El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-01-25


central western Mexico there exists the
ruins of what was once populous AZ
tee city. 1t was there that MonteZu-
ma was reported to have stored the
vast treasure which Cortez and his fol-
lowers endeavored to find after the
conquest of Mexico. which ended in
the capture of the capital city With
in the last hair century explorations
have been made in various parts of
Mexico, both under the direction of
the Mexican government and foreign
societies, for the purpose of verifying
the stories told by the natives COM
ing from the interior. who declare that
back in the country there is a great
city ruled by a king, lineal descendant
of the Montezuma dynasty.
Col. H. c. Baddington. who for many
years has been a resident of Mexico,
and whose service as civil ngineer
in the employment of the government
and various private enterprises has Ia
ken him all over the greater part of
Mexico and Central America. visited
Chicago recently. Like others of his
profession he had sought for the in
land city. and, failing to find it. had
undertaken to discover the solution of
the mystery. His last effort in this
direction was made last fell, when, &C
companied by two companions, he
spent six weeks in the wilds of south
ern Mexico. When discussing his ex-
perience with a Chicago Inter-Ocean
reporter. he said:
THE story of a lost city is familiar
to all Mexicans, and believed in by
most of them. For nearly 20 years
/ was unable to carry out the project
l formed of investigating the matter.
although during the period 1 gathered
all the information 1 could bearing up
on La Ciudad de Perddido. 1t was not
until last October that l could COM
mand the time necessary to search for
the lost city. I was in the city of Mex
leo at that time ana became acquainted
with a Conrad Quinby. a Colorado
miner. and with an attache of the
Information l haG already acquired
and upon my invitation they consented
TO accompany me.
I'VE left San Luis Potosi early in
October, and went south $50 miles,
striking the Blanca range mountains.
The country through which we pass
ed was extremely rugged, absolutely
devoid of wagon roads or trails. 1t
was case of travel by compass, some
times assisted by a guide. who would
spend a few days tramping with u.s.
but most of the time by ourselves.
About the first of November we had
traversed the Blanca mountains. and
were ready to descend their southern
side. We had been on the road for
nearl va month, and my comDanions
were beginning to urge the uselessness
of going farther and the ACCESSIBILITY
of getting back as soon as possible
You see, there is some kind of an I'M
between foreign countries
and Mexico which limits. in Osme re-
spect, the action of legation represen-
tatives. and the French attache was
in doubt about the propriety of going
any farther in the matter. / urged
them to keep on for week longer for
I thought had begun to recognize in
dications that we were approaching
the site of the city.
81 was determined to make thor
ough investigation and if failed find
ing the lost city / wanted to satisfy |
myself that it did not exist. After we
descended the Blanca range we found !
ourselves on the banks of a river. To- |
cally known as the river of the White |
Hog and there we camDed, intending |
to spend a few days hunting and fish |
ing. / think we mad been on the river !
about a week, when one morning we |
were aroused by the intrusion of a /
dozen of the dirtieSt poems | ever saw. |
soon discovered that they spoke an !
Indian dialect. although they under J
stood little Of the Mexican lingo. | |
what We were after. and was D.!
much delighted when one of them vol |
to guide us to the lost city. |
No inducement would elicit a promise |
TO see us into the city however. and .
he protested that it would be imposs-
ible for him to do more than take us