Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1883-02-09
NEW MEXICO.
The mogoltop Prospecting and
Mining ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ro
older than San Augustine.
SrorRo. n. ". Eel


Three years ago there started cut from
the city OF Toledo m expedition, the OF
jec,ive point OF which was the distant and
at that time little known 10 northern peo.
pie, Territory of New Mexico. The or.
ganiration was known ms the "Mogollon
Prospecting and Mining Association" and
lis object, ~ the name clearly indicates,
TO prospect for the precious metals. The
association consisted Of forty pernna,
majority OF whom we're young men pos.
sessed with a spirit Of adventure and
laudable ambition to atrike ont for them-
selves and become the architects Of their
own fortunes; the minority, among whom
the writer classes himself, were PMriarchs
who would have exhibited more wisdom
and good sense IL they had remained az
home on the historic banks Of the muddy
Maumee. Some one has aptly snid there
is no fool like an old TOOL.
Three short years ago and New Mexico
was almost as sealed book, at that time
the A. T. & s. F. r. r., the huge collossu'
and great civalizer, had Just entered its
northern border with its western terminus
at the ancient city of Santa Fe-n wonder
ful aud strange city, nnti.dnting in age the
settlement of San Augustine in Florida,
which until recently has been regarded ms
being the first white settlement in North
America ); but as many graphic descriptions
of the place have appeared in the maya
zines and papers Of the day ] will not
commune time with any poor attempt Of my
own in that direction. Suffice IL to say
there nre many places Of interest, and
quaint street scenes that would we'll repay
the tourist for the short time and little
expense IL would require to leave the
main line ofthe railroad at Llama and
run up TO the old city, a distance of only
eighteen miles. Among he notable places
on the Plaza which has been the scene of
several hard fought battles betw-en the
Spaniards aud Indians, and on which now
stands n substantial monument erected tn
the soldiers who fell in our last war; The
Governors Palace, which was constructed
three hundred years ago Of adobe or sun
dried brick, has been occupied by the pow
ers in authority from that time until this
as the seat of government, and is now oc.
cnpied by Gov. Sheldon and the necessary
Territorial officers both civil and military.
Fort Marcy is garrisoned bv u. s. soldiers
for the protection of eur frontier. The
church OF Our Lady of Guadeloupe, said
to be the oldest church in America, and
several other churches the names of which
do not now recall. The College Of tlc
United Brotherhood, built of adobe and
stsne and IA yet the most imposing edifce
in the city; the Bishops Garden, and
many other places, not forgetting the
Mexican filligree shops and exhibits of
ancient (?) aztec pottery, manufactured to
order Just outside the city lmits and last
but not the least interesting. Burn Alley,
the market place, in which OH any fine
morning may be seen great numbers of
Burros, the patient and much enduring
little animal bearing on its shoulders the
cross of humiliation and on its back tile
products of the surrounding country,
including large bundles of wood or fagois
which are in this manner brought TO the
} market place. 1t was on sncli an animal
that the meek and lowIy Nazarene rode
into jerusalem on memorable OCCASION
il my recollection of Biblical history is
not at fault.
Without going back to describe the
journey from our starting point through
the several states, which would be "but an
oft told tale" at most, il will he my pur-
pose to relate some of the incidents NV
memory yet retains, that befel the expe.
i, dition above referred to on its memorable
trip into this Territory.
Having concluded our purchases of ar
ticles necessary To our proper ontfit and
equipment, including sufficient number
of American mules, here called "shaye
tails" from the fact that their tails are
shaved down to the lower extremity on
which is left tnft Of long hair resemb-
: ling tassel. Tenderfeei from the east are
also called shave tails. On ST. Patrick =
day in the morning onr long train made
it's exit from the ancient city. not unlike
an army with banners. Following in the
= rear were thirty men armed with Burgess
y Magazine rifles, and under the axels oi
their respective wagons were the dogs.
Bull and Nibs and Jack and Breeze no
. cur nf low degree in that qnartet-and
j turning our faces sonihwnrd we came upon
. road as hard and smooth as an nsphal.
l pavement and our progress was easy anl
Q rapid. Night 'onnd us Mt n little sprine
h of water Of n very alkaline character, and
n here we pitched omr tents. Hardly had
n We finished our snppers when there ap-
Q pearetl unOn the scene poor, annotated
= and evidently demented Mexican wht
e wandered among the tents and camp fires
j. and talked to the stars in languag,
IS which to us was jargon. All began Il
a speculate ns IN who and what he was, and
i the object of his visit at snch an unser son.
! able hour. Some thonght he might be
r Mexican astronomer ont for mn evening
among the stars others thorght him to b
o an escaped lunatic, but our venerable
y chief solved the III stery by ~ nouncin.
e that II was n scheme "f the wiley NJ, xicai
'e to ncqnaint himself with the muniIrr u
y our forces; the character of our possess
It ions. and then in the still hours of III
l. night poiince down upon our camn like
wolf on the f,ld, run off onr mnles an
]. mnvhnp murder all Of us innocent lamb,
''l Orders were Issued at once 10 double III
II guard Zone man had already been detaile
u for that pnrpose) and it fell 10 the lot q
ID myself 10 fil that important aud respons
" ble position Elaborate inst siructions as 3
&c my duties were given by the great chic
De himself, and they were to the effect III,
u M person must he permitted 10 appr0ac
st the camp under any preiext whniever n
To fires must he hnilt within camp limits &
e. in close proximity. and above all. "waic
'i carefully the mules, visit them ofie
'd during the night aud see to it thi
- they do not nm 'ouple their ears {
he get their heels over their croupers
When all these important distinctions ha
y. been firmly impressed upon the tablet
he my memory, shoulderei NV trnstv riff
II. and started npon my nights vigil, fselir
a that every man was expected to do h
en duty, and |, that particular man, mo
: (: than all others. During the night one
r the lambs had a f.. and another was a
es tackled with the cholic or foot rot or som
5 thing else, hut ms they were at the fnrth
end of camp and beyond my jnrisd ictic
~ did not feel called upon 10 visit the scei
hs OF trouble The tumult, however, caus,
ig me to loose nearly quarter OF NV usu
sy sleep. In the morning all were astir wi
10 the lark, the roll was called and not
in lamb was missing from the fold, and not