Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 92, Number 292, 8 December 1922 — Page 14

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UneartHng tlie Hidden Cities of the First AmericansMany Evidences of Early Art Community Houses Which Held Thousands. By KATHERDiE LOUISE SMITH

UPPOSE you lived In a Stat that I Mother Earth. Automobile roads lead

was ao repleta with Interesting to the best Darts of the Mesa Verde

I archaeological remains and strange landscape effects that the

Inhabitants did not know what would

make the best N Clonal Park. That is what is happening: In the State of New Mexico, where heated discussions are belnr held as to the best section to set aside for preservation. This State already has National Monuments and now It wants a National Park. The preponderance of sentiment seems to be In favor of setting aside the Cliff Cities, or Pajarito National Park, which would Include within Its boundaries the Bandelier National Monument. Evidences of a prehistoric civilization are widely diffused In New Mexico and possibly there is no part of our Bouthwest so replete with ancient ruins. If you would get an idea of the homes of an early and probably cultured race that lived In hidden cities built in canyons or on the flat tops of almost inaccessible mesas, bring your camera and take a trip In an airplane 10 you can soar over these little known regions. This is what some photographers are doing and they have discovered that their plates showed many clifT cities that they had no suspicion were nestling In crevices In high cliffs, so high that no present day man has attempted to scale them. ' Hundreds Of Wonderful Chambers But It is not necessary to mount In the air to see a cliff dwelling, for there are many of these cities of ancient Americans that can be reached via

National Park in Colorado and In time good roads will be constructed to other

prehistoric ruins of the Southwest.

Already the scenic mountainous region

around the proposed Pajarito National

Park Is accessible by automobile. Per

haps you will not mind the ride from the railroad station to these unique examples of cavate lodges and prehistoric pueblo ruins and the specimens of cliff ruins which altogether make a

cliff city. The plateau covers an area

of many hundred square miles and as we approach the strange formation looks like a towering wall with its face honeycombed with hundreds of wonderful chambers relics of community

houses. The whole is really the site of what was once a great, though, to our mind, crude metropolis where In

dian culture reached a high state be

fore vanishing. Only the buildings and pottery tell the tale. The buildings Include both the dwellings and

pueblos, the greatest being the large community houses with thousands of cell-like rooms. These community houses were the center of Interest and around them Brew the thousands of cliff chambers r dwellings some surrounding a central court and looking as if consisting of many rooms arranged side by side or in several stories and cut In the vertical faces of the cliffs. Every one who sees these ruins feels amply repaid for the trip. "Brook Of The Beans" There Is , a little stream In New Mexico called El Rito de los Frijoles.

No one seems to know how It obtained this name of "Brook of the Beans" and perhaps It makes no difference.

but it will be noted in years to come because In the canyon of this stream, five hundred feet deep and difficult of access, are scattered fifteen prehistoric villages within a space of a mile and a quarter. They retain many evidences of former occupation and here and there along the walls are large numbers of pictographs cut In the

rock. The focus of the population of the cliff villages In this canyon was

the terraced house, a sort of com

munity center, three stories high with nearly a thousand rooms. If you are a good climber you will be able to reach three other smaller community houses, with excavations already be

gun. . Cliaoo Canyon National Monument

Scattered over the great cliff and

plain region of New Mexico are other fragments of ruins and some have even been found in the desolateNavajo desert, now almost devoid of water and Incapable of supporting life. One

of the most interesting of these excur.

sions leads to Chaco Canyon National

Monument which offers an interesting field to the investigator. The National

Geographical Society has a permit to excavate here for five years and they center their activities on the Pueblo Bonito and Pueblo del Arroyo. The Pueblo Bonita is one of the largest ruins of the Southwest and It3 walls still rise to a height of forty feet. The architecture and masonry are of great Interest. An official record of this ruin reads, "The outer wall around the pueblo Is Imposing, the ruins measure five hundred and fifty feet in length and over three hundred feet In width. Within the open space enclosed, which measures two hundred and three hundred feet, were two courts formed by

