The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-05-21
THE ENCHANTED TOWNS.
Superstition and Tradition In the
Mexican Wilda
The beautiful vermiilion rchInr
for Lost cities and Heavenly scenes
An Old Indian Guide Issvivcs
Current Legend.


fOriginal.l
No scenery in Southern or Central
Mexico exceeds in point Of grandeur
and beauty the view from the heights
Of the Sierra Madrs. Standing on the
top Of this range and looking to the
west one sees On the horizon a long
line Of gold, which has been called the
Vermillion Sea. The panorama pre-
sented is sucl: as Mexico only contains:
Peaks TO their very submits covered
with yerdure. canyons whose vast depths
the light Of the sun never pcnetratcs,
cliffs. springing from the regions Of
perpetual summer, on whose brows the
clouds e~ternally rest In the near dis
tance may be seen the foot hills, gradual
~ shading OF into the vast plain bound
ed on the further side BY the ''vcrmil-
lion Sea" The hight OF the sun shin
ing on the grand scenery. or bursting
through some Handicapped mountain
peak. gives the whole an air Of grand
eur and beauty calculated to a~found
one ven familiar with Alpine scenery.
-. - Nv AhN RtLAFI 8IAlE
the States Of Durango and Sinaloa. this
region eliminates in mountains OF rug-
ged grandeur and CANYONS Of dizzy
depths. remarkable even in Mexico.
Los Tres Frailes. FL Cerro Pclon and
Quaguento lift their rock-crowned
heads above the clouds into the glare
OF eternal sun. and from their feet.
through canyons which only the Yose-
mite can rival. flow the rivers San
Lorenzo. Piastla and Preside. These
streams. almost dry In the dry seasons.
are swelled 10 roaring torrents by the
rains. surely nothing j. more sublime
than the mad. dashing torrcntthunder-
ing down mountain cascades to the sea
OF gold. Countless rainbows represent
i'm every color Of the prism. has crys-
talized the beauties u San Lorenzo
waterfalls for the world to admire.
Surely a more fitting subject could not
tempt an artist. and in the near future
wemay expect some ambitious student,
tired Of copying the great masters, TO
enter the study Of Los Tres Frailes,
and bring back with him fame and
money. There he will find heights
sufficient for his imagination, rugged
grandeur. lights, shades and color that
would delight the heart Of any painter.
II i in these that tradition
says the Reals Ptrdicios q Encantados-
the lost or enchanted towns-arc stu
ated. Often around the camp fire, or
on the deer trail. climbing those rugged
heights. or hiding from the fierce rays
Of the sun beneath some spreading
t~cpiguagc, the traveller listens to some
g~ray-haircd Aztec rccounting the lost
glories Of FL Naranjal and Jucgo dc
Barras. which even the old Spanish !
records mention. until fired bv their
enthusiasm. he has almost resolved to
search for the range groves. deserted
haciendas aud rich mines said to exist
IN some Of these craggy canyons The
outrageous peaks and deep. ~unfathom-
able scanyons. are in places almost
without Inhabitants. An occasional
prospcctor searching for the Reals Per-
dldos, or lost mining towns, a fugitive
from justice or an occasional vaqucro. |
searching for lost stock. are all who
enter that trackless labyrinth Of rocks,
forests and rivers. But the lower
country Is not entirely populated with
enchanted towns. Los Realities are |
'sA'u AWAY III HUNS anu CoTucIS Oh
this world set on edge-vcntaur, Guam |
samay, San Dumas, Fyoltita, San Vim
cente. Bacis. H~irahuapau and San Jose
dc Guaguaias, all mining towns, some
scarcely worthy the name. struggle
Tor existence against the barren
rock. swollen torrents and ever
varying luck Of the miner. How true
The adagc Of the Mexican miner: La
ESperansa mucrc al uifimo; (hope
dies last Of ally and well he illus
trates i. pounding away at barren
veins. hoping against hope. With
has'a IA mncrfc D Ia sucrte; ("'til
death or luck" as his motto.) he works
away. and tho mncrtc more often his
late than the sucrfc. When q lucky
miner has succeeded In making ~
raise. he Is In constant danger Of los
ing both bis property and his life from
the banditti which hover about a. vult-
ures about a dead carcass. That fab
ulous wealth lies concealed in the bow
81 q those hills. there can be no ques-
uon; but II will require a different class
81 miners and u different state OF society
1n an now exists In Mexico to devolopii
Inc full blood Aztec seems to delight
more in rccounting tho lost glories Of
me Montezumas than 10 add 70 them.
mat the Mcxicans were aware Of the
almost fabulous wealth contained IN J