The Coconino sun., 1927-10-14
IN COCONINO COUNTY


Gently had the further distinction of
more trips than all others combined.
Two years previous to its discovery
Indians had brought to Mrs. Wetherill
stories from time to time, pictured in
| their own language, of this wonderful
freak of nature To them it is Non
nezoshi Nadzelit," meaning rainbow
bridge. or often they refer to it sim.
ply as 'tse nonnai," stone bridge In
| 1908 Clvde Colville, associated with
the Wetherills since 1902, and an In
dian guide started on an exploring
trip but turned back from Surprise
Valley. which is twelve miles from
the Bridge This valley is made fa-
NOUS in Zane Grey's novels. The fol
lowing year two separate parties,
thirteen persons, went in together.
Byron Cummings, well-knoWn arche--
ologist, then Of the University OF
Utah but now dean of the University
Of Arizona, headed one group, which
was made up Of John Wetherili, NAL
colin Cummings, son Of Prof. Cum
mings, at that time lad eleven years
old; Neal Judd, noted geologlst and
a nephew of Dean Cummings; Stewart
Young, q student of the University OF
Utah; Donald Beauregard, and the
guide Nasja Begay. Neal Judd later
excavated Pueblo Bonito and Beta
takin. the latter near Kayenta. Mr..
Beauregard, whose home was at
Beaver, Utah, attained much success
as an artist and won notable prize
in Paris for his painting OF Segl-hot-
sosi, in our vicinity. He was engaged
in making a collection OF paintings,
having bene chosen to supply all the
panels for the New Mexico building
at the Panama fair, but died IN 1918
before the work was finished but these
paintings were later exhibited at San
Diego Many Of his pictures hang IN
the governors palace at Santa Re. He
was Just a young man when death
claimed him, having graduated from
the University of Utah a few years
before, about 1911. The other party
under the leadership of w. B. Doug
las, United States director Of surveys,
included Mr.. English, Dan Perkins,
Jack Keenon, Gene Rogerson and
Chris Christensen. At one place,
where the going was SO hazardous
and the outcome so uncertain, IT is
said there was some talk OF turning
back but the majority We're for forg-
ing ahead. Dean Cummings is cred
tied with being the first white man to
set eyes upon the Bridge, and John
Wetherill was the first white man to
walk under it. This huge natural arch
Of sandstone is 300 feet high and 27S
feet between its abutments and is in
the shape Of rainbow. The discov-
sery was August IA, 1909, and May 80
Sof the following year 100 acres OF that
interesting territory were set aside by
the government as a national monu
ment. Mr.. Wetherill, who has been
custodian of the Bridge and all cliff
ruins in this section for years, comes
from a family with a relic-loving com
pick. OF five brothers all but one
worked at excavating for years. To
them belongs the glory of bringing
Mesa Verde park in Colorado to the
public notice While John was still in
school his brother Richard and a
brother-in-law, &. G. Mason, living at
Mancos at the time, discovered Cliff
Palace at Mesa Verde in 1883. They
removed pottery, skulls and basketry
that were living around loose. This
collection was offered to the Smith
sonian institute but was refused and
the University of Pennsylvania ac-
copied it. For one year John worked
for the state of Colorado gathering a
collection for the worlds fair at Chi
cago in 1892 During that year Rich
ard was historian for the state Of
Colorado The two came down through
this country and secured Hopi relics
TO add to the others. What is left Of
that collection is now at Denver.
Richard discovered Keetseel ruins in
the Segi, "a miles from Kayenta, in
1894, and eXcayated them. He made