Rio Grande republican. (Las Cruces, N.M.) 1881-1914, 1889-10-26
County.
EARLY PIONEERS.
The Men Who First Opened
The Santa Fe Trail.

Ihe Santa he Trail.
In The year 1880 4 party Of young
men. well known 10 s.. Ions No.
left that eity on = Perlloas journey
ofAdycntnre aeross the trackiess des-
ert 10 Mexico. Their names we're:
Hugh Stephenson. Lewis Dut;on,
.Heur Corlew. Lneaz Doane, Joshua
Sledj, James hrker, Robert Me.
KnigL, and Es;evcu CeShie a french
man. Tie Two last mentioned were
moucyed aiyeuturers; the others
were vigorous mon OF muscle and res
oIulion to fight The battle Of life 70
the bitter end. They were the fist
"5il u,asrs" the advance guard who
mado the Sante Fe trail aud marked
The route followed by thousands in
after years; all honorable men, they
never returned ia their native CONT
ry; they were married bera, raised re,
spectacle families anJ died in the land
ci their adoption.
Arriving at CaihaahHa, Rrker
wen; 10 Gaadaiope Galso, mining
hac.enjn . iaa southern part Of the
state, beioug;a. to an English esm.
pany, whe-a h. was employed as a
boss for tyo wears. Meantime, Nc
khight obtained 5 lease on the Saute
Rita copper niae- aud writing 20
Kirker, requested hlm TO come and
70 with him. Yah much regret he
lsst his English friends 10 JOIN the
first good friend he had after his ar
SSvui ~. tgssasiea- A. ,lh.:2.s. Lac ihss
WAS tbs most icaItully dangerous en-.
terpriss that any man conld think Of
engaging in; the mines were more
than : hundred milss remote from
any settlement and surrounded as
they were by two tribes Of the worst
blood spilling Indians on the CONT
nent; il was like gong through the
gates OF bell to get there. The town
of Janos was prcsfzi-oen the iron.
Tier, midway betwee'4 ttlls-se ttls-se SAs.is Rita
copper mines and the city OF Chihaa-
bRa; be lefl his family iherc at a place
of safety and engaged in the business
OF transporting the coPPerto to Chihua-
hua.
Tic whole country at tho time was
kept in commoiiou by Indian depre-
datioRs; to the inhabitants they were
a holy terror, and every trip they
made there was an attack on the
paek-mule trains going aRd coming
from the mines but kirkcr was SO
successful in rcpHIsing them that ho
soon acquired reputation as an In
dian kghter. and some OF rhs rTiitsss-i mi
pal ,nen OF chihuahua held cut in.
dacements to him 10 raise a company
to Eight tho ApAehcs.
FlnsiIy. after consultation with
Mcknight, he weai- -tn-xork and
raised a company, composed OF
Shawnee and Delaware indians, aRd
some select American and Mexican
froutiersmen This proved 10 be a
very efficient company. but rs the
Indians always took to flight a; the
sight Of them, and would not stand
to make fight. Kirker found ii nee
ossary TO change his tactics aud trail
by aay aud attack them in their
camps al night, and thus succeeded
in killing great many. HIS namc,
santiago" as be was called, became
terror TO the Asdians all over the
country and be betaIne widely known
TO fAEnc and % The Mexican people
as a dashing. fearless Indian fighter.
In 1885 be managed 10 corral 800
Indians in the town of Galiina and
he and his company killed the whole
party With The exception OF seven,
who escaped 10 the mountains. They
aeaIped tho dead Indians and took
the scssps 20 chihuahua. There they
strung thcm on rope and stretched
il across the plaza from the church
10 the cast side, amid tho wild huz
Zas Of an excited populacc. Whether
the killing was fair or not, the daes.
tien Was never discpssed--it was a
triumph over + common cflcTsijYs and
the people shouted for JOY, throwing
up their hats in Wild extIsiation. Bar.
rels Of teqaila and mescal We're open
cd and everybody enjoyed themselves
Teyehng in = stream Of rio,ous pleas
q. NJ 81. - 80 ~ I, :. la