Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-09-09

VIZ Wuo q 5Oou lllcllu VI NeutIdl CdTle-
ton, who was then in command of the
Department of New Mexico and on
one occasion told him about this old
paper The general became very much
interested and had it translated by
the official translator of the surveyor
generals office. He became so i'm
pressed that in that year he made a
trip to the famous ruins accompanied
by several companies of troops and
there made number of excavations
but returned just as much disap-
pointed as all former explorers. He
did not find anything of value.
Made an Official Report.
General Carleton of course, did not
wish any one to know that he had
gone to that country to hunt for
buried treasure but l do know, of my
own knowledge, that such was the
case. He wrote very interesting ac-
count of his trip and the same was
published officially in the report of the
Smithsonian Institute for the year
1864, where it may be read by all who
take interest in that enchanted region.
Since that time, and even to this day,
people go constantly to dig for treas
ure at La Gran Quivira.
A Brazilian Fortune Hunter.
ut was just a few years ago that
Colonel de La Cerda the son of a
colonel in the army of Brazil, came
to New Mexico, accompanied by a
large band of gypsies, to hunt for
that wonderful treasure. He also had
| in his possession some old papers
ifrom Spain, which gave accounts Of
the treasures that were buried at La
Gran Quivira, Quara and Abo. He
was the black sheep of a noble Bra
lillian family as 1t turned out after.
wards. When he arrived in this Ter.
ritory, he sent his gypsies, of whom
he was king, into various cities such
as Las Vegas, Santa Fe and 10 almost
all places of consequence in the Terri
tory. All the money they collected
they turned over to him. From this
city he went to what is now Torrance
County and there held meetings in Ia
jiQue, ManzanO, Chilli and other
places and got the people very much
excited. He assured them that he
knew, positively, where the treasures
were and entered into an agreement
with them that if they would do the
work and dig the treasures lie would
let them have all the gold and silver
and would reserve for himself only
the things that formerly belonged to
the churches.
A Love Tragedy.
"The people went to work with
teams and scrapers and were making
very satisfactory progress when the
handsome young colonel fell in love
with a mountain beauty. He then lost
interest in the work of excavation and
devoted most of his time to see il he
could induce the lovely girl to marry
him. She did not favor his suit and
it was then that he organized party
of men in western Valencia County tc
aid him in kidnapping the girl. Ii
the attempt man was killed ant
| the sheriff of Valencia County, Maxi
miliano Luna, arrested the coloael an(
placed him in jail at Los Lunas. No
long after brother of the colonel ar
rived from Brazil we'll recommended
and provided with means and secured
the release of his brother and tool
him home. The people were left alon'
and did not find the treasures, so tina
, anybody else can go now and get th'
same. This then, young man, is al
remember about La Gran Quivira."