Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-10-16
THE RIVER OF LOST SOULS.
A March into oblivion Gaze Name to . No"
Mexican stream.

-
A March Into oblivion Gaze Name to = scs
Mexican stream.
Over three centuries backward and
before the inquisitive De Soto had
lighted his camp fires on the banks of
the Mississippi. the Spaniards had
achieved two settlements in this land
of the Occident Santa Fe and St.
Augustine. They had no knowledge
Of the country which lay between
these points. or its inhabitants. AS to
what might be the dangers and dead
falls Of n journey from one place TO
another they were as blandly igno-
rant rs OF the history OF the moon.
But this ignorance affected them not,
and full of the uneasy spirit OF tho
hour. military party in Santa Fe re-
solved on an overland expedition TO
! st. Augustine. They knew the dis
lance, for they could figure tho lati-
,ude and longitude. and they could get
the direction by the compass but this
was the sum of their knowledge.
The expedition, numbering some
hundred of men, left Sante Fe late in
the summer, and crossing the noun
tains at the Ration Pass. the present
route OF the Santa Fe railroad, they
camped that winter on the present
site of Trinidad. The grass was long
in the valley, the game was plenty on
the hills, their own stores were ample.
ana sending back to Santa Fe fol
minstrel and glce maiden, these gentle
men of the sword with wine, womer
and song got in as gay season al
they ever have since. Those old don!
were lads OF spirit and possessed higt
hearts as well as taste for travel. BE
fore them to the eastward as far n
eye could sweep spread the desert un
, confined. What was to be met there
, they knew not, but their lack OF knowl
edge was coincidcnt with an equa
lack Of care.
With the melting of tho SHOWS in tn
spring sunshine, their women an
camp followers returned to Santa Ft
, The last hand was waved good-by; tn
, last adios was uttered. and the eS
: plorers turned their resolute faces
the work in hand. They marched dow
the valley Of the little muddy rive
which flows as you read this throug
the town of Trinidad. The on WI
were to return to Santa Fe watche
:, them for miles, assisted by the CLINT I
the sun on steel cap and harness.
:, last they wero hidden in the willow
: far down the valley. and this was Il
- last that was ever known of them.
- With the last flap OF the last bann'
1t was as If they had marched out
, existence and whether they sunk
rivers persisted in the drifting SNOW
or were done to death by India
was never told. No sign or trace
r this expedition or its people were ev
. found. There was something so eel
and mysterious in the complete disa
pearance of this band, something
dark in the silence OF their fate, tn
the superstitious Spaniard made t
sign OF the holy cross when he reca
q.
ton which was the spirit Of that til
the little muddy torrent in whose v
ley the lost explorers last were SCI
;. was called FL Rio de Los Anima
=" "rhe River OF Lost Souls" This "
the Spanish name when Sublet
Chouteau. Bent Carson. St. Vrain a
other representatives OF the Fren
n Fur company of St. Louis first saw
al- knowing nothing OF the story. and
m. sisted only by their differences dra
on from the name. these translated
~ appellation into the Purgatoire. Wi
the jocund bull-whacker OF the oy
land trail got to it in his free-ande'
MS French he called it "the Picketwir
Mt Every brand it ever had still site
he and to-day you will find the little
grant Of a stream pursuing its glis,
'uz ing mission to the sea with as m
ter names as member of the Bri
err house OF lords. Al Lewis.