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a series of low rooms, and In these courts have been located several underground klvas or temples." The American School of Research of Santa Fe has a permit to conduct its research work In the ruins of Chettro Kettle and Casa Rinconada. We find, in addition to cliff ruins, many large villages and the remains of houses standing in the open. Some are five stories high, of decorative sandstone and the black and white ware found in this canyon is considered as mark

ing the highest point of art reached in the Southwest. Steady Head Needed All sorts of means are used to ex

plore these ruins and some are reached

by ropes. Perhaps the most daring of modern climbs was when the famous Enchanted Mesa of New Mexico was

climbed with nothing but a rope for assistance. The Enchanted Mesa is

also called Katzimo, a name given it by the early Indians. It rises precipitously 430 feet above the basin of the Indian village of Acoma. According to tradition, the summit of the Enchanted Mesa- was the site of one of several prehistoric villages which the people of Acoma successively occupied

during a movement from some mythi

cal Shlpayu In the indefinite north. The Indians relate that during a storm

part of the rock fell and some of the Inhabitants perished as they were cut off from the valley beneath. The site was henceforth abandoned, the survivors moving to a nearby mesa, on which they erected the present village of Acoma. This tradition, handed down from one generation to another and noted by the early Spaniards, is generally believed. Climbed In 1897 In 1897 Katzimo Mesa was scaled by a party from the Bureau of Ameri

can Ethnology, following an ascent by a professor of one of the Eastern colleges. ' Axe heads, bits of pottery and other things were found that Indicated the mesa had once been inhabited and

gave color to tradition. Long sectional

ladders were use! to climb its sides.

The most recent ascent was made by a

party of men and women who followed a leader, who dug toe holds as he

went. In the manner of the Swiss

guides In the Alps. The wonders of this mesa, the remarkable effect of desert plain, blue sky and clear atmos

phere make the whole effect striking

in a superlative degree. .

The pueblo is reached by means of precipitous trail which leads to the

mesa's summit. As we climb, the Indian village conveys an impression of a series of giant castles, but the ad

vantage of Its position was demonstrated when It repulsed Coronado In

1540 and from that day to this it has

resisted all foes the whites as well as

wandering Indian tribes. On the top

of this mesa is a reservoir for water, and it is possible this has been an aid in resisting attack. The women carry water from this, make pottery and over the metate make corn Into meal, while the men cultivate the fields,

which lie several miles from the pueblo. Village Of Acoma If you have a love for unique sights, you will come with me to this strange village of Acoma. You will walk with me down the narrow streets of rock, which lead between the rows of Acoma's adobe houses, the material for which was transported long distances on the backs of Indians. You will ask permission to enter one of the houses and If you are "game" you will climb the ladder, which leads to the

roof of the first terrace, and from

there you will pass to the second and

perhaps a third terrace You may even peep Into a strange, conical oven In the streets possibly this idea was derived from the Spaniards, but no

present day Indian can tell where the

custom originated. Let us choose

September to visit this historic pueblo.

for then we can witness native religious ceremonies, which .are curiously

mingled with "strains of the Catholic religion. These are held In what re-' mains of an old adobe church, which was raised by ancient Indians under the direction of Spanish priests. The Indians as well as Spaniards took a pride In fitting up this edifice with a sort of barbaric splendor and bells were Imported probably from Mexico or Spain. Surrounding the crumbling church today there Is a burial ground with a retalnlns wtll built up from the cliff.

Origin Shrouded In Antiquity It was once the custom to call all

ruinf in New Mexico or Aztec ongin and there are ruins near Santa Fe that now bear this name after a ;own in the Animas Valley. Did these Aztecs come up -from Old Mexico and settle in thes valleys and canyons or are these ruins of still greater antiquity? No one knows. The latest theory is that these were dwellings inhabited by ancestors of present Indian tribes. Learned professors now ray that some cliff dwellings may have been occupied as late as four hundred years ago, though most archaeologists think thousands Of years aso is more cor

rect. But they call this recent. All agree that inaccessibility was for defense. Within recent years new light has been shed on many particulars ol these ancient cities. For instance, many community houses apparently had towers and at first the explorers thought they were watch towers. Today they are supposed to be constructed for the purpose of catching eagles. The most recent "find" was In the ruins called Aztec not far from Santa Fe, where excavations are going on. In a chamber, well preserved, was found the body of a warrior covered with a circular shield that went from head to foot. He was wrapped In a mantle of feathered cloth, enshrouded in a mat of woven rush stems. Imple. ments of war the battle axe, chips of flint and arrows were found near him

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.(Theodore Kosloft). favorite of the l'f" '--iv ' ZA 7 I V. - l I V 1 M I 1 ii I 1 1 1 1 ? ' ,- .y -2t "J

IVscreen, Claire Windsor's name Klr.g. seeks in marriage. To escape a 1-; T" 't V O' ' Z V - - 4" 1 1 It if II if if 1 1 '' ' V i ' ' j in was Claire Viola Cronk. This match wlth th6 dandlfle(,. rar. I Ii - , 1 A f f ; If !? if If If llVli . . .t H w U

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Claire Windsor-"To Have and To Holdn-"The

Sign of the Rose" - "Trifling Women" -

The Long Chance" Percy Marmont.

