Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1911-04-01
ORIGIN Of SYMBOL
USED BY SANTA
f RAILROAD
Mark is Relic Of Early Days
in California When Mission
Fathers Displayed Cross to
Indians.

chicago. H. Aprll THE orlein
oi the symbol ~ the Atchison. Topeka
Santa r. Railway company Is not
e,ncrull, known. II is. Of course, un-
dcrstood that the symbol IS indica-
tive of California. the terminus of
tho santa r., IN the west /, signinrs
california because ct the missions ot
that section ~ the country. " \
Ticc. superintendent Of the santa BE
90 Dpdp. cay. Who has made 4 study
Of the subject says
The mission father of tho West
.rn coast used in thor early ,hurchcs
o. GROSS peculiar IN design, varying
from the cross ct thu parent
church in that jhc upright aud
longitudinal sections W.ir both
COZ th, same iongth, and this cross be-
q, mo known a. tho mission cross
'"rhu reason. huwUcr for their
adoption of ,his peculiar cross is not
generally known. Tue tradition is
thHt whom the mission fathers cau"
up from lower pld MoNtco 20 north
rru MrNJro. and what Isl now Califor-
MA they found that the natives. who
were Indians aud descendants OF the
Nzltca, the Toltccs. tho rhicamccs.
cog some other " early tribes. already
ppsscsscl symbol which taey wor-
shipped this being u cross within a
circle.
Tho Indians impaired 90 IN" mis-
sion fathers thc Information that THIS
AL. H.st gItt La. hs4I h.Y
vorshippcd by their ancestors FOR
thousands OF wears. ana that the cross
itself signincd the earth. and the cir
.lr ~ the sun.
"'rh,y knew nothing If any religion
other than their own. and the things
which appealed TO them we're the sun.
which gave them its light. and the
earth. which gave them IT, substance;
consequently they we're paeans. wor-
shipping the sun ana the earth and
me circle with the cross within II
Was the symbol which they worship
ped
''rhc tribes on the western coast
including The Indians who went into
pld Mexico and further down into
what Us now central ana South Amer
l,u have traditions to the effect that
ihtlr ancestors came from the far
north. and at one time crossed the
v'a, probably what il Behring strait
Ius possibly was a few thousand
wears ago for we find much along the
western coast % America. through all
= r old Mexico. Central America and
n south America. that rs prehistoric.
~ WIS comparatively an easy mat
tor fnr the mission fathers To induce
th" natives whom thcy found IN
northern Mexico ana In that country
which is now California 90 accept the
new religion. ana as rs sym1oi, the
circle enclosing the cross. that had
been the object az their Worship and
ihgt OF their ancestors Accordingly.
the mission fathcys adopted the pagan
cross, and this cross became ia" mis-
sion cross oi california
The santa Fc symbol accordingly
is pagan IN origin aud the cross rep
rrtvntiug the four corners Of the
earth Smmbolzes the possibilities ~
our great railroad. cur lines already
ruu north south. east ANA Vest aud Il
W, continue 20 grow as "a" have Win.
IN The last Few years. while "" may
not reach the four corners OF the
earth, w, may roach the extreme
north. south east and west OF the
United states. We are building that
V.v, ana have bat the north aud
east remaining to conquer