The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-10-03
FROM NEW MEXICO.
speclal Correspondence.

same aspect and CHARACTERISTICS as IhNiI
already spoken of There are few points
of interest on the route. San Miguel,
thirty five miles from Las Vegas, is a fair
sample of many towns to be found in a
new country where mushroom growth for
few years, the result of an unsubstan-
tial boom, gives place to stagnation and
decay The place once had 1000 inhab-
itants and was quite business point; to
day it has scarcely 1900 and its business
prosperity has vanished. The only really
interesting feature along the way is the
famous Pecos cathedral, thirty five miles
out from Santa Fe-one of the most fla
nous ruins in this country. From the
railroad only a passing glimpse of its red
and crumbling walls can be obtained, as
it is three miles distant, but the pleasure
traveller will be sufficiently interested to
stop and look II over at leisure 1t is the
site of what was once large and popu
lous Aztec village. Tradition has it
and here let me say that New Mexico is a
country of tradilions-that Montezuma
was born at Pecos, and that when he went
away he told his people to keep the sacred
fire in the cathedral 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 ont alive died
soon after. The Spanish MeXicanS used
To believe that the bodies We're given to
an enormous serpent IN dcyour.
Whatever the cause, the town OF PecoS
declined Once, about the middle of the
last century. !ndmns sacked the town, but
many escaped la 1887 the tribe was re
duced to As persons. of whom Jut seven
were warriors All this time they had
kept the sacred fire burning, bat they
could do it no longer rs they were TOO
few, and tradition says that three warriors
went into the woods with the fire and that
Monlrzuma himself appeared and relieved
them of it. Then they packed their goods
ard went to Join their brothers ut the
JemcZ Pueblo, west of the Rio Grande.
They were of course sun wOrshippers. and
they looked at the rising sun every morn
ing expecting to see Montezuma return.
Near by are some boulders having in them
distinct imprints Of human feet, as plain
as if they were in soft clay. and the tradi-
ton is THAT they are the prints of Monte
zuma's feet when he left The cathedral
was built by the Franciscan friars in 1923.
II is of above brick, in the form OF a cross,
and its dimensions are: Nave, 100 feet
long by "a wide; chancel, IS feet deep
and the same in width, except the rear,
which is IA feet. Thus the total length
of the structure is 11S feet There is
nothing in the ruin now save some odd
pieces of pottery. The ruins of the old
town are yet quite visible Pecos means
blonde, light complicated frecklcd" The
town was abandoned some say, because
the Comanches attacked it and so reduced
it that it could no longer continue, but
another tradition has it that sacred ser
pent was kept in the council house where
the fire was burning; that to it was fed
every day by child, and that reduced the
Pueblo finally to point where the few
remaining could not hold out alone.
Perhaps should have mentioned one
other point along the route Just travelled
-Bernal, about twenty miles from Las
Vegas. 1t is place of no special i'm
portance, but near it is Bernal Peak, from
which the Navejo Indians, fighting on the
side of the United States in the war with
Mexico, made descent upon the place
and, routing the Mexicans. drove twenty
six of them to the top of the peak The
Indians numbered about 400, and for the
Mexicans to attack them was sure death.
There was but one way up the mountain
side, and the twenty six, like the famous
defenders of the Pass at Thermopylae
could defend it against any number. The
Mexicans would not come down, and as
a matter.of course, would not let the
Indians up; so that the Navejos delIber
ately set themselves down to starve GU
their prisoners. The tradition is tina
they were starved ito death, for which
reason a huge rock upon the mountain
side is called Starvation Rock. Two
crosses on the peak mark the spot.
But of all odds the oldest as we'll a.
one of the Oldest American towns is this
city of Santa Fe. Cabeca de Baca was
the European to set foot in New Mexico
1t was in 1881, after serving with Narvae7
in Florida, and wandering westward, tina,
after thrilling adventures he reached
New Mexico. Ten years later the coun
try was partially explored by an expedi
ton in search of treasures, and nine YEAR
after this the town of Santa Felwas founC
ed. This was only 90 years after thu
conquest of Mexico by Cortez jamestown
Va, formerly had the honor of being thu
most ancient town in the United States
After Mexico was annexed St. Augustine
held that distinction, but since the acoui
sition of New Mexico. st. Augustine ha!
given place to the city of Santa Fe il
that Territory. The citizens of New Mex
leo have just celebrated the three hun
bred and thirty third anniversary of tn
founding of this quaint old Mexican tow
their capital, and one of the chief feature
OF the exhibition was the display of his
tOricai treasures and relics, in which tn
Territory is very rich. 1t contains tribe
of Pueblo Indians living in the same man
ner as they existed when Columbus dis
covered America. The Pueblo at Taos,
building five stories high stands as it di
centuries ago. New Mexico also possesse
antiquities of the stone age. and of III
Spanish conquest. Descendants of tn
ancient Spanish families yet reside there
and they will lend many relics. Relic
of the cid American t=appers and scout
also form part of the exhibition Blu
as this letter is already long enough l wi
reserve description OF the town for m
next. PHONo
--------
Nervousness, Nervous Debility Neu
ralgia, Nervous Shock, st. Vitus Dance
Prostitution, and all diseases of Nerv
Generative Organs, are ali permanent