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About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (March 18, 1898)
TIIE RED CLOUD ClILUb' I ) l. i. ?) n l. The Buried City . . . of Honduras. r n n tv n i 15. i-simm1 EVII)!'.NCI:5 nlon Ancient ferracc v Palaces and eeftstf:tffscsfHrfrfHftrC-t C-c5ts5t&tt&ttfec-- In the current number of the Century .Magazine, George Hyron Coidon writes .)f his discoveries on the site of an an lent burled elty In Honduras, From this Interesting artlele we quote: Prom tho valley of Mexleo, I lie renter :f Its power nnd Influence, tho Aztec civilization at the time of the contiue.st bail pread ItHclf to the (iulf of Mcxho and to the Pacific oeean. to the river Panuco on the north and to the Gulf of Tchunntepoo on the south, with small outlying colonies Htlll farther fcOUtll. The broad plnlnH of Yucatan and the , fertile valleys of Central America com- j pilse the theater where the much older Maya civilization had Its rise, culmina tion and decline the unrecorded acts In n very Imposing drama played lout; j ago by actors whose names have been i forgotten. Yes; long before the dream of western emplie began to till the minds of Europeans, lltiug the ambi tion of kings, and Inciting the adventur ous Kplrltn of the time, full of the ro mantic during of the ago of chivalry, and thirsting for conquest, to seel; for tune and fame at all hazards in the golden iej;Ions of the west centuries before the kingdom of the Montczu mas, wIiom' eil destiny it was to fall a prey to these avaricious and unprin cipled men. hail risen to power and glory In the beautiful valley of .Mexico -the curtain had already fallen on the last sad scene that closed another em pire's career. On the ariival of the Spaniards tho scepter of the Mayas had already passed nwny, and their ruined titles were the conqueror's spoil. It Is true that at the time of the con quest there wes a remnant of a pop ulation on the peninsula of Yucatan a number of iribes who still hunted the vicinity of the deserted titles- and these me generally believed to have been the descendants of the builders, though this Is by no means certain. They called lhoinsIves Maya people: their language, they said, was Maya than, the Mnyation means tho Maya capital. Not only did traditions exist In the minds of the people, but many of the old Indian families still preserved their books, I he remnants of once extensive libraries, in which the history, tradi tions and customs of the people weic recorded. All these books that the Spanish pilests could lay their hands upon were burned. Four only have come down to us priceless relics that In tome unknown manner found their way Into European libraries, where they lay hidden until unearthed by scholars of recent years. The books of the Mayas consisted of long strips of paper made from maguey fiber, and folded after tho manner of a screen so as to, form pages about nine by live Indies; these wero covcicd with hiero glyphic characters, very neatly drawn by hand, In brilliant colors. Hoards were fastened on the outside pages, and the completed book looked like a neat volume of large octavo size. The char- ncters in which they me written are the same an those found upon the stone tablets and monuments In the ruined cities of I'alenque and Copan. This sys tem of writing, which Is entliely dis tinct from tho picture writing of the Aztecs, was the exclusive possession of tho Mayas. It was a highly developed hystem, and, as investigations havo bhovvn, embraced a number of phon etic elements. Although nothing haa yet been found that will enable any liv ing mnn to decipher a hlngle Inscription THE HIEROQLYIMIIC ""f ?. ,4 Trf: ztzMhBy Jill f5rt.0," 0 iMi,,ii,.r,,;"r- ' y", - .' i 1Ia.1 V,.ivTVit,'U. viJfi irulm GaJJito'i'MWiiiyitiHOMi i'm i.L j ' 1 11 T" " M ' 'iT j 'n MmmLM. ffiJsM Ei VI j V' i ii lb ' I Vtl ' H.' U n m n n t m t CS ' ?SK SB CUIIIntlnn In Central Amerlca-OorKcum I'j ramKM Pound in the Turesti iW the results obtained by tho lalior of ti number of eminent scholars bero and abroad give ground for the hope that futtite Investigations will bear more fruitful icsults. Midden away among the mountains of Honduras, in a beautiful valley which, even In that little traveled coun try, where icmotcncs.s Is a charaotoils tic attribute of places, Is unusually se cluded, Is Copan, one of the greatest mysteries of the ages. Whatever the origin of Its people, this old city Is dis tinctly American the gtowth of Am erican soil and environment. The area comprised within the limits of tin old city i (insists of a level plain seven or eight miles long and two miles wide at the gieatcst. This plain Is covered with the remains of stone hottses.doubt less the habitations of the wralth. The stiocts, squares and courtyards vveiu paved with stone, or with white cement made from lime and powdered