The Columbus weekly courier., 1920-09-17

him 10 New Mexico and their de-
sccndenis. the title Of and made them
-hidalgOs and persons Of noble lin
cage and lords paramount" and de-
clared that -as such they shall be
known. held and considered aud
shall enjoy the honors and pre-
cminences. and may do all things
that noblemcn and gentlemen OF the
kingdom Of CASTLE can do. accord
ing 10 the privileges, laws and Gus
toms OF Spain" This decree wns
promulgated In San Lorenzo. Spain,
July 3, i002, and was exhibited and
acknowledged in the City Of Mexico.
juno 20. 1904.
From the days Of the Onate con-
quest and colonization 10 the expul-
sion Of the Spaniards by the Pueblo
Indians In 1880. very little Of the his
tory In detail of,ihe celony. Us rs-
tensions and artivilies, has so far
been discovered In The archives uf
Spain or Mexicn In recent years
some additions 10 our knowledge Of
events of that period have been
made. but the story Of the trials
and tribulaiions Of those OF Onaie's
followers who remained In New
Mexico and their descendants Is
clouded with tradition and In many
vital historical essentials is shouded
Ia almost utter darkness. The fact
that 80 little Is known Is due io the
burning Of the Santa Pc archives
by the Indians when they Destroyed
and sacked the city In August. i68o.
Onaie enjoys the distinction Of be-
ing the first 10 bring beef cattle into
the country; he was, therefore. the
father Of the livestock industry In
the United States. OF equal note Is
the fact that he was the first Ia in
troduce wheeled vehicles for trans
TortaiiOn purposes. He may, there
fore, be credited with the parenlagc
Of that class Of service IN this c0un-
try. lie was also the first 10 con-
slruct trails and highways aud Is en-
Titled 10 the distinction Of being the
commander OF the advance guard
IN highway construction. Tie was
the father Of the oldest travelled
commercial highway IN the south
west the great Canine Real from
Santa Barbara. now Jiminex. Mex
leo, 10 the capital a Santa Fe. He
was "adelaniado" IN something be-
sides The title which his royal mas
ter conferred upon him.
A few words as 10 the first great
American colOnizer may not be- out
OF place here lie was the son OF
Don Cristihal de Onate, a native Of
lNitt0ria. who came 10 New Spain IN
ib2A His mother was Dona Catalina
dc salazar, native Of Granada. His
father was one Of the captains uh-
der NunO de Guzman and was rated
a. one OF the cOnquercrs of New
Galacia- In i5t6, Don Crisiohal
Onate was resident OF Xacalecas
where he was prominently success
ful IN mining and Is stated To have
been one OF the wealthiesi men OF
his time. Don Juan de Onale was
born IN Mexico. but the exact date
and place of his birth are unknown
He entered the service Of the kinl
anrly Ia life and wns active as late
a. id20. HE poet bioRrapher. Cap
tain dc VlllnErn, compares him {,
Corles and Columbus he was mar.
lied 10 Dona isabel ToloSa Corie,
honiesuna, grcal-erand-daughlel
of MOniealma. grand daughter o
Cories, daughter OF Juan de Tolosl
and Leonor C0rles dc Monlesuma
They had tw0 children. Crisiohal d
Onalc and Maria DE- Onale. Don.
Maria married ule Maestro ~ Cam
po, Captain Vincent de Zaldlvar.
An Epic p0em
Onaie and New Mexico are IN
anly Instances IN the narratives o
New World discoveries whose his
tory is recorded IN an epir noeu
Captain VillaEra Describes Onale 4
the following verse;