The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1916-12-16
SEEING AMERICA

iNttl l'Ntb' olNAlh FvpSiVoOiNDS eN''
nually IN sight seeing in Europe, the
government of the United States
has now started a propaganda to
the people of this country to See
America First and with this pur-
pose in view the department of the
interior is taking photographs of
the Indian Pueblos and the ancient
buildings left behind by the Aztecs
On this continent, together with the
beautiful old mission buildings built
by the Spanish Conquestadores,
which equal, if not rival in interest
anything to be found in Europe.
During last September the officers
of the department of the interior
took many photographs in the vicin-
ty of Taos, among which some very
beautiful photographs were left at
this office, showing buildings built
in Taos about 1896 together with the
wonderful scenic views of the valley
of Taos, which rivals anything to
be- found in Switzerland.V The gov
ernment officials were particularly
Interested in the wonderful hot
springs in the Rio Grande located in
one Of the most picturesque valleys
in the southwest, known as the Mon
etcezumat Hot Springs and called
Wapum by the Indians, which sig
niiIcs perpetual Youth
Certainly the wonderful recover
les made in the springs justify such
a name. But in addition to this these
claims are strengthened not only by
the traditions of the Pueblos of New
Mexico. but the traditions of the
Aztecs to the first Spanish Conquer
ors as evidenced by their early
writers which are of the greatest in
tercst to historians and ethonolO-
gists, which are briefly as follows:
The traditions of the pueblos is
that the Montezumas was born on
the upper water of the Rio Grande
and married the maiden Malinchie
and became a great ruler and power
among the people 1t was reveal
ed to him by the great Father that
he should follow the white headed
eagle to the south and where it lit,
there erect a big city, which he
should call Mezitil, now the city Of
Mexico, and that he would return
again provided the people whom he
left behind should keep fires burn
ing until his return. Their sacred
fires have been kept alive since that
time by the pueblos in anticipation
of his return.
The traditions of the Aztecs as
given to the early Spaniards is that
they came from the great city of
Aztalan, many days journey to the
north and near this city were the
wonderful springs of perpetual eX-
peditions on the part of the early
Spaniards to locate them, which ex-
pedidations located the Grand OUR
era. Santa Fe and Braba, now known
as San Fernando, De Taos, abbrev-
lated into Taos.
In connection with these ancient
traditions of the Aztec, the Span
iards and the Pueblos, which bear
on this subject is that5ust north of
the Pueblo of Taos are to be seen
at this time the foundation of what
is presumed to be the ruins Of vast
city, covering some twenty square
miles, while five miles west Of the
same are to be found the wonderful
hot springs, known to the Indians as
lWapumi, and inscribed on the rocks
between which the spring flows are
the ancient Aztec Inscriptions signi-
flying perpetual life. :
These inscriptions were together
with the springs in their beautiful
surroundings recently photographed
by the staff appointed by the gov
ernment in its campaign of seeing
America first, and will prove ons
of the most attractive features il
their lectures in the East.
Start your children on the roaG
A 4. a. a 4