The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-04-12
A NEW MEXICAN HERMIT.
JOHV or THE CROSSES AND TINE
SECT IN LEFT BEHTND HIM

w Nv " NN7 Nltl WllHJ nt nHu Dcpn DttOFe no
went to New Mexico he never told, except to
say that he was an Italian monk. Ills manner
OF living bore out his statement. His name,
signed In n marriage register ut Sapello, In
1850. as witness. WINS Juan Ma Augustiany.
Many things wero said Of him, and among them
that in his youth, In Italy. he had fought
and slain u man la u duel over a love
AFFAIR before taking to religion and asceti-
clsm. IL was In is64 that he appeared
In the upper valley Of the Rio tanllinas.
among the people OF the little plazetas that
nestle here and there among the foothills, say.
Ing that lie had come to teach them the way of
the Lord more perfectly. 1t was among tho
poor and lowly that he preached, for tho in.
hnbitants OF these outlying hamlcts had had,
during the twenty years OF their settlement. all
they could do to keep body and soul together,
not only on account OF poverty and taxes, but
also because OF the lanccs and arrows Of maraud-
INK Indians. Here, where that strange order ~
flagellants, the ~fauatical Pcnitentcs. flUurished,
he founded II religious order. the name of which
Is not told TO outsiders, but signifies The Third.
Upon the top OF lonely Solitaire no built him.
solf IL hermitage. where he lived his appointed
time, and then passed onward 20 the place OF his
ending. But after he had departed us mysteri-
ously as he came. Bnutista CUrdova and thirty
other McSicans living in and about Tccalotina,
at the mountains foot, vowed that every year
they would celebrate his memory upon tho
giant cliff where he Ind lived and toilod. Three
times In the ycur-on Christmas old style,
Good Friday, and May .. the anniversary of the
founding Of his order those that are left Of
them climb Solitnrio; then, Mt night, they set
five bonflres, one on each side of the mountain
top, and the flame is looked for aud watched by
people in the plains and valleys below.
Solitaire, or Hermit Rock, is n remarkable
mountain even for New Mexico. where peaks
md mcsas of stronge md pro,csouc sim nes nre
common An nr,nns, ~ ,ho Snnr.y panro 9,
stands like a vast, square buttress at the head
of the Gallinas VALLEY, fifteen miles above where
the river energies from the foothills upon inc
plain. The north and the south branches of tile
Is ,'7oo feet above sea level ana above the
cal. 1000 feet. II, ton. seen from the valleys.
seems as level almost. as n floor: but unon
reaching the summit one finds there a DIVERSE
fed surface. part OF which is n sheltered park
with grassy alades and lofty timber trees. On
three sides, tho north, the east. and the south.
Solitaire presents its frownins front. " land
,n" ~ ,Tt many m,le asoanu' n .no norm
horses can climb.
Irnon Emo hrood %, =, ,his r,or,..,r I,
sheltered. grassy glade, Juan de las Cruces
John of the Crosses-built his hut of logs. and bs
lived there for nor. thon threo vo,r. IT. >
iy descended into the valleys, but passed most
of his time in prayer and in the making of great
tin. timber crosses, which he reared upon the noun.
TO she plain: ms simp'e needs were supplied
oy ms devoted followers VINO brought supplies
S EMBELLISHMENTS FiSsGimPlspSs si1e1 !" his hi h Hls d ! s for snSy
m To jnst iiy' tGe hFf fa ttih In the plazetas to this day
ceivci a GUIDE and made all other nTSranRemenis
10 visit seIitario, TO hrs n niievvua Cant Rentev'
n mo rSo,fSn m army tS n,Ie tTir who Do had ,o climbed edy. tas
to accHmp@ny them. Much Of their way. alter
seamr,iiffSS, ' mstI ir'I n mai!si le wb teFou nsps a series mfIe @.
from the mountains foot Changed to a Pine
BROUGHT then, TO- the teble land at thee noun,
a ssmaS top; 1h among a dense growth OF Low
they came 70 a log cabin built above a clear. cold
springs way station. it may be. for pilgrims to the
Timber Crosses set M "a AGAINST dead trees ali an.
Gent and weather beaten. standing as they, had
the worshipping place of his %f"i,oWeyrs' WRerrs
which the orthodox Catholics affirm are hcreti.
cal and heathenish. il was a small log house
CHIMNEY, the only nlnce Of entrance being an
opening near the ground. about TWO and a half
long nails. left So as 10 proiect half their Ieneth'
hal henn driven ali ,aInut tha sih.s ~ ~.
ourninT ~ GA ~" ~ '" y" ''
In front NJ .Lo s,rrc.ure obor, n bund rod
yards away, stand three enormous crosses. held
upright by ieaus of stones about their bases
who irrvnVHao,, IN nv, Nv Iso " Neas
can pnide crossipe hi msL ~ mrha treas shnm.
us" he added. do YOU see they ali are dead.
THEY diad vIcn ci,r,sy,; o ~ Inhn ~ tifIsj 50"
WAS Killed - snid The American ""Hoyy xaa
he killed Was IL her" that hc died =, ~" We"
No. sehor. not here Wien he had STAYED
I'm SoIitorin thn ornor i w. ,rbtnb ~ I'll
set uuon his arrival thrce years and FORTY daTs
he went southwo ri Nany men hated Nm for
lila Main snsaki,y and III. ',aac h irgs M
ne were A rehuke 10 wicked lives /, WINS down
in the Rio jrnnd" ncar PLATA tbat txo wrn
were sent 10 Iii Iin, I'hay carve ,non him In
his solitude when he was az nrave Whan ~
finished hGs nravar bn ,roid' ,hem tbat hs
knew them md rho errand tI,ev had come nn
They did their work. and his body WAS found
"Were The men ibat Lirled him .y.r M,
ished -, nsked tiio mSicer ,sho ofnT ~.
much interested in The storv. ~ p'"'"'' W"