12 The Conservative *
DESIGNATED DEPOSITARY OF THE UNITED STATES ,
National Bank of the Republic
OF CHICAGO.
, ONE > MILLION DOLLARS.
JOHN A. LYNCH , President. W. T. FENTON , Vice President and Cashier.
J. H. CAMERON and H. R. KENT , Asst. Cashiers. R. M. McKINNEY , 2d Asst. Cashier.
CLIFF mVELLKICS' SKELETONS.
A strange story of the suffocation of
an entire village of cliff dwellers abont
four thousand years ago is told by
Sergt. George E. Price of the local re
cruiting station.
In picturesque Arizona , among the
White Mountains , not far from Fort
Apache , the peculiar race of little climb
ers once reigned supreme. Among the
almost inaccessible cliffs of red sand
stone they lived like fugitives , in
natural fortresses. The caverns they
once inhabited are today as they were
centuries ago , and in many cases have
apparently never been trodden by human
foot since the death of their ancient in
habitants. The petrified remains of 400
prehistoric little people were found by
Sergeant Price in a vast cave. The
Apache Indians , who now inhabit that
district , regard the cavern with super
stitious dread , and cannot be induced to
enter its gloomy portals. No white man
had over set foot there before Sergeant
Price , and ho found its contents undis
turbed.
During the spring of 1899 , when he'
was with Troop G , Seventh cavalry , and
stationed at Fort Apache , in his re
searches about the country , the young
soldier discovered the great cave village ,
with its strange legend. A few miles
east of the fort , on the White River ,
rise some immense cliffs of red sand
stone. From the glistening stream the
cliffs rise almost perpendicularly to a
sheer height of 800 feet. Crevices and
little edges of rock form the only foot
holds for daring climbers. While fish
ing for trout one day , Sergeant Price
noticed high up on the cliff a black hole.
Believing it to be a cave , ho at once
determined to scale the cliff , and several
soldiers volunteered to accompany him.
The ascent was exceedingly hazardous ,
and difficult , but after a long climb they
reached the hole. Jutting out from the
face of the cliff was a natural shelf ,
about eight feet wide and twice as long.
Just back of the ledge was the en
trance to the ancient cave. Under the
sergeant's leadership the party entered
the cave with torches and lanterns.
They explored over four and a half miles
of passages and corridors. Many people
had once inhabited the winding passages
of the cave village. The soldiers pene
trated into the furthermost recesses and
found a big council chamber far back in
the interior of the cliff. As the flicker
ing light of the torches pierced the gloom
of the Inrge room the grewsome scene
was revealed.
Huddled together on the cold , damp
floor of stone , as if for mutual sympathy
and protection , lay the ghastly skeletons
of over 400 little cliff dwellers , petrified
by their exposure during ages past. A
short distance apart from the others lay
the frame of the chieftain , leaning
against the wall opposite the entrance
to the room. His skull was resting
upon his breastbone , just as he had
died. It seemed to the discoverers that
he , perhaps , had died last of them all ,
and before his spirit fled had taken a
final look at his people. Then his chin
sank upon his breast , and the people of
White River Oliff were no more. Scien
tific observations have shown that these
people lived about 4 000 years ago.
Sergeant Price began a systematic
questioning of old Indians , and at
length adroitly secured the legend of the
cavern. Many , many hundred years
ago , he was told by the red-skinned
sages and to express their idea of the
number they tossed up handfuls of sand
into the air the small men lived in the
cliffs. They were at war with other
small men who lived at some distance
Battles were frequent , and the tribe
which occupied the White River cliffs
was worsted.
Many of their best warriors were slain
by the clubs and arrows of the enemy.
Retreat finally became necessary , and
the defeated men hastily scaled the
beetling cliff to their home near the
summit. Once within the great cave
they felt themselves secure from fur
ther attacks. They carried with them
such scanty supplies ns they could
quickly gather , and they hoped that in
case of siege their corn would last until
the siege was raised.
Swarming up over the ledge to the
entrance to the cave came their enemies.
Several they killed , but were soon driven
back from the entrance. Wonderingly ,
they crouched within its portals. The
assailants brought up quantities of wood
and piled it high up about the hole in
the cliff. Then they kindled a huge fire
and never suffered it to abate in fury.
Days passed and the flames still
gleamed brightly on the side of the vast
rook. For a fortnight the vigilance
never Blackened. At length the re
vengeful army retired , leaving a great
pile of ashes' on the ledge. No one
dared to enter the cavern , and , having
accomplished their grim mission , they
departed from the sectiou. What
agonies the cliff dwellers must have
suffered as the pangs of starvation grew
keener and keener , and always at the
only exit they saw the blazing pile !
Denver Evening Post.
SHIP SUBSIDIES.
Governor Mount of Indiana is opposed
to the ship subsidy bill and in a recent
interview said :
"I am opposed to the bill. This is an
inopportune time to take money from
all the people to subsidize or foster a
special interest. When monopolistic
greed is so aggressive as to crush small
industries and private interests , it is un
wise to vote millions to a shipping
syndicate under the guise of helping the
agricultural and manufacturing inter
ests of the country.
"The provisions of the bill grossly dis
criminate against the vessels that carry
agricultuial and manufactured prod
ucts , in favor of the fast steamers that
carry wealthy passengers and fine
merchandise. If the true purpose of the
bill were to be encourage ship building
and augment the number of American
vessels , then why deny subsidy to vessels
built after five years , but continue the
paying of such subsidy for twenty years
to the ships built and registered in the
five-year limit ? Five years will be time
for the favored few to get ready to profit
by the millions to be paid , after which
American ship-building will be dis
couraged , not only by competition with
foreign vessels , but with the favored
class of American ships built and regis
tered within the five-year provision.
Instead of continued growth to our
merchant marine , we will likely ex
perience a paralysis of this interest after
its promoters are enriched. Why should
all the industries pay tribute to a ship
ping syndicate ? /
"The bill is vicious in principle. It is
an unjust discrimination , and merits de
feat. It is not founded upon justice or
equity. The people will not be deceived &
'
by its misleading preamble. "