There is a recent advertisement on BYUTV that ends up
asking, "A hundred years from now will anyone remember you". I
pondered this question trying to decide if any one will remember me a
hundred years from now.
It seems that we all have an innate desire to leave our
mark or do something to be remembered by. This is expressed in many
different ways. One is the very obvious one expressed by the old
saying, "Fool's names and fool's faces are always seen in public
places". I think that when someone writes their name in a conspicuous
place it relates to the deep internal instinct to want to leave our
mark.
In Mexico we see along even the isolated roads in the
mountains where someone has left their name in spray paint. I guess it
depends on how we want to be remembered, how we express that desire or
how we leave our mark.
Some years ago on our way to Utah we stopped along the
way to find where Naoma's Grandfather had written his name on a
sandstone cliff. The place used to be a stage stop in the desert. It
is north of Cameron where the highway crosses the Colorado River on
the Navajo reservation. We found Grandpa Peterson's name scratched
high on a sandstone cliff. It was very visible along with many other
names. Among them we found a Cluff name and many others that we
recognized. It was interesting that many years ago the men had left
their mark on these ancient cliffs while stopping briefly at this out
of the way stage station in those early days.
In many places in the mountains in caves and on
sheltered walls ancient peoples or ancient artists drew pictures. Did
they do it to leave their mark or did they leave a message? I have
often wondered if they had a desire to leave something of themselves
for all of the world to see. There are many such sites where people
come from all over the world to see the ancient pictures and as the
Mexicans call them Garavatos (scribblings). Up on a branch of the
Chico River there is a Canyon call the Garavato Canyon because of the
many pictures and drawings in the caves and dwellings. It seems that
we are very interested in what ancient men have left behind. The more
ancient the more interesting it seems.
Satan, as the destroyer, has extended his temptations
even into the field of destroying the things of beauty left
behind that might be interesting to others that come after those
ancient peoples.
Once on a Back Packing hike with the Dublan Explorers
Scouts we stopped to see a very interesting Cave Dwelling. We had left
the trucks at the end of the old logging road on top of the highest
peak around, called North Mountain. The peak is North of Chuhuichupa
and can be seen in the distance from there. The north end of North
Mountain is a series of cliffs at different levels down the steep
north side. We found our way down between these cliffs and traveled
along a very steep ridge. Most of the boys were eager to get down and
forged on ahead. Some of us went to find the Cliff Dwelling that
Emilio Burgos had told me about. We went along the narrow trail
on the face of the cliff to gain access to the one little keyhole door
of a big walled up cave. We had to take off our Packs and put them
through the little door first then stoop down almost double to enter
that little door. I thought at the time. How ingenious that door for
protection. A man standing inside with a club could keep off and
army.
Inside the cave we could see, in the dim light from the
little door, the two story dwellings on the right with many rooms or
compartments where many people must have lived long ago. In the
center of the big cave was a big basin about twenty feet across. This
basin had been carved in the rock of the floor undoubtedly to store
water. On one side and in back of the basin was a big storage area
where plenty of food could be stored. We all decided that these people
were prepared for a long siege. They could come into their homes and
place a guard at the door and be safe for many days or even months.
The Narrow trail along the cliff would allow only one man at a time to
come to the little keyhole door. Only a foolish enemy would stick his
head in that door to be clobbered from within.
About twenty years later I took a group of explorer
scouts from the US up Horse back to find that interesting
dwelling. We wound our way up and through the narrow rock passage
through the big rocks and cliffs. We dismounted and went to find the
dwelling. When we got there we found that the cave and all of it's
interesting dwellings had been completely destroyed. Someone had
dynamited the cave and the roof had fallen in leaving it open to the
rain and snow. The dwellings and the basin were covered under tons of
dirt and rocks from above. We went back into the corner at the base of
the cliff where there were other dwellings. We found many of the
little houses were destroyed and all of the courtyard in front of the
dwellings had been dug up. I guess they must have been looking for
treasure or burials. I can't imagine why people might think that these
poor ancient cave dwellers would have any kind of treasure. Those
destroyers really left their mark.
