Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-10-11
THE NORTHWEST.
FROM NEW MEXICO.
Special correspondence.

SANTA FE, n. NJ, Sept. %, 1888.
The ride from Las Vegas to Santa
Fe, only SO miles, is rather monoto-
nous, the country presenting about the
same aspect and characteristics as that
already spoken of. There are few
points Of interest on the route. San
Miguel, 35 miles from Las Vegas, is a
fair sample of many towns to be
found in new country where mush-
room growth for a few years the re-
suit of an unsubstantial boom, gives
place to stagnaton and decay. The
place once had 1000 inhabitants and
was quite business point; to-day it
has scarcely $500 and its business
prosperity has vanished. The only
really interesting feature along the
way is the famous Pecos cathedral, 80
miles out from Santa Fe--oue of the
most famous ruins in this country.
From the railroad only passing
glimpse Of its red and crumbling walls
can be obtained, as it is three miles
distant, but the pleasure trave.er will
be sufficiently interested to stop and
look it over at leisure. 1t is the site
of what was once a large and popu-
lous Aztec village. Tradition has it
and here let me say that New Mexico
is country of traditions. that Mont
ezuma was born at Pecos, and that
when he went away he told his peo-
pie to keep the sacred fire in the Ca
thedral burning until his return. But
he never came. Warriors watched
the fires and remained on duty for two
days and nights without food or rest,
or, as some say, until exhausted or
dead; and many that came out alive
died soon after. Tie Spanish Mexi-
cans used to believe that the bodies
were given to an enormous serpent to
devour.
Whatever the cause, the town of
Pecos declined Once, about the mid
die of the last century, Indians sacked
the town, but many escaped. In 1897
the tribe was reduced to 45 persons, of
whom but seven were warriors. All
this time they had kept the sacred fire
burning, but they could do 1t no
longer, as they were so few, and tradi-
ton says that three warriors went into
the woods with the fire and that Mon
tezuma himself appeared and relieved
them of it. Then they packed their
goods and went to join their brothers
at the Jemez Pueblo, west of the Ric
Grande. They were OF course sun
worshippers, and they looked at the
rising sun every morning expecting to
see Montezuma return. Near by are
some boulders having in them distinct
imprints of human feet, as plain as il
they were in the soft clay, and the
tradition is that these are the prints
of Montezuma's feet when he left. Th'
cathedral was built by the FRANCISCAN
friars in 1923. 1t is of adobe brick
in the form of cross, and its dimen
sions are: Nave, 100 fee. long by Q
wide; chancel, ls feet deep and th'
same in width, except rear, which is l.
feet Thus the total length of tn
structure was llS feet. There is moth
Ing in the ruin now save some od'
pieces of pottery, The RUNS of tn
old town are yet quite visible. Peco
weans "blonde, light completed an
freckled.' The town was abondonec
some say, because the commanches a.
tackled it and so reduced it that
could no longer continue, but anothe
tradition has it that q sacred serper
was kept in the council house whel
the fire was burning; that to it WE
fed every day a child. and that r'
duced the Pueblo finally to q poil
where the few remaining could nj
hold out alone. .Ets
Perhaps I should have mentione
one other point along the route ju
traveled-- Bernal, about 20 miles fro
Las Vegas. 1t is place of no speci
Importance, but near it is Bernal Pea
from which the Navejo Indians, fgh
ing on the side of the United Stat
in the war with Mexico, made d'
cent upon the place and, routing tt
Mexicans, drove 26 Of them to the tx
of the peak. The Indians number'
about 400, and for the Mexicans to a
tack them was sure death. There W
but one way up the mountain side al
the 2G, like the famous defenders
the Pass at Thermopylae, could defer
it against any number. The Me>
cans would not come down, and, as
matter Of course, would not let t
Indians up; so that the Navejos deli
erately set themselves down to star
out their prisoners. The tradition
that they were starved to death, t
which reason a huge rock upon t
mountain side is called Starvati
Rock. Two crosses on the top of t
peak mark the spot.
But by all odds the oldest as W
as one Of the Oldest American tow