nit k, and the drainage was accomplish ed by means of covcicd canals and un derground newels built of stone and ce ment. On the stones of the moun tains, too. are found numerous ruins, and even on the highest peaks fallen columns and mined Mitictures may be iCf'll. On the tight bank of the Copan tivir In the midst of the city stands the principal gioup of strueimes -the tem ples, palaces and buildings of a public character. Thee form part of what baa been called for want of .1 better name, the Main Strurtuio a vast, inegular pile rising from the plain In steps and terrace.! of masonry, and terminating In several great p.ramldal elevations, ea-Ii lopped by the leinalns of a tem ple. Its Hdc face the four caiillual points; its greitrst length from north to south Is about eight hundred feet, an 1 from east to west ir ine.isured original ly nearly as miiili. but a part of the eastern sliueiuie iris been cairied awa by tho swift current of the ilver wlreh llovv.s directly against It. The Interior of the structure Is thus exposed In the form of a clilf one hundred feet high, presenting a complicated system of hurled walls aei Doors down to the water's edge- doubtless the remains of the older buildings, occupied for a time, and nbandorfd to aeivo as foundations for more elaborate structuies. Exra vatloiiH have also been brought, to light beneath the foundations of buildings now occupying tho surface, not only the tilled chambers and broken wallls of older structures, but sculptured mon uments as well. Within the main structure, at an ele vation of sixty feet. Is a court one hun dred ami twenty feet square, which, with Its surrounding architecture.must have presented a magnificent spectacle when It was entire. It was entered from tho south thiough a passage thirty feet In width, between two high pyramidal foundations, each supporting a temple. A thick wall, pierced In tho center by a gateway, now stripped of Us 1 adornnients ami in iulns, guarded this pnsssago to the south. The court Itself Is Inclosed by ranges of stops or seats ranging to 11 height of twenty feet, an In an amphltheaetr; they are built of groat blocks of stone, neatly cut, nnd lcgularly laid without mortar. In tho center of tho western side Is a stair way projecting a few feet Into the court and leading to n broad terraco above the range of seats on that side. The upper steps of this stairway aro divid ed In the midst by the head of a lmuo STAIRWAY. (Restored.) dragon facing tho court, and holding j In Its dlsUmdrd Jaws a grotesque hu man head of colossal proportions. To the north of the court stood tho two magnificent einples, 1M and U'J, tho massive ru'.ns cieate a feeding that they were the work of giants. Temple '12, In many ways the most Interesting yet explored, furnishes a ty pical example of this class of building, l'roni the stone paved terrace above the western side of the court, a great stairway, with massive steps, leads up to a platform which inns tho whole length of the way two graceful wing stones, extending nrtoss the platform, gnat d the approach to the tlrst en trance, which gives access to the build ing, and Is carried out at each end upon solid piers to the Hue of begin ning of the steps. From the head of the stairway to the outer chambers this stairway Is nine feet wide and was cov cicd with a vaulted roof, now fallen. Directly opposite It. hi the Interior, Is a second doorway. leading to the Inner chambers. In fiont of the second entrance Is a step two feet high, ornamented on the face by hleiugl.v phics and skulls carved In relief, a pedestal for a IfllK W it; T1IK JAtlUAlt crouching llguro supporting the head of a dragon, the body of which Is turned upward and is lost among the scroll work and figures of a cornice that runs above tho doorway. All the Interior walls wero covered by a thin coat of stucco, on which figures and scones were painted In various colors; and the cornices wero adorned with stucco masks and other ornaments, likewise painted. The loofs, with tho massive towers which they supported, had fallen and lllled the chambers com pletely. The horizontal aieh formed by overlapping stones was always used In tho construction of roofs a type that is rommou to all the Maya titles. The outside of tho building, profusely namonlod with grotesques at every line, beats witness to the ambitious prodigality of the architect, his love of adornment, and his aversion to plain surfaces a characteristic that Is nianl fpitetl on all tho monuments and carv ings at Copan. Climbing tho steep flight of steps at the north side of the court, and stand ing among tho ruins of teniplo 11, we command a view of what must have been one of the finest sights in tills marvelous city, where, It would seem, the genii who attended on King Solo mon had been at work. To our light aro tho iulns of another lofty temple (2fi). from the entrance of which the hieroglyphic stairway, to bo described later, descended to the pavement one hundred feet below. Right In front of us the northern slope of tho main htruc ture goes down abruptly, In a broad, steep Hlnht of steps, to the floor of the plnzn, which stretches away to the north, r,nd terminates In an amphi theater about three hundred feet square, unclosed In the eastern, north ern, and weutem sides by ranges of seats twenty feet high. The southern side hi open, except that Its center Is occupied by a pyramid that roso almost to a point. leaving a square platform on top. In the plaza stood the principal gioup of obelisks, monoliths or stelae, ns they aro variously designated, to which Copan owes Us principal fame. There are fifteen in all scattered over tho plaza, some overthrown and others still erect. Although affording Infinite variety In detail, In genoral iIchIlmi and treatment these monuments aro all the same. No verbal description cm convey any ICea of their appearance. Thoy av erage about twelve feet In height and threo feet squat 0, and are carved over the entlro surface. On one side, and sometimes on two opposite sides, stands a human figure In high relief! alwnys looking toward one of the ctr cll11.1l points, t'pon these personages Is displayed such a wealth of orna ment and lutlgnla that the flguies look overbuitbned and encumbered, giving the Idea that the chief object of tho artist war the display of such adorn ment. While nearly all these human figures are disproportionately short, tho accurate drawing and excellent do- 1 signs surrounding the principal cTiur- Uiwv ncterr tdiovv tli.it thin Ih not owing to deficient peiceptlon on the part of thu sculptor. The sides of tho monuments not tv eupled by human figures are covet cl with hieroglyphic Itiseilptlons. Ill front of each of the tlgurcs, at a dis tance of a few feet, Is a smaller sculp tine, called an altar. These nirasurn sometimes seven feet across and from two to four feet In height. The design sometimes lepresents a grotesque mon ster with curious adornments: but a common form of altar Is a Hat disk seven or eight feet In diameter, with a row of hlcrogl.vphlra around the edge. Hut there Is nothing In all the sculp tures at Copan to suggest the saciitlce of humans or any other victims: no thing to recall the icvoltlng train In human blood that was common In Mex leo down to the time of the conquest: 110 trace of analogy with the frightful orgies that maired the history of the Aztecs, pervading every phase of their national life, llndlng constant expres- slon in their decorative art, and tilling their pleture-wrltlci'i annals with scenes of blood. Tin most extraordlnaty feature that STAIRWAY. our excavations have brought to light Is the hieroglyphic stairway already referred to. Facing the plaza at the southern end, It occupied a central po sition on the western side of tho high pyramidal elevation that forma the northern wing of the main structure. Kven In the sad stile of ruin In which wo behold it now, it affords a magnifi cent spectacle. What must It havo been In tho days when It was entire, and touched from the floor of tho plaza to the entrance of the temple that stood on the height of a hundred feet above! When discovered, tu 1S94. this stnlr vvay was completely burled beneath the debris fallen from the temple, of which not one stone remained upon another. The upper part of tho stairway itself lias also been thrown from Its place as if by an earthquake, and lay strewn upon the lower portion. When, at length, after months of labor, on which from fifty to one hundred r.'.en were employed, the fallen material was cleared away, an acre of ground was covered with broken sculptures, re moved during the progress of the work, and the lower steps wero found tin harmed. In the center of tho stairway, at the bate, Is a throne or pedestal ris ing to tlie fifth stop, and projecting eight feet In front. The design upon its f.uo is lit li In seiilptuic and tidi er to In detail. It Is made up In part of handsome faces, masks, ilcath's-hoads, and scrolls, beautifully carved, and disponed with perfect symmetry; bu' tho entemble Is perfectly unintelligi ble. On the face of each Rtep In the stairway Is a row of hieroglyphics, carved In medium relief, running tho entlro length. At Intervals In the ascent the center Is occupied l.y a hu man llguro of noble and commanding appearance, arrayed In splendid uttlre, seated on the steps. The upper parts of all these figures wero broken away, but the plctes of several were recover ed and restored. On each side was a solid balustrade two feet thick: tho upper parts of these wero also broken away, but by civeful study nnd comparison enough wns recovered to enable us to make out the curious and complicated do sign, i'ortnilt-llke busts Issuing from tho jaws of grotesque monsters, stand ing out upon these balustrades, and repeated nt regular Intervals, formed their principal adornment. Lemon .lulee In I lie Miuileure Witter, The best manicure acid is a teaspoon fill of Union Juice in a cup of tepid water. This not only whitens and ro movea Jl stains from tho nails, but It loosens tho cuticle much better than Dcls.