Western Liberal, 1889-11-22

Chas. F. Lummis In the Youth's Companion. If the itory of New Mexico uuld be written in detail, from Hit time when the brave Spaninh conquistador! planted there the fi tut European civilization in all the vast area now embraced by the United States, it would atand unparalleled in all the history of the world. No other com com-tnenwealth - tnenwealth com-tnenwealth on the globe han met and con quered inch incredible hardships, danger and sufferings for so Ion if a time. The story of New Mexico is a stery writ written - ten written in the blood of three hundred and fifty years. Unfortunately, we shall never be able to compile its history fully all we have are the sailent points; and they have been saved only by research the moat la laborious. - borious. laborious. ,". " There were no newspapers nor books to record and perpetuate the suffering and the heroiura of the Spanish pioneers in the New World. The early Spanish explorers wrote "ouentús" or account ot what they saw and fouud io the strange new land, and much tbiU was great historic value was preserved in tbo church records kept by the priests. But in the red Pueblo uprising of 16S0 moat of these precious documents were destroyed, and the others were so scatter scattered - ed scattered over the world that they have not even yet ben re-collected. So the written his history - tory history of the oldest and in many respects the most interesting part of our country is, and must remain, largely fragmentary. For not only the traditions of the stirring events that took place loner in these regions, but also the old men who re remember - member remember the traditions are as fant dying out together, and with them will be lost the material for writinat many a paper ot .'xcitintr and important hixtory. Some of the :uont rountntiu sturitj o! Nt'W Mexico in Ini" lu' c nhiiy cluster .iliuut the little hamlet ot Tome, on the east biink of the Rio (Jiaiida some twenty twenty-live - live twenty-live miles below Albuquerque. A quiet, sleepy spot it is, among the tall cotton cotton-woods - woods cotton-woods that fringe "the Great River of the North." Never large, it is now but the skeleton of its former self, for the trencher ous river ten years ago swept away most ol I he town, leaving only the oig old church nd half a dozen dwellings. The visitor to-day tinds in its rural doze little sugges lion of the stuiinu scenes through which it ins passed. Tome the nnme is a contraction ol .vbbe Santo Tomas wa.i founded in 1709 y Don Ik'imeio Baca, who came out fiotn Spain at the head ol blty families, ami settled upon the grant ol land ceded by lie Spanish crown. The colonists l-uili heir little adobe houses upon the rich bot- om-laiids ol the Rio Grande, which the. ungated, an is necessary in that arid cli climate, - mate, climate, by ditches from the river. They were in the midst of hostile Indi- in tribe Hie Conianches, Navajos, Apaches und Utes and lived a life ot constant harassment. They were well for- itied, how-iver, and numerous enough to ,iold their own; their quuiut old Spanish scopetns (flint-lock muskets) putting them on au equality with a far larger force ol how-artied Indians. Tlio Coiu incliex were just then inclined to peace, Riid Don Ignacio, who whs hrewd as well as courageous, soon estab established - lished established friundly relations with tbem. They began to come regulary to Tome to trade, and were always hospitably received. Between tbem and the Navajos as im immemorial - memorial immemorial and implacable hostility existed, and the wiser citizens of Tome began to wish that some ulhnnce might be made with the ComaDuhes whidi should forever protected Tome from the common foe. About this timo an event occured which gave reaxon to hope that the wish miuht be realized suddenly. The Coinunche chiel was a tall, superbly built Indian, in the prime ot life, and of mental power com commensurate - mensurate commensurate with his vast phjsicial strength. He formed a strong friendship for Don litnacio, and at last brought bis son, a fine looking boy of ten, to visit his new Spanish friends. Señor Baca had a very pretty little daughter, Maria, then about seven years old, and the two children took a great fancy to each other. "Amigo," said the Comanche chief to StfiorBaca one day, "see the children, how they play together. It is not well that when they grow old enough to marry them, and make on eternal alliance be between - tween between may people and the people of Tome?" "It is well," said Seflor Baca. "We will do so." And he made a solemn com compact. - pact. compact. The Indians thereupon made a great feast, and presently departed for their country, away to the east of Tome, in high spirits. Every year the Comanche chief used to come with a number of bis people to Tome, bringing to little Maria lavish present of borses, buffalo robes, buffalo meat and the like. At last, when the boy was nineteen years old, the whole tribe decked out in their gayest blanket and buckskin and feather, accompanied him to Tome to cel celebrate - ebrate celebrate the marriage. He had by this time grown to be a tall, athletic young brave, who showed much of b'S father' physical and tueutal strength, But Don Ignacio ba.d changed hi mind.

