people
In the first place they found In thi
unpfomisinS region OF winds wep
canyon and lakeland p refuge from
the stronger and more warlike tribe'
IN VIM III 4tAA03 00A pAIASy
, The came In the Mess Verde distric
was scarce. The streams were l.ttl,
mors than the ehannels for p%eriodica
freshets. Asfew fish could be caught
Ibut not enough to support q pOpula
ton assiarge as II which dwelt5there
ITheres1as no natural food supply 4
all such al other Indian tribes en-
1joyed. and - the cltn psopie Wer.
dtheiS own ingenuity. They grew corr
on the 1nesas.
Ana this was no easy thing. Their,
was not enough rainfall at the proDs,
seasons insure good crops s.
titheir reservoirs and bitches. By thii
imeanshheyswer able to grow corn
;lnot1n abiindencelhut still In sufficient
quantities III exc out their thin sup.
III oly a0f 1t1psapd meat. a ~
q, Ii WaSs not epelghsto grow the corn;
lthey Md TO store AZ for the winter
lie thsyscould not store u safely. theJ