72 The Êumminy Bird. 



Arizona is planning to reproduce for its building at the 

 Exposition the famous Casa Grande, which stands in the sou- 

 thern part of the territory. The Casa Grande, which is proba- 

 bly the most remarkable and interesting prehistoric ruin in 

 North America, was first visited by Europeans in 1538, by 

 Cabeza de Vaca and his followers, of the ill-fated Ponce de 

 Leon expedition. Four years later Coronado, during his expe- 

 dition to the Southwest, made it his headquarters. Then, as 

 now, not even a tradition as tho the race that built it remai- 

 ned among the surrounding tribes. The building was once the 

 main gateway to an immense walled city, the ruins of which 

 still cover the plains, and to such an extent that in the accu- 

 rate estimation of scientists the city's population must have 

 exceeded a hundred thousand. The remains of vast irrigating 

 ditches and cemented reservoirs are found in the vicinity of 

 the ruined city. By cleaning one of the irrigating ditches re- 

 cently 150,000 acres of land were reclaimed. This ancient 

 irrigation system will be shown by relief maps. The ruins of 

 Casa Grande are between five and six stories high and fifty 

 feet square. They are composed of sun-dried brick, with 

 heavy buttressed walls, and, like all the other ancient ruins 

 in that country, bear evidences of having been destroyed by 

 fire, for the charred, remains of rafters still cling to the walls. 

 All about for miles and miles are strewn broken pottery, 

 arrow heads and stone axes, which tell scientists that one day 

 thousands of years ago that city blazed with fire and was 

 deserted by a panic-stricken people. Casa Grande is the most 

 famous feature of all those old sun-baked ruins, and its un- 

 known origin, the sudden and unaccountable flight and disso- 

 lution of the city it guarded, and the deep mystery which 

 has clung to it for ages, make it one of the most interesting 

 subjects of scientific investigation. It will be, perhaps, 

 on its reproduction at the Fair, the most interesting buil- 

 ding in which any of the States or territories will make head- 

 quarters. 



The Ecuador commissioners have had constructed a fac- 

 simile of the famous palace of the Inca Perca, the ruins of 

 which standnearthe city of Quito, and will exhibitit attheFair. 



The French government has consented that plaster casts 

 be made for the World's Fair of the numerous art treasures 

 in the Trocadero, Paris. The Exposition authorities will 

 bear the expense, which will be something above $ 25,000. 

 The collection will be a very fine one and will occupy a 

 conspicuous place in the Fine Arts building. After the Fair, 

 the collection will be placed in the projected Chicago Mu- 

 seum, where, it is believed, it will prove of great benefit to 

 American artists and of much interest to visitors. 



A. B. 