-,ots do. A dash of lemon Juice, too, In a glass of water Is an admirable tooth wash after tho uso of onlonu or anything that will affect tho broata. Now York Evening Post. Why docs tho tallest man In a crowd j always cct la front? A rOKT'S IKMIANCR. STORY OF HARRIET IIICIIARDV SON AND JAMtiS T. ELLIS. I'1-oiiiIm'iI o Weil (lie lliril VVIirn Wii 11 t'ollei; Muileiil ('lattery ('iiillnl SiH'li't) ('nutei Her to uiine. AITcrllnn K N T F C K Y has long been noted for her romances In real life. Tho ro mance of Miss Har r 1 e t Halnbrlil;e Richardson a 11 tl her poet 1 o v 0. r, .lames Tandy Kills, Is fully In keeping w I t h Kentucky's history. The story dates back eight years, when the poet wasaHtalwnit student at the Kentucky State college In Lexington. He had Just attained his majority when he tlrst met Miss Richardson at a parly. Mm was the belle of the evening and be a splen did specimen of the young Kentueklati. It was a case of love at tlrst sight. Mlns Rlcbatdson bad been In society several years, had been petted and toasted by the society dudes until she was tiled of the Insipid youngsters. It was no wonder, then, that she admlrei! 1 handsome young Hills. He Is probably an Inch above six feet In height, as straight as an Indian and the very per I sonlllcatlon of perfect young manhood. I Resides, he la highly act nnipllshcd in 1 music and llleiature - In fact, he Is 11 ' miiIiih. He composes music tit teaiHly as a Mozart or a lleethovcn, Improvises on the piano as easily as a Lls.t, and , he can vwlte poetry as easily as the 1 avenge man can wilte prose. He has ! a prudlglun memory and can recite I all the best poems or tho leading poets. ! lie and Miss Richardson were thrown ' In each other's company 11 great deal j during his last eara at collefc-e and 1 their engagement was coon known to 1 their Intimate friends. It seemed as 1 If the course of their true love would, I contrary to the old adage, run smooth ly, but Miss Rlchaidson went to visit her slater, Mrs. Forney, whose bu.diauil was an attache of the Urooklyn navy yard. She was Introduced Into Urook lyn society and when her sister visited Washington and Philadelphia she went with her. In both these titles she soon became a social favorite, owing to her great beauty and many accomplish ments. Naval olllcers. congressmen, members of legations and other society men were charmed with her beauty and vivacity and It was not long un til Congicssnian Rennett of Urooklyn, began to pay her such marked atten tion that It soon became reported that they were engaged to be married. Young Kills had wondered at the In frequency of her letters and at their brevity, and he was not surprised when the report 1 cached hi m that his sweet heart was engaged to be married to the Urooklyn congressman. It was a cruel blow to the sensitive young man, but he calmly wrote Miss Richardson to the effect that he would release all claims to her hand. After writing this letter ho left Kentucky nnd wandered aim lessly over several of the western states teaching school, writing poetry nnd trying to forget his love affair with the pretty Miss Richardson. He never heard from her except through the society columns of the newspapers, when her name would be mentioned In connection with some brilliant in ception at Washington or Urooklyn or Philadelphia or Roston. Miss Richard roii'h visit ended and she returned to her home In Lexington. She had been promised by ox-Secretary Herbert the honor of christening tho battleship Kentucky. The newspapers from one cud of the country tu the other had JAMES T. ELLIS, printed her picture and full accounts of how tho gallant secretary had be stowed this honor upon her nt a din ner party In Washington. Hut no word of congratulation camo to her from her discarded lover. While tho skies Bcemed bright above her ho maintained Bllenco and sho really did not know whether ho was alive or dead. Later on, when Secretary Long was about to wrest tho honor of christening the Kentucky from Mlas Richardson, and when Governor Uradley wns about to appoint his own daughter sponsor for tho war vessel named after this com monwealth there camo a time when It seemed to Mies Rlchnrdson as If every friend bad forsaken her. Even ex-Secretary of tho Navy Herbert declared that ho had not selected Miss Richard sou to christen the Kentucky, It was In this dark hour that her young poet lover came to her rescue, but he came without notifying her nnd without her knowledge. One day while tho storm wan