La Junta tribune., 1911-11-04

arms. They paid twenty-five to forty
cents a pound for sugar and $50 a
pound for coffee. Meat was cheap. ss
there was lots Of dried buffalo meat
and Wild game There were more
s. gold pieces to be seen In the mar
ke's then than silver dollars now.
There were no bank notes OF any
kind: everything Was coin.
"The echoes OF the Taos massacre
had not died away when | came To
this town This was the most irag.
ic even, In the history OF the Taos
Valley. Charles Bent Was the pro-
yisionai governor Of the territory OF
New Mexico. notwithstanding the
apparent submissio in lsis-5 OF the
natives OF New Mexico and the Pu-
ebio Indians. there were many dissa'-
lsfled at the American occupation OF
the country Their leaders held Sc
cret meetings and formed plans To oy-
erthrox the government They de
cidcd to attack the few Americans In
New Mexico on Christmas Eve. 1876.
Tn. conspiracy however. WAS discov-
cred through a mulatto girl siding
In Santa Fe. who sough, 20 save
her lover. Another conspiracy fol
lowed and 1t was Ms "A result OF this
that the mnssacr. took placs Cover
nor Bent. with five other Americans.
had come from Santa fe TO Taos to
visit his family here. Early on the
morning Of January 18th the Mcni-
cans aud Indians made their assault
They dragged him from his house
and killed him in the street Then
scalping him. the Indians and Mcsi.
cans rushed of to massacre the othe
Americans stephen Lee. a brother To
the General was killed on his own
house top The circuit attorney. T
". L'al. was scalped alive Narcisse
Beaubisn. son OF the presiding judge.
hid In an Clubhouse 'Vith his Indian
slave. but vas found and ma sacred.
After numbering all the AM ricans in
Toas. tho lndlars aud Me1icars de
struy,d Turkeys ranch and other
neIghb1ring VILLAGES when the start
ling news Of the governors a sassina.
ton reached Santa Re Colonel Ster-
ling Price. with a miscellaneous com
pany Of Americans. began pursuit of
the murdcr'rs The battle OF Pueblo
de- Taos followed. where nearly 200
Indians aud MeNicans were killed and
IN. Americans los, seven Killed and
forty five wounded Later ciEht Mex.
leans and seven Pueblo indians wer.
tried as leaders In the conspiracy.
convicted and hanged Fifteen Was
the number Of Am,riosrs masFacred
by the McHicans and Indians Al Taos
and the other villages. II was a life
for life indeed.
The Taos Valley Is fulilof stories
a. we'll as attractive scenery First
the Wild game lures the traycisr 10
turn aside from the trail and the
stories of the pioneers yet living
are fun of sentimen, and Interest
The beauty Of the drive down the
Cimarrun canon from Taos through
Ute Park 10 Cimarrou Is unequaled
In all western America The cimar-
ron river is in the center OF the
canon. and the road-uaiural. unspoi'.
ed mountain ,rail-diffcult for the
automobile. but repayig1 al the dif
ficulty by its beauty and grandeur.
crosses and recrussos the dashing
mountain stream. Pine and spruce
trees give an evergreen background
with dense foliage IN. palisades
Of the Hudson river ar as garden
walls 10 the palisades = the Cimar-
ron canon. Rising sheer from the
Cimarron river bank 90 the heights
Of hundreds and thousands OF feet.
there Is the Rocky Mountain flavor
Of grandeur and beauty In the tow
ers. bas,ions aHd turretS Of the
canon, H.mmcd IN on all sides by
lofty mountains that attain attitudes
OF from lo.0eo TO 900 feet. there Is
no apparent escape Tor the mountain
road except by the scaling Of III.
rocky walls folloWiHg the river In
its tortuous windings. however. the
traveller leaving Taos nuds. forty
miles down tho canon beautiful Ute
Park. and sixty miles farther on he
will come. by way OF Cimarron and
the plateau. again To Ration. the gate
way to New Mexico. OF all the tram.
continental highways mo- days jour.
ney is more beautiful than through
the Cimarron canon
Thus We come to tho end OF the
trail In history aud romance m.