Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-11-08
A COLORADO STORY.
WHY THE RIVER At TRINIDAD BEARS
THREE NAMES.

nance Of the Lost Mexican Soldiers who
Were hound For st. Augustine.
"somo queer kinks in nomenclature
are discoverable In this country Of
ours" eaid Colonel William staploton
Of Trinidad. Colo. "Ruhning right
through the town Of Trinidad, in which
l live, is little river, which Familiarity
and unfortunately docs its muddy,
flowing business under three names. II
IL called variously the Las Auimas, the
Purgntorio and the Picket Wire. The
names came about in this way;
Santa Fo claims TO bo and is about
tho tame age as 81. Augustine, Fla
Both towns uro considerably over 500
years old, although forget the exact
dato Of their settlement
Back In the middle Of tho sixteenth
century the Spaniards at Santa Fe made
up military detachment 10 90 overland
20 f. Augustine The old dons didn't
know anything Of tho country which
lay between. All they were posted on
was the distance and tho general direc-
ton, as they know the latitude and
longitude Of both places Rather late in
tho fall some zoo u them, steel clad
soldiers. camp followers, baggage train
and women, pushed IN through tho
Ration pass over the trail now followed
by the Santa TO railroad. and ut the be.
ginning Of winter made camp at what
Is now the site Of Trinidad, which sits
fairly In tho mouth Of the Ration can.
yon, looking out ON the plains
There they were ON tho very thresh-
old Of tho Rockies To tho east Of
them, over which their course must
trond. lay nm utter waste Of plains, mp
parcntly without limit All that win
ter the Spaniards campcd In tho mouth
Of the Ration canyon
with The first coming Of tho early
grass the Adventures banishod their ar.
NOR, fitted up their houses and got ready
90 move. The camp followers. tho WON.
On and tho extra baggage they sent back
20 Santa lie. When last seen. the party
bound for St. Augustine, numbering
several hundreds. were marching down
the valley Of tho little river by which
they had canpod
"That was tho last over heard Of them.
Not feather ever floated back 20 tell
tho story Of their fate. With tho last
Zap Of tho last banner and the latest
sun CLINT ON the Icarmost steel cap they
disappeared from tho earth. To this
day no ono is able 20 make n suggestion
even ns to what became Of them. except
that 1t Is supposed they were bu,chered
by the Indians.
Fifty years ago there was nm old Co
manoho chief named Iron Shirt. because
Of rusty old shirt Of chain mail which
he wore, but neither he nor any Of tho
other Comanches knew anything Of tho
origin Of the garment nor where II camo
from. IL had been IN the tribe further
back than tho short Comancho memory
could reach. Many have supposed that
1t was n relic Of this Spanish expedition
81 three centuries ago, which had APP
parontly marched OIL tho earth that far.
away spring day In tho mouth Of tho
Ration canyon.
But now for the kink In nomencla.
turo was thinking Of Tho disappear.
anoe Of these Spanish soldiers seemed 70
eeric and witchlikc that 1t made pro
found impression on the superstitioui
people they had left behind They nam
cd tho little river Rio do Las Animas,
meaning the River of the Lost souls,
and II IL supposed 10 hold tho story Of
tho expeditions dark fate and repeat II
TO itself In tho river language. which
the MoIieans do not pretend to under
stand,
when the French fur traders undoi
subletto and 81. Vrain came Trapping