Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-05-10

along the remains OF their beloved priest.
So the body OF Fray Gernlmo de Ia Llama,
after having been twice displaced by plous
hands within fifteen years after his de-
cease, remained for eighty-tive years i'll
the decaying temple of fatigue, at the
mercy OF the Apaches, then sole masters
of all tho region south and southeast of
Gallsteo. Still the savages did not dis
turd the body, either because they never
noticed it, or owing 20 superstitlOus dread
1t is not devoid OF interest to notice
here how soon after the abandonment Of
what we're then called the Missions Of
the Salines" distLct recolectlons con
corning their fate and even their location
became confused 1t may be said that
twenty years after their depopulation they
had faded out of sight. Still, in docu-
ments from the years 1888 and '84, In
dams from Tabira, Abo and Cuaray appear
as testifying witnesses. But they all
dwelt at Ell Paso del Nofte, where their
ultimate descendants to-day occupy the
villages OF Senecu and Isleta del Sur. But
after the terrible blow which the insur-
rection Tof 1850 inflicted upon Spanish
power and prospects, and in the desper-
ate efforts made for reconquest atterward
and the excitement attending them the
tlan2ano region was completely given up.
The Apaches swayed over the whole OF
southeastern New Mexico, any attempt at
colonization was out OF the question with
the feeble means of which the Spanish
authorities could dispose in fact they had
more than enough to do to hold their own
in the Rio Grande valley and its adjacent
sections, without thinking OF districts out
lying upon the great plains.
This complete neglect OF the ancient
missions around the salt lagunes Is
curiously exemplided in the proceedings
of recovery of the body OF Fray Geronimo
de la Llama in 1859. Gov. Marin del
Vale had taken cognizance OF the letter
written by Father Freytas in l7O6, and he
determined upon making search for the
relic. He therefore caused the work OF
Fray Augustin de Vetancurt, entitled
"Teatro Mexicana" (l69S), to he sent him
from Mexico, and in it found description
of the old missions, which, however, con-
tains some geographical errors. On March
80 the party. consisting of the governor,
several officers, a notary and three priests,
escorted by two squads of soldiers and
thirty-fve Indians, reached the ruins OF
Cuaray. The most diligent search re-
yeaed no trace of the body. ThereupOn
one Of the Indians informed the governor
of tradition to the effect that the corpse
had been removed to fatigue, and the
curious discussion arose, whether Cuaray
was fatigue or fatigue Cuaray. None
of those present could solve the
riddle, although it was manifest
that the party was actually on the
site of Cnaray, about twenty miles south
east of fatigue Orders were given to re-
turn to the latter place, where the ruins
OF the church and pueblo were still (and
are to-day plainly visible, and very soon
the precious relic was found. Enough
remained OF the vestments to show that
it was the body of Franciscan monk,
pieces Of cloth and the rosary being still
intact. But OF the parchment which, &C.
cordlng to the certificate OF Father Frey.
tas, the latter had placed in the folded
hands of the dead, no trace was left.
The remains were carefully exhumed,
placed in a casket especially brought
along for the purpose and carried to San
ia Fe, where they were placed in the cyst
rediscovered five years ago. The inscrip-
ton, however, which locates the find at
Cuaray is erroneous. The village where
the remains of Fray Geronimo de la
Llama were exhumed for the last time
was fatigue, whittier the pious love OF his
parishioners had removed his body.
Three times in 100 years was the rest
ing place OF that venerable monk dis
turbed, and always in the best and most
pious intentions Of saving it from event.
ual Dissertation. Exactly 100 years after
his death, they suffered their last transfer,
and to place where, it may be conf.
dentaly expected, they will forever re-
main. OF the manner in which the re-
mains OF Fray Asencio de Zarate were
secured, we have Us yet no positive in
In that case, as we'll as in
the instance OF Father de la Llama, full
"proces verbal" was certainly executed.
But the papers have disappeared or are
perhaps lost, a tate only too common with
historical documents in New Mexico, and
one to which great many other manu-
scripts here may still be exposed, unless
steps are taken toward their publication.
tt
SENATOR FAssETr and the Republican
legislative investigating committee, now |
in session in Now York, are making the |