The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-20

1 de Onate to the discovery of the sea of
the south on the 18th of April, year of
A glance at the accompanying illustra-
Ton VIII show that the writing of al
most SUO years ago was very elastic among
the Spanlards as well as among our En-
2lsn ancestors. But If we consider the
condition of educational facilities at that
tlme We must confess that the writing
OIL the brave general would stand the
test OF comparison with that OF many
OF the more modern leaders. The let
terlng Is antique and much abbreviated.
but 1t is clear and holds its appearance
centuries had done its best to obliterate
e The writing is small but clear, and
as II IS protected by an cyerhanging shelf
o. rock the letters are plainly legible
after a lapse of 291 years.
1t IS not certain that this is the Oldest
identifed autograph on the rock. There
Is one which is not absolutely certain,
that of Pedro Romero, who was proba bly,
one of the companions of Francisco
sanchez Chamuscado during his remark
able march of discovery in the year 1885,
The writing is either the antique style
or old Spanish or it has been very fool
ishly tempered with by some person, a
probability not at all likely. This date
reads, apparently. 1850. Here the date
It was the old Spanish with the an old
fashioned l. making the inscription read
Pedro Romero and 1880" The date was
often written thus, and this inscription is
probably the Oldest on the stone-thar
is. the Oldest written by a Caucasian, for
there are several Indian hieroglyphics on
the stone that undoubtedly precede any
LEFT by the explorers.
When Diego de Vargas reconquered
| New Mexico after the Pueblo Indian up
rising, which swept back for time the
tide OF advancing civilization. he. too.
stopped to rest under the giant r6ck.
and this is the inscription left as a valu-
able memento of the trip:
.Aqui estaba Ell Genl On. de Vargas,
I .f.tr
Real Corona toda ell Nuevo Mexico a su
costa, ano de 1922
Here was the General Don Diego de
Vargas, who conquered for our holy faith
and for the royal crown all the New
Mexico at his own expense, year of 1922
Close by the side of such names as those
mentioned and those of Arechuleta, Yno-
Jos, Barbade, Godoy and others as illus
trious, we find two line Inscription
which, when read by the light of history,
is most pathetic. 1t is from the hand of
the garrison of three men left to hold the
conquered Zunis in subsection and was
slain by the Indians in the year 1900 This
is the writing:
Soy de manO Felipe de Arelleno, a 10
de Setiembre, soldado.
q am from the hand of Felipe de Arel-
lano, on the 18th of September, soldierO
One year later a force" of six men
went from Santa Fe to Zuni. march of
800 miles through deserts and over noun
tains, to avenge the massacre. This
force also left their autograph on the
rock for we find the name of its captain,
Juan de Urribarri-
A plain and valuable autograph is that
of Diego Lucero de Godoy, an officer
who was with General de Vargas in his
expeditions and who was noted for his
bravery He was with Governor Otter
min when he hewed his way through
swarming masses Of Indians after the
bloody siege of Santa Fe and fought a
passage back 10 FL Paso.
An unknown soldier has left plain
autograph with an early date: Juan
another Gonzales followed and wrote:
''Pase por aquy Ell ano 100, /, Phi. Con-
zales." PASSED by here in the year 100,
l, Philip Gonzales)
Probably one of the most peculiar in
scriptions on the rock is that of Ramon
Paez Hurtado. He has combined in an
unique manner script, authorizations and
hieroglyphics. as will be seen by an ex-
animation of the cut. 1t reads:
"A . del mes de Junyo deste ano de
1T09 paso por aquy para Zunl, Ramon
Paez Hurtdo." con the 9Th of the month
of June of this year of 1903 passed by
here, bound for Zuni Ramon Paez Hur-
tado.)
on the other wall. 80 years later. an
other Hurtado wrote, in square, angular
characters, his inscription and autograph.
This Hurtado was the son of the great
General Hurtado and was, too, general,
but not so noted as his father.
On the north side of the rock are found
the longest Inscriptions. 1t was on the
north side that encampments were made
in summer. where the shade protected the
travellers from the heat of the SUM- The
winter travellers usually sought the south
side and it is here that their autographs
and inscriptions are to be found.
An inscription that carries romance.
Dathos and tragedy is small one that
has attracted little attention because of
its ELIGIBILITY. II puzzled many, in fact
all of the searchers until Lummis sue
ceede6 in finding a translator. II tells
n suffering. endurance
and success simply by its "reminiscences
and was written by a common soldier.
Translated from its authorizations, con-
fractions and hieroglyphics, its rendition
'.Se pesaron a % de Mario de 1852 ance
a Ia benganza de Muerta del Padre Le-
trado- Lujan-
(They passed on the Sd of March, 1852,
to the avenging of the death of Father
Letrado)
Father Letrado was the first missionary
TO the pueblo of Zuni. He had been mis- |
sionary among the Indians farther east |
for several years, and had been so sue
cessful that when it was decided to found |
p mission at Zuni he was selected. He |
was sent alone 500 miles away from his
companions to that great pyramidal city |
N the mountains. He labored earnestly |
with ais flock, but they would have none |
CT him or his religion and Killed him. I
The governor of New Mexico sent an ex-
petition to avenge his death, and Lujan
was a soldier under the command of |
CClOnel IOfndS1 de AlDlZu- Inc dNeHS- /
ing" was performed without bloodshed, /
as the ZuDiS had retreated TO the top OF |
an almost inaccessible mountain, but |
were induced TO return peaceably 10 their /
Dueblos and TO receive other missiona-
ries.
The autographs and inscriptions men
toned are but a few walls of rock. /
Nearly every old Spanish exploration
party sent a few of its men this way
ard they left some mark of their pass
ng. Those mentioned are the earlier Ones
but there are hundreds of almost as great
value of much later dates, some 100 years
later. In addition to the hundreds of
Spanish inscriptions there are many old
and a few modern Indian hieroglyphics
which are as important in an historical
sense as those of the explorers MANY
IF these hieroglyphical inscriptions are
now being deciphered and the results so
far obtained indicate that the Indians,
toe. had their stories to tell of invasion
and conquest, and it is now believed that
some inkling may be obtained from these
I'D writings that will directly connect the
riif and Cave Dwellers with their more
modern descendants, the Pueblo Indians,
with the ancient races which Deopled
Mexico and Central America ages ago
when were builded the ruins indicative of
,.ch advanced civilization as was not
crnd on the continent when first en-
cred by white men,
Among the modern Caucasian names,
american names are found of note only
few. Lieutenants Simpson and Kern,
Who made a scientific exploration of this
ecion in 1919, and left their autographs,
nd they were undoubtedly the first to
each the spot after the Spanish explor-
rs. There are hundreds of names in
cribed by men who see no incongruity
q placing their unknown and unhonored
eroes and immortais. There is yet time
or ample protection to be thrown around