raging about her, when the newspapers were full of articles on the christening of tho Kentucky, when she was being criticised by editors of alleged society Journals and by otheis, Mmmmm) sho picked up .1 Louisville paper and read a eainmtinlcatlon criticising her detractors. It was signed with the In Rials .1. E. T. Miss Richardson recognized tho Init ials as those of her poet lover, and sho Immediately wrote to the newspaper which published the card asking hln address. When sho discovered It sho wrote him a letter thanking hlni for bin kind Interest In her behalf. Ho an swered the letter and a correspondence sprung up which resulted In 11 renewal of their engagement and tho announce nient thut the. wedding will tako placa next .luue. Mr. Hills was bom In Oiicnt, Ky., June IS, lacs, ills father, Dr. Clarkson Ellis, was a wealthy physician. Young Ellis wan educated In the public schools of Carroll county nnd In the Kentucky State college. He studied music In tho Cincinnati conservatory of music. Ho hns written many clever verses tho best tif which Is peihaps the "(Jolileti Rod." He has also composed a number of catchy pieces of mimic. The best of these Is known as "Tho Kentucky Colonels." At present he Is engaged In newspaper work In Louisville. Ills fam ily Is one of the oldest and most dis tinguished In tho state, and ho traces his lineage back to King George III. In a tllicct Hue. He has two brothers, one older and one younger than him self. The foi nier 1 a practicing phy sician In Can oil county, while tho lat ter Is studying medicine at Philadel phia college. Ho has no sisters. Miss Richardson comes from one of the oldest and best f.imlllca in the state. Her father, John Hall Richard son, was for many yearn tho wealth iest shorthorn breeder In this section. Her grandfather, William Hall Rleh nrdson, way a revolutionary noldler. Her mother was the noted beauty .Inno Shuio Stamps. Her uncle. Thomaw w'X& i - fill' wmm r i j..,' v Jif' ;"ti V MISS HARRIET 11. RICHARDSON. Stamps, was a soldier In the Mexican war, and when he returned from tho sanguinary struggle ho gained consid erable notoriety by fighting a big black bear with no weapon save his hands. The fight was a draw. Miss Richard son Is radiantly happy over the turn affairs have taken, and she confesses that tho christening of the battleship could not afford her half tho happi y ness that the other ceremony will bring her JP- N S, lug her. Mi ORIi WEDDINCS THAN HUS. ( BANDS. I iiiiftjltiinlit i:nnti .Vrileii rinilit tlif M Wiiy Ih (,'leiir for III111. Fifteen years ago Mrs. Lemuel Wood v bridge of Falrdale, near Susquehanna, Pa., sent her husband to tho meat mnr ket for a pound of beefsteak for break fast. One day last week he returned with tho meat. Tho Intervening yearn I had been a blank to him. Following his disappearance Mrs. Woodbrldgo went Into mourning, then got a dlvorco and again married. Her second hus band tiled three years later. What was her surprise when tho other day a gray haired man unceremoniously en tered her home, hung his hat upon tho rack ami put a package upon tho table. The woman did not rocognlzo tho stran ger at tlrst and the amazed children were about to drive him away when ho cxplalnetl that he was Lemuel Wocd biidge. Ho said that tho past, up to two weeks ngo, was almost a blank to him. He remembered being In Eng land and Australia, and knows that ho sold washing machines In Manchester. Ho does not know under what iiamo-hu has been nailing, nor how he Iuib gain ed an existence. Until Informed ho did not know whether ho had been nb ceut a month or twenty years. Ho had saved some money. Coming from Liv erpool to Montreal In a cattle boat It. suddenly flashed upon him who ho wati and where ho used to live. Ho mado hacte to reach Pennsvlvanln, and In Illnghampton, N. Y n railroad man told him that his former wife and chil dren wero still living. Riding In tho railroad conch something told him to carry "home" the meat, to procuro which he bad left homo fifteen years ago. After being convinced that Woodbiidgo's story was true, ho was riven shelter. There has slnco been a completo reconciliation nnd tho wlfo nnd widow will soon bo married again to the husband of her youth, thus mnk ing the curious record of threo wetli dings to two husbands. lllKitmy CiiniiiHiii In Italy. Italy is said to havo moro bigamists than any other European country. This Ib mado posslblo becauso th, church refusea to recognize civil mar riages, and tho stato does not roganl a church marriage as binding, Tim result Is that unscupuloita men marry two wives ono with tho sanction or tho church, tho other with tho oaac tlon of tho law. Romo penplo get so tired doing noth ing that they aro never nblo to do any thing else. Tho stlll-hoitso worm destroys mor corn than the cut worm docs. 1 . ,k it V I "tl .?. .J lV 1 . K .All' fj HK