The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-10
der along the muuniain range, and Oh In the d.
recliou Of the land of palms aud fg.trees, or as

der along the m"uniain range, and on In the d.
recliOn Of the land of palms aud fg-trees, or as
tue poet EXPRESSES Ii
behind as -aS The snow cloud tossed
| b man aulrS hbru;
| Before. srai Ni,lcts wuud embossed,
Aud green "ItU tlncH and cora
Anuut tour miles bei sud III Mora is The quaint
old cuy oI
TRINIDAD,
II Is The mos ,u'lrhju- cty ia lower Colorado,
ard sayc one ,"rD,r ., almost American Ia SD e,
huD on whurr ruhorus the usual adobe HOUSES
+, ar their somuro uUd Duitt sides 10 the usua
Incl. ht trinidad lice iG one OF the most pictur.
crque valleys ut the tnu.ntaln range, rlSht al
tno base ol The ii,ck.c-. Ihr scene as one aiEhts
I ON The ualp is such would inspire the
heart of poet ar paiuter. In the north TIE
Spanish Pruk, tower In all their bcau.cous
grandeur; IN the south PIrGdiOry Peak rears It's
hoary form aud bids d, tiucc To- winds aud storms
and on our lcit The rugged peaks and somDre
shades OF Fishers Peak ftu"u down upon us.
From Trinidad wc tdnu All interesting ride up
Il hill. Two powerful locomotives tackle our train,
one pulls IN rant aud the Oth.r boosts
behind and IN tnis way W. start ON q heavy
grade over
RATION PASS
| [Ra.toonl ii dh lance # lLiiltcn miles, in which
our train cimb- 30 feet to tie mile, aud gains
an altitude Of 600 lert IN the distance! Aside
from the excitement of the ride going up this
grade one sees things that will forever linger in
the memory aud ~ after years when rejecting
upon the light 81 other dLy-, his thoughts VIII
wander buck 10 quaint old trinidad aud It's sub
urUe 1t Is here, tot The iiIot lime perhaps, he
sees Mexican lille D!o-soning out IN all its squat
Id wretchednsns. their aouhc houses, herds OF
goats, and all thutls great ~ the gentle greaser;
and above all il Is here he lrst hears Of and sees
TnE rENIrENrEs,
a class Of people uaNlng "undrous faith but Il
peculiar form al ici2lous worship, and one
that may be sad 10 DC exclusively their own.
These people ale scattered all over New Mexico,
Old Mexico, Arizona aud IN fact everywhere
south Of the Arkansas river. they live in towns
aud deport themselves pretty much rs other peo-
pie do, but during Passion Week, the week pre-
ceding Easter Sunday, they are very cruel to
themselves flashing and tOriufing themselves and
one another until the blood streams from their
backs and sides. They erect cross on the sum
nit OF acme hill or low uuuatain, to represent
Calvary, and make pilgrima-e by crawling on
their hands and knees to the foot OF the cross
from their church door, whipping and flashing
themselves on the way and altering the most az
onzing cries and lamentations. Their church
stands on the left as our train climbs the grade,
and on the hill 10 The. light may been seen a
large wooden cross To the foot OF which many a
pilgrimage has been made. The church is low, :
Hat adobe, like all The ancient temples found Ia |
these regions having single door and no win. |
dows. This sect claim To bo an upshoot OF the |
Third Order of Fraucisc.ns, an order OF monks
who have been IN New Mexico since early times, |
and whose ceremonies said to closely resem-
bled those of the Pen,enles. Although claim.
ing to be Roman Catholics and true Christians,
and the true believers aud followers Of Jesus
Christ, they are not recognized by the Roman
Cath Ollie church nor any Of its orders or respec.
tive heads.
The society Of the Franciscans was founded by
st. Francis Assaium, u saint in the Roman Cath
Ole church. more than six hundred years ago,
and It's members are how found all over the !
world. 1t has within IL three orders; first, those
W no are of the priesthood, aud say mass daily
those laymen who have taken the common vows
entered into by every priest-of obedience, pow
erty and chastity, wear the gown and follow the
same fasting and pcnance, but do not say mass
nor hear confessions; aud third, those persons OF
both sexes whose meetings are separate and
who live outside the convent aud follow the usu-
Al vocations Of life, the special obligations being
10 confess themselves often, usually once month.
Ali three orders use the lash, or discipline, dur
ny lent; those Of the first and second orders,
living in cloisters aud being under more severe
discipline use 1t more frequently, but it is not
obligatory on any member; 1t is voluntary act.
The fact that the Franciscans have been in this
part of the country for centuries, such an order
possibly might have grown out OF them and the
ceremonies OF the two orders being alike in this
particular point has given rise TO the belief that
he Pententes are branch OF the Catholic
church. Years ago, In Europe, there was an or
Ter whose rules of discipline were something like
he Penitentes and obligatory on its members
they called themselves "Flagelantes." They
we're condemned by the church and finally ex-
after which they disbanded.
As the quaint old suburbs of Trinidad disep.
pear from view, our train enters the Ration range
Jr mountain pass, aud for sixteen miles we 90
winding among Its gorges, canyons rocks and
,lens to the divide which separates the Cimar-
on and Rayado, and is also the dividing line be-
ween Colorado and New Mexico. As we nea!
he summit our train dashes through two
thousand foot tunnel, entering it in Colorado
md emerging from its somber darkness IN the
and OF the Pueblos-New Mexico. AS our train
,sceuds the rugged pass and climbs higher and
higher amid its wonders, the entire chain or
region presents scene OF magnificent
grandeur. As the eye wanders from peak to