On one of the trips with our family we went down the
Cebadilla Canyon and camped on the Gavilan River where the Cebadilla
empties into the Gavilan. We rode up the river looking for a cave
dwelling that we had not seen as yet. We finally found it high on the
steep side of the mountain at the base of a cliff. We enjoyed going
into the many rooms of the well preserved two story dwelling. We took
many pictures of different members of the family looking out of the
little keyhole doors of that beautiful dwelling. We noticed how the
walls had been plastered very smoothly with white clay and some of
them had been painted different colors Some had designs painted
on the front by the door we thought that they might be to identify the
owners.
A few years later I took a group up to see this same
dwelling. We found that someone had apparently put a charge of
dynamite in the center of the bottom dwelling and had really destroyed
most of the little rooms of the dwelling. There were only a few little
rooms left intact on the bottom. Again someone had left his mark of
destruction on the beautiful place.
Our family on many occasions would go by Cave Valley
and climb up to the Olla Cave. We loved to see the two story dwelling
with its many thin layers of plaster. Some places we could still see
the color on the plaster. One time when we were there our son Anthony
was exploring down below the entrance of the big cave. He brought up
to show us the Skeleton of the tiny baby. When I saw that little
skeleton wrapped in a little woven straw mat. I could just imagine
that little Indian mother tenderly wrapping her dead infant in the
little straw mat that she had woven especially for it.
We decided that someone had dug up this tiny little one
from it's grave and had thrown it carelessly down the cliff out of the
cave. We took it up to the Lopez home and turned it over to them. They
were indignant that people would come in and dig in that ancient
dwelling and destroy it. They had been trying to preserve it for many
years but they could not watch it day and night. The said that they
would go and bury the tiny remains in the dwelling where it
belonged.
The fist time I was in Cave Valley I marveled to see
the names of two men high on the wall of the second story. They had
scratched their names and the date there for all to see. I think I
remember the date as 1886. The top stories of the dwellings were torn
down so those names and date disappeared with the walls.
In comparison across the canyon high on the wall of the
cliff outside the Cliff Swallow Cave there are some pictures that are
still visible. I don't know how they were able to draw them there They
are about 200 feet from the bottom of the Cliff and about 100 feet
from the top of the .cliff. They would have to either use a very long
ladder or a very long rope from the Top down. Who ever did that wanted
to make sure no one would destroy their art work.
When I was a boy we went to Cave Valley on a Scout
Hike. We went down river a little ways from our camp near the Olla
Cave and turned up a little Canyon and followed it to the west until
we came to the end and there was a big cave. The ancients had walled
the entrance all up except for one little keyhole door. They had also
made some little peep hole windows about eye level of a short man.
Inside was a large open court surrounded by many large rooms. The room
in the middle facing the door was circular and had quite a large
door. On each side of the entrance there was an Olla about four feet
high and about five feet in diameter. Undoubtedly these were used to
story corn for the winter. They were plastered very smooth so that the
Rodents could not get in to eat their corn.
Looking out the peep holes that faced the canyon we
could see down the canyon a long ways. We decided that these were
placed there to watch for the enemy without being in danger.
As we have gone back many years later the front walled
up portion has all been torn down and there is not even any evidence
of the two storage Ollas near the entrance. On one side facing the
canyon there is still a piece of the wall left and two peep holes are
still there to look out off down the canyon. Many of the rooms have
been torn down but the circular room is still there and a few other
rooms have not been totally destroyed.
Now Cave Valley has been made a National Monument and a
Watchman has been hired to take care of the sites so we hope
that it will stop some of the destruction.
As I went back each time to some of these places in the
Sierra Madre and have seen the destruction of these ancient relics I
have thought that someone must take pleasure in just destroying. They
have certainly left their mark of destruction but they cannot be
identified by their mark for they did it in secret not wanting anyone
to know of their deeds.
In all our travels in the Sierra Madre we have been
very careful to not destroy anything not even the live trees. We have
been always careful to leave a clean camp. At first we would bury our
garbage but when we would come back another time we would find that
the animals had dug it up and had scattered cans and garbage around.
So we adopted the method of taking out our garbage especially the
cans.
We will all leave our mark in this life may it be a
heritage for those that come after us. May we be remembered for the
good we have done May we build our dwellings of kind deeds and service
to others.
I can't help but Think of the Mark that the
Savior left to mankind. Even time is measured from the time of his
coming. Before it is BC and after it is AD. He is our supreme example.
If we want to really leave our mark we must follow him and do what he
has asked us to do. If we keep his commandments then we don't have to
worry because our mark will be left to our posterity and for all to
see.