The Dolores star., 1924-01-18

not practicable on the old site. Mesa Verde can
never compete in tourists with other national
parks like Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone for
the reason that 1t is tucked away in the extreme
southwest corner of Colorado 500 miles from Den
yer, the travel center Moreover, 1t is an educa
uonal park, rather than scenic Nevertheless tbe
attendance last summer was 100 per cent larger
than in 1920
The picturesque Rock Springs Trail has been
opened from park headquarters at Spruce Tra.
camp 10 the west boundary of the park, opening
up some hitherto inaccessible ruins of great i'm.
portance, as will be seen later. These include
mug House. jug House, Kodak House Long House
Doapie House. Ruin 16. Step House and Pinnacle
rover This is the greatest group of ruins in Tho
PARK. with the exception of the Chaplin Mesa
group. '1
VISITORS VIII hnd new museum buIldIng-and
In II seme new exhibits of unusual interest and
Importance
There will be plenty of water on tap this .um.
mel-thahRs 10 the discovery of system of pre-
historic dams and reservoirs in a little CANYON
opening of Soda canyon. And maybe this system
is not interesting!
OF course Mesa Verde is well worth sae,n, IN,
tfs unusual scenic features aside from its aptiou,
ues. This public playground has real beauty. .s-
peclally after the early summer rains when the
jumper and pinon trees at their best on the
Sreen Table Land. II Is a high plateau 1h miles
by 8. from which the visitor looks over tho va,,a
gated scenery Of four states-Colorado utsh
new Ae11co and Arizona. Park Point (S575 feet)
u tne highest elevation in the park Point IooL
out tS.428 feet) tops the mesa.
The northern edge of the mesa terminates I, .
precipitous biuf OF 1000 feet From II one ,ook,
over me great Montezuma valley, with Its irri.
cation reservoirs and fertile fields a, from an
airplane. In the distance are shadoyy purple
maSses-the Rico Mountains and Lone Dome of
Coioraoo and the La SAILS. Blues and Bears' Earr
OF Utah. To the south the mesa slopes to tho
Mancos river and beyond is the Navajo reserya-
ton, surrounded by the deep blue Carrtsos of
Arizona and the Luka Chukas and Tunicbas of
New Mexico. And 45 miles away from the midst
OF sandy plain rises Ship Rock, 1904 feet high
which at sunset one is ready to swear is a preor
oid-fashioned wfnd-jammer under full sail
mesa 'erde, however, was not made q national
PARK because OF Its scenic beauty. Its primary
purpose is educational. 1t is a museum of sntioui
ties. in which all the archaeological world has an
abiding interest ~
Mesa Verde was the home of that mysterious
prehistoric people we call the Cliff DwelIers Its
ruins and relics the finest in all tho Anna-,a
Southwest and in the world
The American Southwest was old in c,vu,z,,,o
many centuries before Columbus discovered Amer
lea Coronado, searching for the Seven Cities
OF Cboia' in 1885, found the Zuni Indians of New
Mexico living in great community houses or pueb
los with not even traditional knowledge of .ba
Clfn Dwellers. Scientists are now Of Tho ~.
lief that the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde uaro
abandoned by the Cliff Dweers about 1900 vears
ago Any estimate Of how long they had Iivea
there before they disappeared from the face of the
earth Is guesswork
The mesa in Mesa Verde slopes eradusIlv rro,,
Its abrupt rise Mt the north end to the valley NJ
the Mancos at the south. Into this valley onen
many small, high-waled canyons In the sbajto-
OF caves In the sides of these canyons are tho ho.t
preserved habitatfons of the Clin Dwellers IN
America. In prehistoric times a considerable non.
uiation lived there. They practfced agriculture
on the mesa above. raising corn, often BY irriea
non They worshiped the sun. They possessed