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

esting things it gave historical sketch
of La Gran Quivira. 1t appears that
the city was even at that time in ruins
but the cathedral and another church
were well rooted. | know this to be
fact because some of the beautifully
carved beams were removed from that
place to La Lucera by an uncle of Don
Solomon Luna, prominent citizen OF
, Valencia County. The story which
Don Amado Pirota read in Spain was
in substance as follows: La Gran Qui-
vira was a populOus city. A great
many of the inhabitants were miners
There were. many mines in that sec.
tion of fabulous wealth. One of the
principal streets was occupied by gold
smiths and silversmiths and they were
noted for the exquisite work which
they wrought. There were also many
farmers. The soil is very rich and
there was ditch which carried water
from rich spring % miles away. This
ditch was well plastered and, up to a
| few years ago, one could see pillars
of stone and mortar along the ditch
fline. The inhabitants of the place
were frequently attacked by savage
Comanches, Navahos and Apaches, but
they were always able to repel all
attacks. Finally, a great party of hos
tile Indians concluded to destroy all
the inhabitants and to capture the
place with the treasures that they well
knew existed there. They came well
prepared for long siege and having
surrounded the town they had many
bloody encounters with the inhabitants
and finally the water supply was cut
off entirely from the city and it be
came evident that all must perish A
injecting was held and it was decided
that all the treasures of the people
should be buried at night and that a
dash should be made for escape. 1t
was so done. One dark night all the
treasures were buried at a place 917
yards from the door of the church at
the foot of a hill near a clump of cac
tus. Then just before daylight all
the inhabitants started out but were
lpursued by the savages and most OF
them were killed. Very few escaped
to Mexico. All the women and chill
dren perished. The bodies were
thrown into an old tunnel that was
just out of the city in a westerly di
rection. The savages never found the
treasures and the same are there tC
this day. The riches of the Cathedral
lconsisting of great quantities of golt
and many emeralds and other precious
| stones, and the bells of the churches
were also buried at the same place
That was the substance of the story
found by Pirota and that was wha
induced the formation of the party t
come so far to the province Of New
Mexico to find those treasures.
A Winter Campaign.
"The party after living in Tom,
all summer went in the winter, Whel
!, there was snow on the ground, witt
, good guides and plenty of laborers tt
T La Gran Quivira. There they estat
lished camp and worked all winte
excavating in many places. That wir
ter they did not find anything eXcep
, La tunnel filled with numerous skele
, tons. In the spring they returned t
Tome and repeated the experiment fo
: five years when they returned to Eul
: ope very much discouraged, havin
/ failed to find the treasures they ha
:. lcome to seek.
h A Military Expedition.
$ For many years after that ther
! were numerous parties who worke
Z, in that place but all failed to fin
f |anything of value. In the year 1856
d General Carleton, of the U. S. Arm
y heard Of the La Gran Quivira and lea
n an expedition of several companies
I, troops to the place.
q "This expedition came about
= this manner. At that time there live
q in Santa Fe prominent man by tt
. name of Anastacio Sandoval He W;
I one of the leading citizens of the TIE
Y ritory and was married to beautif
= woman of noble descent. His wi
y was Dona Guadalupe Roybal de Sa
doval, a great grand child of Don Bs
tolome Fernandez de la Pedrera, o.
" of the leading Spanish officials of h
" time. Among the papers of Don B;
IN tolome was found an old account
Of the history Of La Gran Quivira and
le agreed almost exactly with the sto
Of that had been brought from Spain
W the party of Frenchmen who came
I'd Tome SO many years before The or
a material difference was that the pla
N |of the burial Of the treasures was g
le en- as being in an old mine 900 yar
r. least Of the main church. Don Anas