Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-03-06

He remarked about the food that was
served to him. 1t was his custom, he
said, to accept any food that was set
before him, but on this occasion he
was obliged to inquire, and was en-
lightened. His guide told him that II
was made of hard boiled eggs sliced,
and covered with red pepper. The ma
tives consider it very good.
On arriving at the meeting place of
the religious enthusiasts. he was
stopped by several natives. who re-
fused him admission. After some talk,
however. he was allowed to go inside.
The room into which he entered was
small, and light was admitted through
a small portfolio. There were no
seats. At one end of the room was an
altar, and a couple of tables. In front
of the altar was a railing. Mr.. Craig
was surprised to find that the choir
was under the table. In front of the
railing was a little stool, with two
small stones On 1t. At one side was a
~candelabra, holding fourteen candles.
After all had entered and were seat
ed on the mud floor, the services be-
gan. At a rap of a stone on the stool.
a man came forward and e~xtinguished
one of the candles. This was done
thirteen times, until there was but one
candle left. The choir was singing a
mournful, wailing dirge that added to
the impressiveness of the scene. Mr..
Craig said that there was but one time
in the performance when he felt shaky,
and that was just before the last light
was ex%tinguished.
After the lights were all out, the
men took from the wall an instrument
that is beyond description. 1t is COW
cred with a kind of sheep skin, and is
something on the principle of a drum.
When absolute quiet had reigned' again
the men took a number of old chains,
boards and everything else from vari-
Gus parts of the room. They then
began to beat the instrument with it,
and the sounds which issued were
hideous. Groans, roars, gnashing of
teeth, M sounds that battle descrip-
ton issued. Mr.. Craig said that he
never in his life felt so nea to hell
as he was at that moment. Then the
candles were relighted, and the party
went outside.
1t was then that the speaker real
lied what had been going on. He said
that the men had been reproducing the
passion of Christ. The racket with
the chains was supposed to represent
the departure of the soul of the Lord
to Purgatory, but Mr.. Craig said he
couldn't see why it should make such
a racket.
The relighting was the resurrection,
and the other parts of the affair were
equally suggestive.
There are thousands of these men
in the territories. They are, as has
been before stated, descendants of the
old Spanish fi%aggelants.
In Lent they almost starve them
selves, and strip to the waist. They
go about during this time beating
themselves with the soap weed, a hard,
wiry weed that grows in this locality.
They beat themselves until their backs
become a mass of raw flesh. Those
who do not beat themselves lake rows
OF cactus burrs, and press them into
the flesh, others are known to drag
huge crosses about on their backs.
They subject themselves to all kinds
OF ignominy. and abstain almost abso-
lutely from food.
Ii one asks them why they do these
things, he will be told because they
are trying to do penance for the sins
they have committed, but Mr.. Craig
says that from what he has seen of
them he is convinced they do penance
for the sins that they are TO commit
in the future.
Three years ago Mr.. Craig started
a church in the wilds of this territory
with a membership of eighteen. Today
it has a roll of $50 names, and Is self
sustaining. The people are anxious
for religion, and the only trouble is
that there are no accommodations for
the many who need them. At Clifton,
and Morenci, two small towns in New
Mexico, there was not a single church
when Mr.. Craig struck the town. There
was a church at Tombstone, a deserted
city about 200 miles south, Knowing
this Mr.. Craig made the suggestion
that the church be put upon a train
and brought to the place where ii was
needed. He met with some objection,
but finally secured the necessary mon.
ey and rebuilt the church in Clifton.
The natives were so enthusiastic that
they did the work themselves.
Mr.. Craig told OF the valiant work
being done by Mr.. Cook, who came all
the way from Chicago. where he was
a city missionary, that he might do
good among the unenlightened. When