724 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 517. 



In the Black Mesa Foi'est Reserve, Arizona: 

 A portion of both the San Carlos District and 

 the Eio Verde District; which latter contains 

 what is known as Montezuma Well. 



In the San Francisco Mountains Forest Reserve, 

 Arizona: A portion of the Flagstaff District. 

 ****** 



As yet, owing to the lack of sufficient available 

 funds, it has not been practicable to place custo- 

 dians in charge of the numerous and widely scat- 

 tered Tuins throughout the southwest, except in 

 the case of three localities in Arizona. These 

 cases are: The Casa Grande ruin; the Walnut 

 Caiion ruins, lying partly within the San Fran- 

 cisco Mountains Forest Reserve; the ruins of 

 Cafion del Muerto, within the Navajo Indian 

 Reservation. 



It is evident that immediate and effective meas- 

 ures should be taken by the government to protect 

 regions containing objects of such great value to 

 the ethnological history of this country and to 

 other scientific studies; * ♦ * 



I am also heartily in accord with your recom- 

 mendation that, while many of the tracts con- 

 taining ruins and other objects of interest need 

 only to be temporarily withdrawn and protected 

 until the ruins and objects thereon have been 

 satisfactorily examined and utilized, yet, certain 

 of the most important of these regions should be 

 preserved permanently as national parks, and 

 that a general law be enacted, authorizing the 

 establishment of such parks, and making provi- 

 sion for their proper protection and management. 

 ****** 



(Signed) W. A. Eichaeds, 



Gommissioner. 



The following orders were sent out by tlie 

 commissioner of the general land office a few 

 days subsequent to the above correspondence : 



DEPABTMENT OF THE INTEEIOB, GENERAL LAND 

 OFFICE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



October 15, 1904. 

 Mr. F. S. Breen, 



Forest Supervisor, 



Flagstaff, Arizona. 

 Sir: Your special attention is called to the his- 

 toric and prehistoric ruins located in the San 

 Francisco Mountains and Black Mesa Forest Re- 

 serves. As the ruins are almost entirely within 

 said reserves, you are directed to exercise special 

 care in their preservation. For your informa- 

 tion in this matter I will state that there appears 

 to be no special statute forbidding scientific 

 research on the public lands, or requiring that 



permission shall be obtained before undertaking 

 the same or removing objects of value from the 

 public domain. At the same time, however, in- 

 dependent of positive legislative provision in the 

 matter, the United States has all the civil 

 remedies, whether for the prevention or redress 

 of injuries, which individuals possess. And, 

 since all unauthorized excavations upon public 

 lands which tend to the injury of same or of 

 ruins or relics thereon, or the removal of objects 

 of value or of scientific or historic interest, are 

 in the nature of trespass upon the lands, all 

 such intrusion upon public lands renders the 

 parties to the trespasses liable to prosecution. 



It is, therefore, deemed advisable that all per- 

 sons wishing to explore and make excavations of 

 the ruins referred to, should secure permission 

 from the department. This office appreciates the 

 importance of aiding in every way possible all 

 examinations and gatherings of objects of inter- 

 est upon the public domain, which are undertaken 

 for the benefit of recognized scientific and edu- 

 cational institutions, while, at the same time, 

 endeavoring to effectually protect the ruins and 

 dwellings on the public lands from ruthless spolia- 

 tion by parties plying a trade in such matters. 



You are hereby directed to use your best efforts 

 to carry out the wishes of the department in this 

 matter, and so instruct your subordinates. 

 Very respectfully, 

 (Signed) W. A. Richards, 



Commissioner. 



department of the interior, general land 



office, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



October 19, 1904. 

 Mr. Frank Grygla, 



Special Agent, G. L. 0., 



Santa Fe, New Mexico. 



Sir: Your special attention is called to the sub- 

 ject of the unauthorized explorations and ex- 

 cavations of the historic and prehistoric ruins 

 located upon the public lands for purposes of 

 traffic in the curios, relics and objects of scientific 

 and historic interest taken therefrom. 



In order to prevent the further improvident 

 spoliation and destruction of these ruins, and to 

 restrict the explorations and excavations thereof 

 to those made for the benefit of recognized scien- 

 tific and educational institutions and objects, it 

 is deemed advisable that all persons desiring to 

 engage in such explorations shall secure per- 

 mission therefor from the department before com- 

 mencing their operations. 



Y'ou will take prompt and appropriate measures 

 to insure observance of the department's wishes 



