Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-09-05
STORIES OF YESTERDAY
Beautifying the Ancient City.-.Early.
Day Prospector Took His Lite in
His Hands.

ut is to Gen. James H. Carleton, e..
u. army, that much of the credit for
the beautifying of the city OF Santa
Fe is due" said the Old-Timer. 1t
was General Carleton who encouraged
the planting of trees in the plaza and
in the streets of the city. And IN this
work he had an able assistant in the
person of Capt. John Ayers, now Gus
todian of the United States cemetery
of the City of Mexico. But that was
a long time ago and there have been
changes since, not the least of these
has been the improvement and pro-
gress of the Ancient City. But do you
know of a more beautiful spot than
the plaza? ~
But speaking of General Carleton
and the old-timers, reminds me OF the
early days and the prospecting that
was done then. In those days there
were few if any maps that could be
depended upon and the average pros
pector was totally unacquainted with
the conditions of the country and par
ticularly the Typographical conditions,
He had little or no scientific knowl-
edge of the minerals and the general
geological formations of this land, but
he knew that gold was here and he
sought for it untiringly and unceasing-
ly He endured the hardships and
braved the dangers that were to be
found on every turn He took his life
in his hands when he dared venture
stones throw from the clearing and
entered the fastness of the mountains
whose hidden treasures, siren-like
ever lured him on. 1t was the day
of the grub stake" and many the
time even this was most grudgingly
afforded the prospector by those who
were amply able to aid and thus as
sist in the development of the Terri
tory. The prospector labored under
hardships and disadvantages innum-
cradle and seemingly insurmountable
in our day. The pioneer fought brave
ly against terrific odds and won
through his own indomitable will and
perseverance, He was a hero and as
we'll a martyr His was not the day
of progress and improvement. With
tools Inadequate for and unsuited tc
the work he sought to wrest from the
earth her richest treasures. I'm
daunted by the failures he had known
he faced the hidden dangers and was
unmindful of the lurking terrors OF the
terra incognito. Fearlessly he entered
the canon and the gorge, scaled the
cliff and crag or delved in the cave OF
rocky crevice unknown to any human
and penetrated only by the rays of the
MONDAY sun. Here he labored and
toiled through many weary day and
week and month, ever hopeful, ever
alert for the first faint CLINT of the
yellow metal.
But times have changed, and so
has the old-time prospector become lit
tie other than a memory or the sub
iect for the musings of the man who,
like me, lives mostly in the past. Rich
are the finds at our very door and the
mining expert and the engineer have
supplanted the "Old man of the Noun
tains." These men have made possi
BILE the fabulous fortunes of Clark and
Daily and half score of others that
might name. They sought not alone
the virgin gold but found it in a mul
titude of the other minerals that filled
the hills and transformed them into
gold. Scientific knowledge and intelli
gent action have done wonders in the
way of developing the country and
there is no longer the need of an
armed escort when the prospecto1
leaves the settlement" and that day
is still within the memory OF more
than one. The Indians were then sc
hostile that the first thing that the
prospector did was to go to the com
manding officer OF the front and have
him provide an armed escort, re
quest that was readily granted, ant
permission was always given to Ger
tain number of citizens to accompany
the soldiers and to enter the locality
designated. And many of the famous
shots and woodsmen of the time
were found with these companies
men such as Poindexter and Albright
and Bearn.
Eyes. that was all in the good old
days before the advent of the railroad
and the telegraph and the thousand
and one other methods and conven
fences known today What have to-,
Won is the story of yesterday and as