Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-29

ne is 0eScrlDe0 by all as man or
marked intelligence and speaks the En-
glish language and is doubtless an En-
glishman. At times he is very frank,
but always protane. He will not go
back in his history further than the
purchase of the old Spanish grant,
this oasis of $4,000 acres The pop
ulation, which is about twelve
or fifteen hundred, were originally half
breed Mexicans, and Indian poems who
know not that they are free from bond
age, and never will if he can prevent it.
He says they know nothing of the right
full President and ruler of the land. He
has confessed that they pay him tribute
and live in perfect obedience to his will.
He says his rule is blessing to them
and they would die for him.
Rev. Mr.. Palmer asked the Emperor
ii his subjects did not sometimes meet
with human beings somewhere on the
desert and learn the fact that they were
really slaves no longer. He answered.:
''Well, yes, it is getting so now that
once in while young buck does get it
into his head"
SIS there not danger that he will sow
dissension in your realm. Gle insisted
on being addressed in language that ac-
knowledged his pretentions, like the
above.)
'.Not much;' he answered, because
e1iLe him."
my knowledge of the old Mexican
law of peon slavery being very limited, :"
Rev. Mr.. Palmer continues, Il asked
him to explain it, which he did, about
as follows:
swell, you understand, peon slavery
was a sort of servitude in which the
creditor held the debtor. For instance,
if A sold B bag of flour, B was AS
peon until he had paid for it, he had
Cancelled his debt, but the slavery gen.
orally became perpetual, for the reason
that the creditor paid the debtor such
poor wages that before his debt
was paid he was compelled to buy
more flour, and in little while the
debt became SO great that BIS slavery
was practically lifelong"
Many strange stories have been told
of the King of the desert and his domain,
which has been variously described.
Some report 1t as an colorado; that there
are the purest crystal waters, the green
est hills and plains, the richest soil and
densest forests. That gold and silver
mines abound there, and all is wealth,
ease and luxury; that the royal palace of
Emperor Henry is inlaid with gold, that
his throne is of solid gold, and that he
has trained retinue of servants or
court train, all costly attired that he
has standing army about the palace of
of several hundred men, and that it is a
domain one would be willing to enter,
never to leave again. 1t is reported as
so healthy that old become young, and
dc &c faJ
story stuff is, of course, ridiculously alb
surd. but it is the natural outgrowth of
mans active Imagination. The tenden-
CIV to exaggerate is strong in the Ameri-
can mind, and it so much more pleasant
to believe the romantic than the COM
mon-place theory, that people some
times grow over credulous The plain,
practical mind at onef rejects the idea
as ridiculous and unfue.
A more practical and perhaps correct
version of affairs at Chilli, and more
complete description of customs and
manners of the people, is given by two
prospectors, George S. Smith and
William Aiken. They set out early
in the year 1882, according to their
own statement to explore some mining
lands lying between New Mexico and
Arizona. They had two hardy mus
tangs and four pack mules. The miners
and travellers invariably avoid the des-
ert when they can. Our two friends
would not have approached it had it
been possible to have kept away. but on
the third day of their journey they were
chased by party of Indians, supposed
to be hostile Apaches, whose real OBJ
ject. doubtless, was to steal their mules.
They were forced to go out upon the
great sandy plains. The white sand
Jagged behind, and the Indians pressed
up 80 close upon them that they were
forced to abandon the mules, retaining
day and the first half of the night. 1t
was not until both man and beast were
almost completely exhausted that they
halted in the desert and lay down. A
strong breeze blew all the latter part of
the night, and at times the sand swept
over them like pelting rain. When
morning came there was no sign of their
pursners. and to their horror they soon
tracks made the day before by their
horses had been obIiterated, the wind
filing them up with sand. The sun rose
and the heat soon grew intense. The
travellers wore blue goggles. or they
would surely have been blinded by the
fierce rays of the sun beating upon tine
white sand. The sufferings of these
men were beyond description. They had
two canteens of water with them. and.
consumed with a raging thirst, drank
it all before noon. Their horses
were so slow that they could scarcely
force them along at even four miles an
hour. All day long they travelled and
at night were out of heart. Not sign
of tree or shrub was in sight. The cruel
mirage had disappointed and misled
them two or three times during the day.
They were suffering from the fearful
pangs of hunger and thirst. such as can
only be experienced on the desert.
How far they had travelled, or where
they were, they had no means of know
ing. The sun was their only guide.
Their judgment told them they must
cross the desert, as it would be certain
death from the Savages to return. They
were almost crazy with suffering, but
managed to sleep little that night. The
next morning they were early astir. At
ten o'clock one of their horses gave out
and was left to die. With the other they
continued their journey. At noon some
thing like hills and woods were in sight.
They at first feared it was only a deceiv-
ing mirage, but it did not recede OF dis
appear at their approach. 1t seemed to
be reality, and it was. They were in
the land of Chilli, and met dark-faced
men and women who spoke botl. the