.RIOR to her advent on the

screen, Claire indsor s name was Claire Viola Cronk. This

was shortened to Ola Cronk and

, then, when she entered pictures, it became Claire Windsor. She was born ln Cawker City, Kansas, and educated at Topeka, where she finished her ' schooling in Washburn College. While Visiting In Los Angeles, Claire timorously accepted a chance to play extra " In "The Luck of the Irish." She was '-In the act of carrying a lunch tray to her table In the studio cafeteria when ehe was told that a lady wanted her at the door. Lois Weber, the famous -woman director, had seen Miss Windeor enter the restaurant, and had detided that she was exactly the right ' type for the lead In her new picture, -"Too Wise Wives." When Miss WindTor returned to her tray, she was a budding star. She has appeared in "the following: "Too Wise Wives." What Do Men Want?" "To Please XOne Woman," "What's Worth While," rrOrand Larceny." "Dr. Jim" and "Fools First" "To nave And To Hold" The sory tells of Lady Jocelyn Leigh ' !8etty Comcson). whom Lord Carnal

(Theodore Kosloft), favorite of the King, seeks in marriage. To escape a match with the dandified, odious Carnal, Jocelyn takes the place of her maid, who is going to Jamestown, one of a hundred girls destined as wives for the settlers In the Virginia colonies. The high-bred Jocelyn finds conditions unbelievably rough in America but love slowly grows for Captain Ralph Percy (Bert Lytell), who saves her from the ruffians of the camp. At the height of this affection Carnal arrives to claim Jocelyn. Percy Is thrown in irons, escapes and by sword play conquers Carnal and sets sail ip the tatter's ship, which is wrecked on a desert island. Rescue seems hopeless until one day pirates land to bury their dead captain. Percy fights the pirates for the right to lead them - and wins. On board the pirate ship one day a British vessel is sighted. The pirates wish

to attack, but Percy blows up the

vessel.

Picked up by the Britisher; Percy is denounced by Carnal as the pirate

captain and Is taken back to England in irons, where plans are made to cele-

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brate the wedding of Carnal and Jocelyn. At the last minute Percy escapes, arrives at the court, fights Carnal in front of his monarch and so worsts the favorite that he wins the right to the hand of his lady love. "Trifling Women" This is a story within a story. A novelist reads the manuscript of his boqk to his daughter to teach her that she should not trifle with her own sweetheart. This is the story he tells: The love of Zareda, a Parisian adventuress, is sought by the old Baron de Maupin, who discovers that his son Is also infatuated with her. The son goes to war, and the Baron continues his quest. Zareda, however, learns that

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the Marquis Ferronl is very wealthy and favors him. The Baron gives a banquet, at which he Intends to poison the Marquis, but the glasses are switched by an ape, under Zareda's direction, and the Baron dies. Zareda marries Ferronl. The son, Ivan, returns and Zareda, who really loves Ivan, brings about a duel between Ivan and FerronL The latter is mortally wounded, but resolves to live long enough to have his revenge. He kills Ivan and throws him into a dungeon, where he also leaves Zareda to die. "The Sign Of The Rose" The story treats of an Italian

(George Beban), who is happy with his little girl. He has brought a Christmas tree to a wealthy home, and the scapegrace relative conceives the dastardly plan of kidnapping his niece and making it appear that the Italian Is guilty. The latter goes out to buy toys for his child and returns to find her dead, the victim of an auto accident. He goes to buy a rose and is accused of being- the kidnapper. After a series of explanations his freedom Is assured as well as his complete happiness. The Long Chance" Hennage, the town's garilbler, as

sumes a protectorship over Kate Corbeley and her little daughter. Donna, during the time Corbeley is out prospecting. News reaches them of the death of Corbeley and Kate works as cashier InHennage's resturant. Twenty years later she dies and Donna takes the Job. Bob McGraw, a young mining engineer, comes to investigate the Corbeley claim for a rich capitalist. He falls in love with Donna, Hennage feels that the young man Is not sincere, but Donna begs him to allow Bob to search for the claim. While in the desert Bob is waylaid by O'Rourke, one of Carey's henchmen, whom he has sent to follow up McGraw. Carey appears and proves to be the mur

derer of Corbeley. Hennage goes after O'Rourke and both are killed in a pistol duel. Bob returns and he and' Donna become engaged. Percy Marmont Percy Marmont, popular English, leading man, has been seen in support of almost every well known stage and screen star Norma Talmadge, Alice Brady, Ethel Barrymore to name but a few. Mr. Marmont's most recent screen work Is In "Married People," where he plays opposite Mabel Ballin.

Mr. Marmont la nnw in rft.u.j. f

where he is creating the role of Ma-rfcV

Sabre in "If Winter Comes,"the much. talked-of novel, by A S. M. Hutchla- .