Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-04
state or territory that Is SO well adver-
tised.
Women's Board Of Trade.

Women's Board Of Trade.
There is a novelty here also in the form
of a women's board Of trade. 1t Is not al
| together unique, however. They tell me
| there is another at Evanston, ILL.,. and a
| third somewhere in Indiana, but 1 am sure
! that neither of the others is more effective
| in accomplishing It's purpose. The wom-
| en- of Santa Fe are very enterprising. They
have done great deal IN promoting
up the old plaza, established pub
lie library, erected monuments, provided
drinking fountains, organized receptions
| for distinguished visitors and have taken
the lead in other social movements. They
look after the poor Of the city also. al
though 1t may be said that very few peo-
pie need such attention. The absence OF
almshouses is one of the peculiarities Of
They are very seldom needed: everybody
who wants to work can find something to
do at good wages, and there is always
plenty to eat.
There are several interesting and valu-
able collections Of antiquities in Santa Fe
Mr.. Max Frost has gathered together an
almost complete collection of baskets and
blankets, illustrating the art of weaving,
in which many Of the Indian tribes excel
and Ex-Governor Prince has taken advan-
tage of his unusual opportunities to secure
collection Of historical and prehistorical
articles Of remarkable value. Some OF his
treasures are unique.
Mrs. Prince takes an active interest In
archaeology ethnology and history. as well
as social affairs, and, as leader among
the Daughters of the Revolution the CO.
lonial Danes and other patriotic organiZa-
tons, she keeps things stirred up down in
this drowsy atmosphere. In her collection
she has what she believes to be the skull
of MonteZuma, the Aztec emperor, who
was killed in battle with the Spaniards in
the suburbs of the City of Mexico in 1920.
There is no telling what the Pueblo In
dams would say or do If they should hear
of this remarkable relic, because they look
upon Montezuma as divine, and expect him
TO return some day as a messiah and re-
lieve them from the domino ton of the
white race. Notwithstanding their nominal
acceptance and OStentatiOus observance of
the Catholic faith. they preserve, with great
tenacity, the religious belief and practice
the pagan rites of their ancestors. In the
estuta, an underground temple at Taos, as
told you in previous letter, a sacred fire
has been kept burning ever since the le
gendary Montezuma disappeared in the dis
lance, riding upon the back of an eagle,
You know the story-how the eagle con-
tinued to fly southwark until 1t rested upon
the branches of a cactus, and there Monte
yuma slid from the back of the bird and
founded the present capital Of the Mexican
republic.
1t is difficult to reconcile these old stories
to archaeological evidence and historical
facts. The legends of the Pueblo Indians
do not conform TO the records of events,
Dut tnat uOeS not Destroy tnelr beauty or
interest, and we may accept the skull of
MonteZuma on the same liberal basis. Mrs.
Prince was present when 1t was found in
the excavation of the garden of an old col
lege near the Mexican capital. inclosed in a
sarcophagus of ancient Moorish tiles. 1t
was presented to her by Col. San Martin. a
distinguished officer of the Mexican army.
Career Of Manuel Reavis.
Manuel Reavis. the. most remarkable
fOrpar and SWtpdler known n the
United States, is no longer an inmate of the
penitentiary here He completed his term
two years ago and has disappeared. No
body seems to know where he has gone, al
though people here tell me that they have
heard of him in Denver, Chicago and New
York, where he doubtless will find oppor-
tunities for the display of his remarkable
talent
1t is the understanding here that his wife,
an Indian half-breed woman, whom he ele-
waited to the rank of Baroness de Arizonaca
and heiress to 100000 acres of land, had
secured a divorce from him during his in
generation, and has also disappeared. The
las heard of her she was living in abject
poverty in one of the towns of northern
New Mexico, supporting herself by wash
ing BY the most audacious and skillful
conspiracy ever known in the commercial
history of the United States Reavis at
tempted to obtain a title to an empire in
southern New Mexico and Arizona. If he
had not claimed so much if he had tried
to steal 1OO0,OO0 instead of 100000 acres
of land, he might have been successful, but
he overreaehed himself He committed
mere than 100 forgeries. which were ex-
posed in the courts, and no one knows how
many more that have not beep detected.
He altered the parish registers of baptism,
marriage and death in half dozen cities
and towns in Spain; he altered the records
in the royal archives at Madrid; he collect
ed gallery of ancestral portraits; he Sc
cured collection of private letters, writ
ten by unknown persons 200 and 300 years
ago and altered sentences in them to cor
rohorate other evidence of the ownership of
his wifes ancestors to the land he claimed.
1t was the most complete and comprehen-
sive system of forgery that could be imagin-
ed and was so convincing that the Southern
Pacific railroad recognized the title of his
wife to the property and paid her large
sum of money. But the land office at
Washington refused to accept the evidence,
and Mr.. Severe Mallet-Prevost of New
York and Mr.. William NJ. Upton from the
office of the Attorney General at Washing
ton, spent nine years in an investigation
that was quite remarkable as the con-
spiracy. They tore asunder piece by piece,
the entire fabric Reavis had created. They
furnished the evidence which sent him to
tn. penitentiary for ten years.
ODD TRAIT OF MANKIND.