Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-24

Youngest among the states New Mex
leo is oldest among the communities OF
the Union. 1t was the center and prin-
cipal seat of the highest civilization OF
the aboriginal inhabitants of what is now
the United States, and later it was the
administrative focus of the earliest Eu-
ropean colonization in our territory. That
1t and its companion state, Arizona, were
the last divisions of the contiguous con-
tinental dominion of the republic whose
people were admitted to the full meas
ure of the privileges and responsible
ties of Americans is due, in part to
the events of the past that make the
story Of New Mexico unique among the
histories of the states.
Credulous Spain. i'm the sixteenth CEN
fury, accepted as true story that 800
years earlier a Bishop of Lisbon, flee
ing from the Arabs. had escaped to some
islands In the west and there had found
ed seven cities. The Mexicans. whom
CorteZ Ovcrcame, explained the origin
OF their race by saying they had issued
from seven caves In the north. The Eu-
ropean myth and the American folklore
tale were compared and it was but nat
ural that a search should be made for
the seven cities of Cibola- Cabeza de
Vaca wandered across the continent to
Mexico and in 1888 told wonderful sto-
ries of the stone cities he had heard Of.
The victory sent Fra Marcos de Mia.
franciscan friar, on an expedition TO
investigate. This was the first party of
white men to enter what is now New
Mexico They came in sight of Ave-
story terraced Indian village. and has
tened back to tell great tales of rich
cities whose walls were bursting with
nado. the Spanish in 1889 set out to re-
duce these rich cities. but Coronado found
only the Indian pueblos. He had. 1T Is
true, found the evidences OF the highest
state Of society existing in America north
of Mexico, but being in search of treasure
only he was disappointed Forty years
later, in 1881. pious monks extended their
missionary efforts into the territory. and
1t was given the name New Mexico,
largely because the people 30 closely re-
The first considerable colony was plant
ed in 1888. and after moving two or three
timer was
First Colony Planted permanently
at Santa Fe in 1893. At sante Fe.
which is, with the exception Of st. Angus
tine In Florida, the oldest city I'm the
United States. Santa Fe was founded
some time between 1903 and 1907, on the
site Of ruined pueblo, and since that
time has been. save for few years fol-
lowing the Indian revolution Of 1880, the
capital and seat Of government for the
territory.
When the Spanish established their per-
manent government here, government
that was to exercise its authority for
more than two hundred years, John
Smith had not yet sighted the capes of
Virginia, the Mayflower had not sailed on
it's momentOus voyage, and the rise OF an
English-speaking nation in America had
not been dreamed of.
Yet these same Spanish colonists found
on their arrival here an orderly people
peacefully engaged in agriculture, Undue
ing the desert to flower by means of arti-
fetal irrigation, submitting themselves TO
a system Of government that is continued
in their pueblos to this day. and possessed
of no inconsiderable skill in the mechan-
ical arts
The people lived in high terraced
houses of many stories, constructed with
a design that comprehended both the re-
otlirements Of a rude sense OF comfort
and the necessity OF defense against the
depredations of the savage Indians. The
story of these ancient people and their
still more ancient ancestors, the clin-
dwellers, is being worked out bit by bit
nv the scholars and here in New Mexico
is their most fruitful field of endeavor.