Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1913-01-31


to the beginning of the seventeenth century Last
OF all is Ranches de Taos, prosperous agricultural
community, where ones interest is equally divided
between the typical old Mission church and the
merous dark-eyed senoritas.
Years ago the Taos valley known the gran
airy of the southwest; and in the days before bull
team traffic ended this important mart and
distributing point But when the railroads were
built the change In the course of travel and com
merce left Taos hopelessly isolated. Progress has
passed it by, and life on in the dreamy fash
ion of the old land of POGO TEMPO that this hus
ting age has almost obliterated. The old land
marks still undisturbed the vandal passion for
change and improvement is still unknown, and the
Taos of today is much the same as the Taos of 80
or 100 years ago, with the element of danger from
nomadic savagcs eliminated. But those who desire
TO see Taos as IL is and it has been must needs
make haste. The railroad builders are headed that
way; and when the shrek of the first locomotive
dispes the ghosts of the past and awakens the
valley from its ageong slumber 1t may be far more
busting and prosperous, but it will never again be
half interesting
Taos was the farthest outpost of Spanish civliza
ton and continued until in very recent years to
be frontier settlement the debatable border be-
tween civilization and the savage Wilderness The
old Pueblo communal buildings famous as being
the most perfect remaining specimens of aboriginal
American architecture. Close by is the tall tower
OF the ruined adobe church. In which the last stand
OF the Pueblo Indian race for freedom was made in
lS41 few miles away is ONE OF the most puzzlinp
archaeological riddles of the southwest
This consists of long lines Of cobbiestones
mostly arranged In rectangles, with here and
there circle When one first reaches the area
thus distinguished he will hardly recognize any,
thing unusual but after he has driven for miles
and miles, seeing the cobblestone squares OBJ
longs and circles in unbroken series it begins to
dawn upon him that here is something remark
able. 1t Is evident that these cobblestones were
the foundation stones of adobe buildings and
that the lapse of ages has resulted in the wear
ing away OF the sundried bricks until the ancient
walls OF some prehistoric city have been incor-
porated with the soil of the level plain leaving
not trace behind but the rounded stones
brought from the distant river. The foundation
stones OF this prehistoric and unnamed city cover
an area of more than twenty-five square miles
The pueblo of Taos has existed upon its present
site for at least 500 years Yet the Taos Indians
have no legend purporting to account for this
ancient community.
1t is said that the first white settler in the
beautiful Taos valley. a Spaniard named
Fernandez, who drifted north from Santa Fe
two hundred years or more ago. and built for
himself an adobe hut in bunch of cottonwoods
three miles from the Indian village Hence he
was called Fernandez de Taos" or Fernandez
OF the Cottonwoods and by and by the name was
applied to the locality. well as to the man.
Before long other squatters began to follow his
lead, settling in the neighborhood The
land belonged to the Indians but they were quite
willing to give a liberal allowance to all white
corners. In this they displayed a craft curiousy
analogous to modern European statesmanshin
which seeks to prevent clash between two rival
powers by the creation OF buffer state" to keen
them apart.
The Taos Indians had suffered for centuries
from the ncursions of the Apaches They
shrewdly reasoned that by creating fringe of
| Spanish rancherias along the borders of their
own cultivated lands they would shift the bur.
den of defense from their own shoulders to those
| OF the newcomers. She scheme really worked
very well; and white settlers in the Taos valley
carried their guns with them to their grain fields
less than third of century ago in order to be
| prepared to defend themselves against a. Sudden
attack OF the Apaches while the crafty nhab
itants OF Taos titled their fields In conparative
security and peace of mind
In case of attack by large war party the
Taos Indians made common cause with the white
settlers, so that the proximity Of the community
was not without its advantages to the Spaniards
Owing to the abundance Of fur-bearing animals
! and other wild game in the adjacent mountains
the fertility OF the soil, the convenience of the
place as a general distributing point and the fact
that 1t was situated on of the laterals of
the Santa Fe trail, Taos became the home or at
least the place of rendezvous of the soldiers Of
fortune who made the southwest the theater Of
tnelr exploits. Kit Carson Don Jesus Abreu
| Charles Maxwell, Charles Bent Ceran St yrain
oharies beaubien and many other makers of his.
! Tory once made this little village their home so
| tnat II Is crowded with memorials Of heroic dsvs
Within stones throw of the plaza is the honsa
| n which Kit Carson lived now prostituted 70 tho
pase uses OF hay and feed warehouse ess
tnan quarter OF mile distant Is the grave in
"hich mis- dust lies. Close to this is the red
scar OF the Apaches--the graves of thirty Amers
1Sah soluiers with laconic inscription recording
| the fact that they were slain bv Apacbes in ths
| EmbG6C cauyOn March Q