The Holly chieftain., 1924-01-10

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 the
attendance last summer was 100 per cent larger
than In 1920
me picturesque Rock Springs Trail has been
opened from park headquarters at Spruce Tree
camp to the west boundary of the park, opening
up some hitherto inaccessible ruins of great u-
portance, as Will be seen later These include
mug House, jug House, Kodak House. Long House
Douoie House Ruin 16 Step House and Pinnacle
Ao"er 1his ls the grentest group of ruins In the
park. with the exception Of the Chapin Mesa
group
Visitors will find a new museum butldlne-and
N II some new exhibits of unusual interest and
Importance ~
There will be plenty of water on tan this sum.
mer-thanks to the discovery of system Of nre
historic dams and reservoirs in a little CANYON
opening on Soda canyon. And maybe this system
lB not interesting!
VI course Mesa Verde is well worth seeing for
aus unusual scenic features aside from its antiqu
Ties. This public playground has real beauty. .s
peclaiiy After the early summer rains when the
jumper and pnon trees at theft best on the
Green Table Land 1t is a high plateau IL mlles
by D. from which the visitor looks over the yarie-
gated scenery Of four states-Colorudo Utah
is the highest elevation in the park Pont Inor
out (S.42S feet) tops the mesa
Ahe horthern edge OF the mesa terminates in a
precipitous buff OF 1900 feet. From it one looks
over the great Montezuma valley, with Its irrI-
gation reservoirs and fertile fields as from, an
alrpiane. In the distance shadowy purplo
masses-the Rico Mountains and Lone Dome NJ
Coiorauo and the La SAILS, Blues and Bears Ears
OF Utah. To the south the mesa slopes to the
Mancos river and beyond is the Navajo reservo
tion surrounded by the deep blue Carrisos OF
Arizona and the Luka Chukas and Tunfcbas of
New Mexico. And. As miles away. from the midst
OF sandy plain rises Ship Rock 1904 feet hixh
which at sunset one Is ready to swear is a great
oldfashoned windjammer under full sail
Mesa VERDE however. was not made national
PARK because of its scenic beauty Its primary
purpose is educational 1t Is museum of antioui
lies. In which all the archaeological world has an
abiding interest. N''
Mesa Verde was the home of that mysteriou,
prehistoric people we call the Cllr Dwellers. Its
ruins and relies the finest In NIL the American
Southwest and In the world
The American Southwest was old In cIv,,tzo,,or
many centuries before Columbus discovered Amer.
lea. Coronado, searching for the "Seven CjtIa.
OF Cibola' In 1889. found the Zuni Indians of Now
Nexlco hving IN great community houses or pueb.
los. with not even traditional knowledge of rho
Clif Dwellers. Scientists are now Of tho no
lief that the cliff dwellings In Mesa Verde wero
abandoned by the Cliff Dwellers about 1900 vears
ago. Any estimate of how long they had lived
there before they disappeared from the face Of the
earth is guesswork.
The mesa in Mesa Verde slopes gradually from
its abrupt rise at the north end to the valley of
the Mancos at the south. Into this valley omen
many small highwalled canyons In the shelter
caves in the sides of these canyons are the best
preserved habitatons OF the Cliff Dwe,Iers in
america. In prehistoric times considerable nm
Vatoh lived there. They practiced agriculture
on the mesa above. raising corn, often by irrIgn.
ton. They worsiiped the sun. They possessed