Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-03-06

stories of the monuments seem in tn,
main to have a picturesque interest
The Fl MORO national monument.
Sc western central New Mexico con-
tains an enormous varicolored sand
stone rock rising about 200 feet out
of lava-strewn valley and eroded in
such fantastic forms as to give it the
appearance OF a great castle. On its
smooth faces are the inscriptions of
five of the early Spanish governors of
New Mexico, as well as of many in
trepid padres and soldiers who were
among the first Europeans to visit this
part of the world
Lying as it did on the first highway
in New Mexico, the Zuni-Aeoma trail.
this rock sheltered as a true fortress
many parties whose course took them
this way The shape of the giant
monolith is such that an expedition of
soldiers could find protection within
the cave on the south side in which
was located the water so necessary to
the traveller in those days Here with
few out-guards on the one exposed
side no successful surprise attack
could have been made by hostile In
dams.
onate's Visit in 1906 Recorded.
The earliest inscription on the rock
is that of Don Juan de Onate, gov
ernor and colonizer of New Mexico
and founder of the city Of Santa Fe.
who in 1906 on his return from trip
to the head of the Gulf of California
passed by Ell MORO and carved rec
ord of his visit.
The inscription of Gov. Manuel de
Silva Nieto, who succeeded Onate and
who took the first missionaries to
Hawiku where a mission was estab-
lfshed, reads: II am the captain-gen-
eral of the province of New Mexico
for the King our Lord. Passed by here
on return from the towns of Zuni on
the Doth Of July of the year 1929 and
he put them in peace upon their petit
ton, asking him his favor as vassals
of his majesty, and anew they gave
their obedience; all of which he did
with clemency, zeal and prudence as
such most Christian (not plain here)
most extraordinary and gallant soldier
of unending and praised memory"
The party accompanying Silva Nieto
was made up of 400 cavalry and 10
wagons. This additional paragraph Is
added to the inscription:
"They passed on the 23d Of March
Of 1882 year to the avenging of the
death Of Father Letrado. "-Lujan.
Lujan, who signed this inscription
had reference to this trip with other
soldiers from the garrison in Santa Fe
to Hawiku, where the padre was muir
dered by Zuni Indians, who scalped
him February %, 1852, just 100 years
before George Washington was born.
De Vargas Inscription.
The De Vargas inscription of 1892
is of historical Importance. Trans
lated it reads: Here was the General
Con Diego de Vargas who conquered
for our Holy Faith and Royal Crown
all Of New Mexico at his own expense
year 1892" De Vargas reconquered
the Pueblo Indians after their bloody
rebellion in 1850 and succeeded In
bringing many colonists from Spain to
take up homes in this country. He lies
buried under the altar of the parish
church in Santa Fe.
Lieut.. ]. 81. Simpson, afterward
General Simpson, accompanied by the
artist, r. II. Kern, were the first
Americans to see these Inscriptions
and bring them to the attention Of the
, public They visited Ell MORO and
copied the inscriptions in 1849, leaving
record of their own visit on the rock.
The last Spanish inscription of
which there are over fifty, was dated
1774. Thus for 1873 years Ell Moro
was regular camping place of par
ties whose business 1t was to main
tain Spanish rule over the Pueblo In
dians of this section. Carving of
names by present visitors is strictly.
prohibited, with heavy fine and i'm
pIlSOum0uL pTOVluCu ny INV IOI VlOld-
tons, in order that the records of the
most famous "Stone Autograph Album"
in the world may be preserved. The
monument contains $40 acres and was
first set aside in 1906. On the top of
the rock there are some ruins of an
cient dwellings which can be reached
by trail.
The monument is reached from Gal
lup, N. M, on the Santa Fe railroad
and National Old Trails road. West
bound motorists, however, may leave
the highway at Grants and follow a
new road which goes through San
Rafael, one of the largest strictly
Spanish towns in the state, then skirts
the foothills OF the Zuni mountains
and passes Aqua Fria draw. From
there on the road is through a grove
of pines, bordered on the left hand by
a great rough lava bed rising to noun
tains in places and falling into un-
known dark crevices and canyons in
others.