Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-04-08

lSiollNSiS lGoldtSu pSoAs SutSAAiS lhS
comparably clear midcontinent sky on
his right almost Immediately after the
train energies from the picturesque
canyon of El Moro and commences to
descend the long, gradual slope to the
quaint old Mexican village of Las
Vegas.
Its SCARED and verdureless front
looms up grandly in the beautifully
serrated landscape, of which it is the
most conspicuous object. More promi-
nently defined than any other indi-
vidual elevation of the Taos range.
the shadow of its irregular contour
reaches far out over the lesser noun
tains beneath the moment the sun has
crossed the meridian of its crest.
At its foot little grassy valleys
stretch eastwardly, which are cultivat-
ed by the primitive MeXicans under
system of irrigation as primitive as
hemselves-simple earth bitches, In
volving very limited knowledge Of
engineering. Foaming little torrents
splash and sparkle in the sunshine as
they course through fertile intervales.
oOulCcS dlC SOOA hiOulllulh
springs hidden in the dark recesses Of
the towering range, which were, until
the restless gringo invaded the soil
tude of the charming region at the ad-
vent of the iron trail to erect sawmills,
filled with that most epicurean and
gamy of all the finny tribe-the spec
kled brook trout. Now the disciple Of
~, {rIx "a
streams with elegant modern appli-
ances for lazy methods of angling, re-
firing disguised as the listless native,
answering his interrogatory Of where
have they all goneY' with charac-
teristic shrug and his ever ready
"Quien sabe?" quietly opens his little
ditch to let the tenantless water over
flow his limited patch of corn, beans
and onions.
Maybe in the sad and weird mytholo-
gy of those strange people, the Aztecs,
this storm beaten spur of the Rockies
occupied an important place : their
Olympus or Parnassus, perhaps, for
not many miles remote, OH the bank Of
the classic Pecos, where lie the ruins
of the once fortified Cicuye, referred to
SO graphically in the itinerary Of the
historian of Coronados wonderful
march in search of the seven cities Of
Cibola, is the reputed birthplace of
their culture hero, Montezuma (not to
be COMPOUNDED with the dynasty Of SOW
ereigns of that nance, who was the
Christ of their faith, for whose second
advent the Pueblos, the lineal descend
ants of the Aztecs, look for SO hopeful
ly with the rising of every mornings
sun.
Upon the summit Of the Rincon de
Tocolote. us this grand old sentinel Of
the range is called by the Mexicans, an
area comprising several acres, there Is
a remarkable cave Around this natu-
raj grotto at such great elevation the
simple natives have clustered the most
cherished memories of the humble, be-
loved and curious individual who once
occupied the sequestered spot. 1t is sa-
cred ground with them, upon which no
sacrilege would for moment be
brooked.
Near its narrow entrance a spring of
clear cold water gushes out of the in.
durated rock, which, after flowing for
a short distance over the rounded peb-
bles in its deeply worn bed, tumbles
down the precipitous side of the noun.
tain in diminutive cascade, joining
the streams in the valley ON their rest.
less way to the sea. A few scattered
trees cast grateful shade over a por.
ton Of the generally bald, blear level
of the limited plain, and at regular dis
tances apart, in the form of circle
are twelve rude crosses typical Of the
number Of the apostles. They were
erected years ago by the humble Mex
leans living in the hamlets below II
memory Of the deeply religious mar
who made his home in this spot ant
whose name Is revered only degree
less than that Of the tutelary saint Of
the country, Our Lady Of Guadalupe
On certain feast days, particularly IL
midsummer, large fires are kept burn
ing at night, and the devotees to tn,
memory of the caves once holy occu
pant assemble there under the starr
and in a most devout spirit perform
certain ceremonies with zeal possibl,
only to the earnest believers in that an
cient and widely disseminated faith
the Catholic religion.
OF the history Of the remarkable mai
who by his exemplary life made sucl
an impression upon the untutoret
minds of large number Of the degrad
ed primitive New Mexicans but frag
mentary leaves have been obtainable
To intelligently understand even thes
the reader must let his mind drift
: backward for more than a generation
to the plains of central Kansas an,
learn Of his advent into the state as
recall 1t.
] 1t was late in the spring of 1861. GU
civil war had been inaugurated by tn
firing upon Sumter, and the loyal state
were preparing for the great impendin,
! struggle, upon the result Of which de
pended the destiny of the republic
Kansas at that time, SO far as Its agri
cultural possibilities We're concerned
) was not materially considered in tina
connection. 1t was remote, relative
ly unknown territory. Its eastern Dor
ton, narrow belt contiguous to Mis-
! souri,, 1t is true, had a bloody politica
history, beyond which fact 1t wa
merely the portal to the vast mour
tain region on the west, to be reache
I only by crossing the desert supposed t
] be included within the new states gee
graphical limits, through which ran til
! trail to faroff Santa Fe and chihuahua
There arrived one morning In til
] busy little hamlet Of Council Grov
during the month of May a strange
mysterious person. He attracted muc
attention, for he was to the denizen
! Of that remote frontier town as curiou
parsonage as the Man in the Iro
Mask or the awkward Casper Hausel
4 whose appearance at the gates Of NJ
remberg once startled the good peopl
of that staid and quiet town hoar
} with the conservatism of centuries.
Tho stronpar who cpma ca ,,noyyoo,