Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-11-11
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
Who Was F. Y. Aubry Col. Chaves
Talks of a Noted Freighter's
Death at the Hands of
Major Weightman.

Speaking of Judge Geary, of Chicago
and his former residence in New Mexico
Col. J. Frank Chaves said the other day
'He left here in 1851 for California with
F. X. Aubry." Next day Col. Chaves was
asked who Aubry was, and his reply
brought out rather readable bit of local
history.
F. y. Aubry was native of Three
Rivers, Canada, and in the fifties he was
successful freighter over the Santa Fe
trail between Independence, Mo-, and this
city. He also made many trips to the
Pacific coast and is the man who first
drew attention to the short route to the
coast subsequently practically covered by
the Atlantic a. Pacific road. Later this
discovery cost him his life. Aubry's
most famous exploits were in 1866 when
he rode on a wager from independence to
Santa Fe. He thus made three trips
against time. The distance is about 1000
miles and he made it in nine days first,
then in eight days, and later in four days
and twenty-five hours, or at the rate of
about nine miles an hour. On the last
trip he was chased off the read by band
of Indians, otherwise he would have
covered the distance in the remarkable
time of about four days.
When Aubry left Santa Fe for one of
his trips to the Pacific coast in 1851 he
was panied by Judge Gary, now the
terror of Chicago anarchists, and upon his
return he laid claim to having located
new and much more direct line to Cali
fornia.
A year or so later Mayor Weightman,
a former volunteer soldier in the Mex
lean war and local politician of promi-
hence, was editing in Santa Fe little
Democratic paper in Spanish called the
democratic Campaign" He and Aubry
were friends, but he rather severely
criticised Aubry's claims to having found
a more feasible route to the coast. In
August, 1854, Aubry came in from Cali
fornia, rode around the plaza, and Weight
man saw him from the Exchange hotel
corner and walked down the street and
greeted him warmly. Dismounting, Aubry
left his horse and walked into Joe Mer-
cures saloon, at the stand now occupied
by W. A. Mckenzie as a hardware store,
and, being joined by others, be ordered
toddies for six. After a little Aubry
said:
"Wheightman, what's become of your
papers'
ats dead" was the reply, sit died a
natural DEATH
and it ought to have died." said Aubry.
"Any paper as mean as that was deserving
nothing BETTER"
Weightman snatched up from the coun-
ter glass of toddy and threw it square
in Aubry's face. Aubry sprang back,
drew his revolver, one of the old fashion
pattern, and struggled to cock it, al
though he could scarcely see because OF
the smarting liquid in his eyes. When
saw the gun in his antagon-
lists hands he knew it meant death if he
failed to act promptly, 80 he slashod out
a long dirk knife and showed it up to the
hilt into Aubry's abdomen.
"Let me bleed" said Aubry, as he fell
INTO the arms of by-standers. He died in
l few moments.
"Aubry was as brave as a lion and a
man of wonderful endurance" said Col.
Chaves. "Major Weightman was after
ward killed in the Confederate military
service near Independence, No." he add
ID in conclusion.