The Coolidge examiner., 1930-04-25

the Ford assembling plant in Los
Angeles, including Mr.. Williams,
its manager, come to see what we
were doing.
We have uncovered two pits, and
there are two more, we think, close
by. The two which are uncovered
are two feet and one-half feet in
diameter and about 10 inches deep.
The tops of the pits are five feet
below the present surface OF the
soil. Both were filled to the brim
with soft sand with included bits
of charcoal. Over them were strata
of loan and of loan mixed with ca
liche, which dipped to the north
and to the east; apparently slopes
of the fill which gradually ran in
and covered up all traces of the
human activities in the great ca
liche quarry or barrow-pit.
What were these pits used for?
Superintendent Pinkley has seen
about SO of them, in and about the
compounds at Casa Grande ruins.
He has no idea of their probable
use. There are several plausible ex-
plantations; but no proof for any of
them.
These pits which we are finding
so far beneath the surface may
solve the problem. They are with
out doubt the deepest evidences of
man yet found at the Casa Grande
Ruins. | have a man cutting a bay
in the south side of the trench.
in an effort TO learn whether or not
a suface which is nearly six feet
below the surface is artificial. We
all consider this accidental find
very interesting and important.
If we find answer to the mystery
of the caliche-lined pits we shall
at least have accomplished as
much as we should if we solved a
crossword puzzle; and will have
perspired great deal more in the
effort. Archaeology exercises Drawn
and brain.
Personnel Of Party
1t might be we'll to introduce the
members of the Van Bergen-Los
Angeles Museum Field party. The
Oldest man in the party, and one
of the merriest, is John j. Throck-
morton of Los Angeles. Throck-
morton county, Texas, carries his
family name. Then comes Alex K.
Kelemen, one of the trowel men,
who, when in soft earth, can keep
two "back-dirt" men rolling their
wheel-barrows all the day long. He
is Hungarian by birth, former
member of the Kings gaurd of
Hungary, an ex-forester and a man
with wide experience in Europe,
South Africa and America. Then
comes c. E. Bisbee, of Hermosa
Beach.
Milton S. Snow of Riverside is
our official photographer and a
trowel man with a keen eye for
artifacts and all things which
should be noted. He is also our
mlneralogist. Julian D. Hayden, son
OF the writer, is trowel man and
also the man who does the sketch
ing for the party and the drawing
OF objects and maps, on occasion.
Then, of course, 1 am in the party,
as archeo'ogist and general locker
on. DR.. Charles Van Bergen, or
ganizer of the expedition, is with
us off-and-on, as is Arthur Wood
ward, curator CT history, Los An
geles Museum, at Exposition park.
The list is completed with mention
of Glen Rogers, DIR. Van Bergen's
chauffeur, and David Scott, a
Coolidge man, who helps move the
back-dirt out of the way of the
trowelers. For few days we had
the help of China Boy" Conrad,
a Michigan contractor who spends
his autumps and winters in Ari-
iona and New Mexico. We call him
China Boy" because he found a
china baby doll which DR.. Van Ber-
gen planted for Mr.. Woodward, and
because his initials are &c. B."
We call ourselves ivan Bergen's
gophers. THE Arizona Republic
an.
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