Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-18

The tourist en- route to the Pacific coast
via the Atchison. Tcreka and Santa Fe
railway cannot fail Observing huge. reia-
iyely osiiated peak. cutting the incompar-
ably clear Enid-co ntirent sky on his right
almost Immediately after the train energies
frcm thu picturesque canon of FL Nero and
commences to descend the long, gradual
slope TO the quaint old Mexican village or
Las Vegas.
Its SCARED and verdureless front looms
up grandly In the beautifully sierrated
landscape. of which it is the most con-
spicuous object. More prominently defined
than any other individual elevation of the
Taos range visible from the point OF OBJ
sEryation, the shadow of its irregular con-
tour reaches far out over the lesser noun
tains beneath. the moment the sun las
crossed the meridian of its crest.
At its foot little grassy valleys stretch
eastwardIy, which are cultivated by the
primitive Mexicans under system of :r-
Iigatl0n as primitive as thenSelveS-Simple
earth bitches. involving a very limited
knowledge of engineering Foamlng little
torrents splash and sparkle in the sun
shine, as they course through Fertile inter-
wales whose sources are cool mountain
springs hidden in the dark recesses of the
towering range, which were. until The rest
less Gringo invaded the solitude OF The
charming region at the advent of the IRON
tran to erect saw mills, filled with that
NEST opcurean and gamey of ali the firny
tribe-tne sDeckled brook trout. Now the
disciple of the revered Walton vainly
says the streams with elegant modern ap-
pildneeS Tor lazy methods OF angling, re-
firing disguised, as the hstlass native
answering his interrOgdtory of Where
have they all gomez? with q characteristic
shruS, and his ever ready "Quen sabe?'
quietly opens his little ditch TO let the
tendntleSS water overflow his limited l.dtcn
OF corn. beans and onions.
Maybe. in the sad and weird mythology
of those strange people. the Aztecs, this
storIn-beaten spur of the Rockies occupied
an important place. Their olympus, Or
PStrnasSus. perhaps. for not many miles
mote. on the bank OF the classic fecos.
where lie the ruins of the once fortified
Cicuyo. referred 40 graphically in the
itinerary OF the historian of CorCnddo's
WOHderful march in search of the Seven
Cities OF Cibola. is the reDuted birthplace
OF their culture hero, Montezuma mot to be
confounded with the dynasty of sovereigns
OF that name), VINO was the Christ of their
faith. for whose second advent the Puebus
the lHIeai descendants of the Aztecs look
Tor SO hopefully with the rising of every
morning sun.
Upon the summit of the Rincon do To-
coicte, as this grand old sentinel of the
range is called by the Mexicans. an area
comprising several acres, there is a re-
markable cave. Around this natural grot-
TO at such great elevation are clustered
by the simple natives the most cherished
memories of the humble and beloved curl
Gus individuals who once occupied the Sc
qGestered spot. 1t is sacred ground with
them, upon which nothing sacriIegious
would for moment be brooked.
Near its narrow entrance a spring of
clear cold water CUISINES out of the indurat-
ed rock. which, after flowing for a short
distance over the rounded pebbles in its
deeply worn bed. tumbles down the pre-
clpitous side of the mountain in dir2in,l-
tive cascade, joining the streams in the val
ley on their restless way TO the sea A
lie" scattered Pinons cast a grateful shade
over portion of the generally bald bear
level OF the limited plain, and at regular
distances apart, in the form IF a circle,
are twelve rude crosses, typical of the
number Of The apostles. They We're erected
years ago by the humble Mexicans living in
the harniets below, in memory Of the deerlr
religious man who made his home in this
spot, and whose name is reverad only a de-
gree less than that of the tutelary saint of
the ccuniTy-Our Lady of Guadalupe ~,
certain feast days. particularly in mid
summer. large fires are kept turning at
night. and the devotees 20 ,he memory Of
the caves once holy occupant, long since
FASTENED by the hand of All assassin 10 ne
unknown beyond. assemble there under
the stars. and, in a most devout spirit per
form certain ceremonies with a zeal pcssi-
Die only TO the earnest believers in that
ancient and widely disseminated fadth--1he
Catholic religion
OF the history of the remarkable man,
who by his exemplary life made such an
impression upon the untutored minds of a
large number of the degraded primitive
New Nexicans but fragmantary leaves
have been Obtainab BILE To in:eIligently I'm
cerstand even these, the reader must let
ms Hlhd drlft backward for more than a
generation to the plains of central Kansas
and learn of his advent into the state as I
recall il.
IL was late in the spring of 1861, our civil
war had been inaugurated by The firing
ri
preparing Tor the great impending struggle
upon the result of which Depended the Dies
tiny OF the republic Kansas az that time
as lar as its agricultural possibilities were
concerned. was not materI.,Jl,y copsiJnrs,
IN mat connection; 1t was = remote reIa-
lively unknown territory. lis eastern nor
non a harrow belt contiguous 10 Missouri
IL IS true. had bloody political history he
yond which fact, ii was merely the ro-laI
10 the vast mountain region on the Uesr
10 De reached only by crossing the ieseri
supposed TO he Included within the rew
state geographical limits, through which
IAN the tran TO far-on Santa Fe and Chi
huahua-
There arrived one morning in the busy
htue hanlet OF Council Grove during the
month u May. a strange. mysterious per
son He attracted much attention for he
was 10 the denizenS of that remote frontier
Town as curious parsonage as the Man
~ N the iron Mask. or the awkward Caspar
itauser. whose dppeara Ice at the gates of
NuFeHDGrSh once startled the good peo-
pie OF that staid and quiet town. hoary
Win the conservatism of centuries
ne stranger who came SO unexps-te.lly
10 council Grove in the spring of 1861 evil
oentIy a priest, talked but little; It was an
exceedingly difficult task TO engage him in
conversation, so profoundly lid he seem
impressed with the idea of some iD,pend-
ing danger He acted like a startled deer
ever on the alert for an expec5ed enemy
ana weeks rolled by before two or three
or the towns most reputlDla citizens could
gain his confidence sufficiently to learn
nom him something of his varied and ro-
mantle history. In simple sketch, as this
Is intended 10 be only, no. hing but a mere
outline of his chequered life previous 20 his
ADVENT IN America can he presented as il
vas gathered, very reluctantly on his u.rt
IN detached fragments at odd moments in
MS cratic moods Of com fnLnica ziveness. In
certainly contains enough OF pathos. suf-
IerlnS and tragedy to form the web of a
thrilling novel
Mattoo Boccalini, at the date of his ap-
pearance in Council Grove. was about fifty
nNe years old He possessed the eye of an
afust, a head that was beautifully SYM
netricai. with a clasSically nodded face
ana Notwithstanding his age his hair. of
which he had a profusion. was long. black
ana IustroUs as ravens wing Yet the
heart-sorrows he had experic need vera in
deIioly impressed upon mis- benevolent
cGuntenance in deeply marked lines He
was liEeal descendant of Trajane Rocc-,
1rF1N hA rH~fTf