Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-06-19
THE NATIONAL CEMETERY
Some of the Improvements That Have
Been Made in This Burying Ground
During the Past Few Years.
LAWNS ARR BADLY NEEDED HERE
Mr.. Theodore Joseph, the Efficient Gov
eminent Superintendent, Has Trans
formed Four Acres Of Wilder
ness Into Garden Spot of
Great Beauty

The people of Santa Fe are very proud
of the National cemetery, and they take
almost as much interest in its improve
ment as they do in the plaza, which,
thanks to the Woman's board of trade,
has been made one of the beauty spots OF
the valley. But that's another story,
which those who run may read. This
article will deal briefly with the National
burying ground out near the st. Katherine
Indian school, in which the government is
beginning to take something like a COM
mendable degree of interest. This, COM
bined with the pride which the residents
of Santa Fe are manifesting in this reser-
walton for the dead, is likely to produce
in time one of the most beautiful bury
ing grounds in America. fair amount
of attention will do this, for it is only a
question of aiding nature. The old dame
has done her part in the matter, and if
assisted to the extent of liberal annual
appropriations from year to year, such
as older but less favored reservations
get, the National cemetery here at Santa
Fe can be made in few years verltable
wonder from an artistic standpoint.
| Santa Fe Is proud of the spot for two
or three reasons.
In the first place it is the only national
cemetery in the southwest. There is not
another in all that wide stretch Of coun-
bok T.ao RI tba pras Iin
of San Francisco, which looks out upon
the golden gateway to the broad Pacific
ocean.
Then again this cemetery is the resting
place of many distinguished soldiers
men who in their time played important
parts in the early history of the territory.
From all parts of the southwest the SOL
dier dead are gathered here, and the places
where they rest are marked with granite,
sandstone or marble.
Governor Bent, New Mexico's first
executive officer, is buried here, as are
also dozen or more who fell on the
bloody field of valverde.
Among those who participated in this
engagement, and here found an end of the
earthly struggle, was Captain Alex McRae,
who commanded Company K, Third U. s.
cavalry. He was buried in this cemetery
and brown stone monument marks the
spot where his body rested until it was
transferred to the national cemetery at
West Point on the Hudson in 1875. The
superintendent of the COL etery cage that
only few people in the territory know
that the body has been removed from it's
original resting place. very handsome
| H., koI {ka
oIy of Captain McRae at West Point.
And so on. One might fill columns
with the names of those who figured con-
spicuously in the early history of the
territory and the southwest to fiEd rest
ing places later in the Santa Fe National
cemetery.
In view of these facts, it is only natural
that the city of Santa Fe should take
pride in this spot where rest the nations
heroic dead, many of whom in life were
bound to the ancient capital by no ordi.
nary ties.
Up to February, 1895, the date upon
which Theodore Joseph, the present su-
perintendent took charge of the cemetery,
it had been greatly neglected. Estab-
lished in 1869 as a post cemetery upon an
area covering little over two acres of
rough ground, which fell off abruptly to
the south from ragged elevation of con-
siderable height, but little had been done
in the way of improvement, while yet the
place remained as burying ground for
the military post at Santa Fe.
Nearly all of the many Improvements
here have been made under the efficient
administration of Mr.. Joseph, whose
faithful and untiring labor has put new
face on the ragged bluff which stands as
sentinel over this village of the dead,
and the surrounding ground. 1t would
require good deal more space than is to
spare at this time to note the various
stages of this transformation which has
made a beautiful spot of the national
cemetery. Suffice it to say that there are
nine acres in the cemetery reservation,
four acres of which are under high state
Of cultivation. The general condition of
the place at the time Superintendent
Joseph assumed charge may be inferred
from his fret order which instructed him
to clear away the rubbish. This was his
initial work, but that was in 1896, and in
two short years the place has been made
to look like veritable garden. Upon
the cultivated portion of the reservation
there Is not to be found a stick, stone or
a bed of debris Of any sort or description.
The entire area is as clean as house
floor. There is not weed in sight, nor
is there so much as blade of grass
creaping above the surface of the ground
which is tended as carefully as any garden
bed containing rare plants. A substan-
tial stone fence, four feet six inches in
height, with dressed sandstone coping
encloses the grounds, upon which over
500 young shade trees are growing rapid
ly under the kind Of care that shade trees
seldom receive. These are religiously
watered three timee a week during the
summer season. The main gates are
handsomely designed and massive struo.
tures of iron, made in the east and ship
ped here at the expense of from $500 to
$500.
dwelling house of native sandstone
containing seven rooms stands upon the
elevation before mentioned and two
smaller structures have been erected by
the present superintendent, being used
one as tool house and stable and the
other as coal house. The superintend-
ent's house has tile roofing, large cellar
and is fitted up with all modern improve
ments and conveniences.
When Superintendent Joseph assumed
charge there we're less than 400 odies 10
the cemetery, now there are nearly 800.
One of his first orders was to remove
the bodies of all soldiers which had been
inferred IN the Masonic cemetery at San
ia Fe, to the National cemetery. Then
there were graves of unknown soldiers all
over the southwest. These bodies have
all been gathered together, and now
rest in this ground, where the graves will
be we'll cared for.
The one great need of the cemetery--s
need which II supplied would make It one
Of the most beautiful spots IN the coun.