Various Items of News Gathered from Onr Exchanges and other Sources. Near the' ranch of 8ebe Grey on the Sa- ledo canon, which is about six mile from Nogal, a tbe crow flies, and about fivs mile this tide of Fort Stanton, Waverly Johnson and Sam Wortley have discover discovered - ed discovered and opened np a fine vein of coal. ' The first almond grown about Hillsbo rough have just been picked. They are good sized and well flavored nut. Gallup is now (hipping an average of evnly-five car load of coal daily, and tbe oatput is constantly increasing. Irrigating canal and storage reservoirs will make snch a cbaag in- New Mexico that the old croaker, who keep saying "it can't be done," will b i.nable to recog recognize - nize recognize it. Optic: Uncle John A Hill, of Albuquer Albuquerque, - que, Albuquerque, huntd rabbit oyer the site of tho re ported placer gold find in Rio Arriba coun county - ty county in 1849, and he place little faith in the genuineneti of the report. The Kingston Shaft say the lngersoll mining company will resume operalioni within a short time with a force of six men. The company has ordered a "Com mon Sense Steel Whim" from Denver, and as soon a that reaches here will go to work in earnest. A few men are now at work cleaning np and timbering the main shaft, snd otherwise preparing for active development. Bulletin : Duri ig onr absence last week tbe editor pro tern, stated that we bad gone into the mountains to pursue the frolicsome deer and trail tbe silver tip to his lair in the rocks. We desire to state that we did not go hunting at all. We simply went out in the hills to shoot at a mark and enjoy ourself. If v.c had went bunting we would surely have brought back some game, and as tbe only thing caught was a bad cold it is plainly evident that we went out for our health. The Rustier says there is a ledge of al abastcr. nearly 300 feet thick, a few miles, below Cerrillos, that only needs heating to make the best quality of plaster, and lo cated so close to tbe track of Atison Tope ka & Santa Fe road that hundreds of ton of it could be blasted down upon tb track, and no one is working it. Mesilla Democrat: There i nothing like throwing your whole soul into what ever you do, but that doesn't mean throw ing a bullet into another man so as to let his soul out. In the ardent advocacy of their client's causes before the land office last week, two young attorneys grew so vi olent in their personal opposition to each other that one ot them started to convince his opponent with a revolver of the truth of his statements. Before he could gel his persuader fairly drawn bis argument was knocked out out of his band, and he was sprawling wrathfully on the floor while the wholo land office was excitedly but de determinedly - terminedly determinedly lilting on his back. Not to he 'daunted by a little thing like that, be fish ed for the revolver with one of bis feet so as to try and get bold of it again; and when the 'Met clerk wildly dashed for it, dropped h' spectacle into a bucket of water, and in blindly stumbling over the gun kicked it out of the way, there arose a sigh of relief from every one presen, tbe excitable young attorney included, as the land office arose from his prostrate form, and mildly suggested and that such a pro proceeding - ceeding proceeding was not according to the rule of practice, and therefore could not be allow allowed - ed allowed in futnre. Independent: On Wednesday morning I heie arrived on the stage five large mail tracks containing the books and blanks necessary for opening the new Lincoln land office at Roswell. The documents weigh about 600 pounds and went forward to their destination yesterday morning. Companion Fletares. Anether handsome reminder of tbe con continued - tinued continued enterprise of Tbe Youth' Com Companion, - panion, Companion, the favorite family paper, has came to us in the form of a Colored An Announcement - nouncement Announcement Cord, printed in fourteen col colors. - ors. colors. It is folded In the centet, and has on the cover eight companion picture. Spring ha represented by a beautiful maiden who is returning through tbe fields, ber band filled with trailing ar arbutus - butus arbutus that delicate spriug flower whi.h grows so plentifully in many localities. On the companion page, tbe farmer's daughts is picture coming through tbe har harvested - vested harvested grain, carrying a well-filled pitcher and basket. Tbe bearer of tbe noon-day luucb is a welcome sight to the hungry re reaper. - aper. reaper. The interior of the card contains an array of authors and article for the coming volume unsurpassed by any paper. This beautiful Card is only an indication of tb great enterprise ol The Companion wbich has made it a NationalgFamily V'a V'a-per, - per, V'a-per, with more than 430,000 ubscr.txr. Nowhere can there be obtained so much entertainment and instruction for so little money (only $1.75 year). If you subscribe now you will receive tl. paper free to January 1, 1890, and for a lull year from that dale. The publisher offer to send specimen copie and thi Col Colored - ored Colored A nnouueement Card free. Addres The Youth' Companion, Boston, Mass.

