Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-08-10

hundreds Of birth notices which are
published everywhere, would not at
tract more than passing notice from
the public at large were II not for
the fact that the baby IN this par
ticular case Ia q lineaI descendant
from n Of the 1rst d~iscoverers Of
America and also from one CT the
Oldest families OF the Spanish nobil.
ity.
Although one of a large family. the
little Baca baby Ii the first living child
10 be born 10 the family in Denver.
Another child, q baby girl, was born
to the family In this city some time
ago, but Il died when only thirteen
days old. The baby born yesterday
will bear the name OF his first Amer
ican ancestor. Alyar Nnnez Cabeza de
Baca. He Is q healthy young
ster and bids fair to rival his broth.
ers and sisters In health and strength.
The mother Is also doing well.
Descended from Mobility.
The Baca family ia descended from
iaRUAbriRKFyyat&s al isaesaRlHs hl lpfsQd n fkat re l.l
tie Of Prince Of Cabeza de vaca, which
II born BY the family. was bestowed
upon It in the year 700. 1t was given
~ : reward for a brilliant victory
which was won over the Moors on
one Of the bloodiost battleflelds OF
Spain. The Moors were the old.time|
enemies Of the Spaniards, and for
years the two nations were in almost
constant conflict. A victory over
these worthy foes and enemies OF CEN
turtles was q thing which the Spanish
government would not overlook.
The irst Of the family to bear the
title was n named Nuncz. He 1t
was who In the year 700 led tho Span
iards In battle against tho Muors. The
night took place at a point known to
the Spanish a. Cabeza dc vaca. or
In the English, tho head Of a cow"
Nunez won the battle and in recogni-
ton Of his services the king Of Spain
gave him the title OF Prince Of Cad
bexa de yaca. This title is today
proudly borne BY members Of the fam.
lily In their native country. In Amer.
lea, however. the naine has been cor
rupted from vaca to Baca.
Came to America In f62s.
Ia 1898 Alvar Nunex Cabexa de
Interested by the stories Of the
New World, set out from Spain and
the course Of time landed on the
shores Of what Ia now Florida. He
hal : force Of thirty men with him
and they at n G set out to explore
The new country. They went inland
and their journeys arc hest told in
the old Spanish hIstofies.
According to Mr.. Baca. the Spanish
histories contain the best ana most
accounts OF the explorations
"a his ancestor 10 tho New World. In
telling Of these he said yesterday ut.
'ernoon: After landing At Florida In
LES Alvar Nunez Cabeza de vaca
)ourneyed inland. The histories tell
Of his having seen the great lakes.
md presume from this that he Wis.
tied the site Of what Is now Chicago.
After visiting the great lakes, the
party returned and later visited the
sIte Of what Is now ST. Louis. From
here they passed into Texas ana IN
MS country Nunez lost all but four
y his men |,
~ this connection Mr.. Baca claims
hat the events Of the past few weeks. /,
AZ n point In Texas tho re- F.,
mains Of about a score OF persons /,
bought to have been among the early
'is'fors to that country, were dug No. I
- proves the truth Of the facts laid 1
own b. Ma historians In the History I
Narvaes," @Ie says that when /
skeletons wcrs dug up papers d
10 weapons Of the kind carried BY /
y spaniards Of old we're found. He r
4l0G that theso skolctor. wo~c 4.