The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1888-03-02
THE sEArl1EREp SERPENT"

Ill tIiIS spot, 30 TlCu Ill archaeological
wealth, nan is known to have lived for
more than 1900 chroniclcd years. and how
long previously one can tell. Tradition
says that at Tula the great culture hero,
Q%uctzalcoati (thc ''Fcathcrcd Scrpcnt),
developed the civilization that raised the
Toltccs so fur above the level of their
nciglbors. On the face of n nearby
cliff his face is sculptured, and in the
market place of ITALIA may be seen his
image carved on a massive pillar UNI
carthcd from Toilantzingo-ancicnt Toll
len or Tula: Close by is that famous
Hill of Shouting" whcrcon Quctzal-
toatl proclaimed his mandates over the
entire valley. The Toltccs had lived i'm
Tula nearly 100 years when lie first APP
pcarcd among them, which would make
his advent about the year 700. He was
a bcncflccnt deity, who took upon him
self the shape of a man in order TO inn
prove the condition of the people of the
carth-a sort of Toltcc Christ. His name
is constructed from the word quctzal, a
bird of brilliant plumagc, found in the
forests of Southern Mexico, and coatal, Il
crpcnt, also found in the same latitude.
Tradition paints him us n very tall Whit
man, with long. full blonde beard. u per
feet European i'll complexion and general
appearance, as different from the Indians
among whom he lived as can possibly be
imagined. His stay marked the golden
age of the Toltccs. Here he built those
famous palaces of silver, crystal and fcth-
ers and here were the celebrated gardens
in which cotton grew in various
%colors, ready dyed for the
loom-scarlet, green, red. blue.
yellow. In his time corn grew so
large that u single car was all that a man
could carry. Gourds were as long as a
mans body, pumpkins n fathom in cir
conference, and other fruits in similar
proportion. He taught the people many
useful arts-how to cut that precious
green stone, the c~halchinite, how to cast
metals. to reckon time, ctc.
Some say that he was II native of the
east, and camc from over the ocean. In
deed. nearly every nationality on earth
has been claimed for him, from Egyptian
to Irish!
But by and by there came among the
people and evil minded god, named TcZ-
catlipoca, who Immediately became ical-
GUS of Quctzalcoatl, and determined to
drive htm from the country So Tczcat-
lipoca appeared in the form of AN aged
man. and informed the ..Feathcrcd Ser.
pent" that it was the will of the gods he
should be taken to Tlapalla. At first
Quctzalcoatl declined to go, but after
drinking a beverage which the old man
offered him he suddenly changed his
mind and set out at once, followed by
many of his subjects Many traces of this
memorable journey are still pointed out.
Near the city of Quauhtitlan, in the Val.
ley of Mexico. he felled a tree withstones,
which to this day remain fixed in the
trunk, and near the village of Halnapaut-
la he laid his hand upon a rock and left
an impress of 1t for all time to come, Fl.
n: lily, on his way to the coast, he came to
Cholula, where the great pyramid is, and
the people would not let him 20. but
made him their ruler. There he remained
twenty years, though the Cholulaps
would have detained him much longer.
He did not approve of the sacrifcesof hui.
man beings. which some of thcrtribcs
made part of their worship. and com.
manded tnat they offer to the gods only
fruits and flowers.
Finally. drawn by some irresistible i'm
pulse, he babe adiesu to his beloved Cho.
lulans. and, taking with him four noble
youths, set out for the Province Of (ioetz.
coaicos. gu the Gulf of Mexico. Here he
dismissed his attendants and launched ont
upon the waters. alone; and the youths
returned 10 Cholula, where they ruled for
many years. 1t is said that Qletzal-coati
appeared later on the coast of Yucatan;
and was worshippedthere for many years
under the name of Kukulcan: and TODAY
his image may he seen cut into tho walls
of tie vnst ruined cdiices of that PENN
sula. When he left lula and Ch6lula
everything changed, and even the sweet
singing birds, every one. followed him to
that mysterious Kingdom of the East, the
land Of Tlapallan. But he promised his
followers that he would return some time,
and bring back all the prosperity that had