Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-02-06

After a month of heated contro-
versy over "The Blood of the Con-
querors," a novel Of New Mexico
written by Harvey Ferguson, a
former Albuquerquean, the essay
contest conducted by the Morning
Journal and Alfred A. Knopf, Mr..
FERGUSON publisher, comes to a
close. The awards are announced
| today.
The contest has occasioned wide
spread interest in the book and has
resulted in the contribution of doz-
ems Of essays on the question OF
whether or not the novel portray5
New Mexico faithfully A number
of the essays have been printed in
the Book Corner each week during
the month of January while the
contest was open.
The awards have been made as
| follows:
First prize; Mrs. s. L. Hernandez,
$1,000.
Second prize; Garvin Presba'
$500.
Third prize: Ruth Loomis Skeen,
$3.50.
Fourth prize: A. Giiberto Espi-
nosa, $3.50.
Fifth prize: Alice Gould, S1.0O.
The essays were adjudged by the
literary staff of the Morning Jour
nal on sanity, force and broad
mindedness of argument, whether
for or against the book, relevancy
to the subject of the controversy,
and general literary excellence OF
the manuscript submitted. The
first and second, and fifth prize
essays hitherto unpublished are
given below:
First Prize Essay.
"The Blood Of the Conquerors'
may not be literary gem, but !
consider it as good as the ordinary
modern novel written for quick
selling and easy reading. for a peo-
pie too busy to enjoy long descflp-
tions and dialogues.
/ have lived long in New Mexico
and know the country. it's inhabi-
tants and their customs well, so
feel that l can speak confidently
and rightfully as regards the truth
fulness of the picture or the life OF
Albuquerque people in the days OF
which Mr.. Ferguson mas SO force
fully written.
The book is not immoral nor un-
clean; it is merely realistic, show
| ing human nature as it is in New
Mexico and everywhere-weak and
pitiable. One should not try to dis
cover in the characters of the book
people who have actually lived in
Albuquerque. The author has
pieced together incidents that he
saw or heard and introduced them
in the lives of his fictitious char
acters, portraying certain types, to
1 be sure, but not certain individuals.
The author sees the Spanish peo-
pie with a sympathetic eye and an
understanding heart - the young
people eager tos learn the ways or
the new civilization and to become
4 a part of the gayer, happier social
\ life of the newcomers, but held
4 back by the superstitutions and
prejudices of their parents and
shut out by the bigotry and foolish
race" pride of the intruders. He
deals impartially with the sins of
! the Spanish, meztisos and gringos.
lie Ramon is lazy and vacillating,
Julia is foolish, weak and danger
Gus. If Archulera is cunning and
revengeful, McDougal is avaricious
and dishonest.
Ramon would no doubt have be-
come a good citizen and kind and
loving husband IL Julia Roth had
married him. His kindness of
nature is shown by his unwilling
ness to cause Julia any trouble or
bring her into poverty, by his for
giveness of the penitente who tried
to kill him and by his treatment
of poor, ignorant Catalina who had
literally thrown herself at his feet.
/ think the shrewder and more
civilized newcomers would have
been less thoughtful for poor Cata-
| lima than he was.
He pictures faithfully the priest
and the penitentes. Why should
people feel offended when the truth
| is told about religious cult or its
ministers? Religion is merely
mans way Of interpreting God and
| is man-made, not established by
lGod. The beautiful forests, noun
| tains and streams are often
changed, or even ruined, for man s
convenience, and these are God s
own handiwork. Why, then, should
the slightest criticism or effort to
change or improve a religion made
and managed by man cause so
much resentment?
Ramon's futile life Is saddening,
but who can wonder that he sue
cumbed to adverse circumstances?
Many fine descendants of the con-
auerors in our midst today are be-
ing hindered and hurt by the same
force that ruined Ramon-parental
stubbornness and ignorance, race"
prejudice and unfairness on the
part of the newer settlers and the
heavy yoke of religious intolerance
and worn out superstitions.
A JULIA WHO MARRIED