for a politic alliance than io the earlier, doubtful days, and thought it probable that he might be able to retain the friend ship of the Comanche without giving; up his daughter, to whom he was growing more and more attached. The tradition of the other day say that she was a very beautiful girl. A to the sacred promise he had made, he thought like many peopU of our more enlighten ed days that a promise made to an Indi an "didn't count." So he arranged the matter with the people of the town, and hid Maria in a secure place. When the Comanche arrived ha put on a sorrowful face and . said, "Alas! My poor daughter! She died of small-pox last winter, and I am left alone." The Comanche received this new with great sorrow, and turned homeward la menting bitterly. A year passed without trouble. Then a party of trader from the pueblo of Isleta, twelve milf s up the river from Tome, went over to the Comanche country with a pack tnm of burro. During their stay there, the death of Maria was spoken of by the Comanche. "But that is not true," said the Isle- tans. "Ihe girl is alive and well, for we saw her but a few days before we started." The Comauche chief questioned them closely, and, upon finding that they told the truth, was so much enraged at the trick that had been put upon him, that he at once began to lay bis plan for ven vengeance. - geance. vengeance. Tbe 8th of September had come the feast day of Santo Tomas, the patron saint of Tome and the busy little Spunish town was entering upon a grand celebration. In the afternoon there were to be horse horseraces - races horseraces and foot-races "running the chicle en, and shoo'.ing-matcbes; and in the ev ening a grand bull. Now, in the forenoon of this day, the good old priest was saying mass in the big adobe church, and eyery one wis there in their holiday Gnery. On a sudden a ten ible yell was heard outside, and in another moment tbe Com Com-anches, - anches, Com-anches, hideous in their war-paint, ".ere pouring into the church. It was a com complete - plete complete surprise. The Tomeños, after long xecurity, had laid aside their early vigilance and were nit unarmed. Powerless to re re-sitt, - sitt, re-sitt, they were slaughtered like sheep, and nota man of Tome was spared to tell tbe i;nastly tale. Even tbe priest perished with tbe rest. Most of the women and children were spared, and many were car carried - ried carried off into captivity among tbem Marin, ihe innocent cause of all this bloodshed. Tbe Franciscan priest of Albuquerque came down to bury the dead and console ;he survivors. He wrote a very brief ac account - count account of tbe affair in his church record, naively adding: "How fortuuate that all had been to confession and communion the day before." Marie was carried to the Comanche country with great care and there whs married to tbe young warrior who had waited for her so long. Tradition says that sl e soon beoamo well content with her new lijins, where she was treated with nn nn-Ukual - Ukual nn-Ukual consideration. At all event, (lie parted tbe remainder of a long lile there, and her descendants are still to be found among the Comanches in the Indian na nation, - tion, nation, still bearing her old family name ot Baca. Only fifteen years ago one of her ever ever-so - so ever-so great grandsons, a stalwart and hand handsome - some handsome brave, named Puercus, who was then the head chief of the Comanches, came down to Puerto de Luna to visit Colonel Manuel Chavez, the most extraordinary Indian-tighter and rifle-shot New Mexico has ever produced. Hi prowess in war and his spotless integrity in peace made him feared, while he was also esteemed by all the Indians in the territory, and some of them felt the warmest friendship lor him. Tbe Navajos were just then being re removed - moved removed from Fort Sumner to their present reservation two hundred miles to the west and when Puercus and his two wives left Puerto de Luna they were mrroundod by the traditional foe of their race. Tbey made a gallant resistance, the women fighting like warriors, and held out for half a day before they were killed by the swarming Navajos, over thirty of whom bad bitten tbe dust during that unequal struggle. A for Toma, which never fully recover recovered - ed recovered from that fatal blow, the Indians kuow it this day a "The Town of the Broken Promise." Mark No Mistake. It you have made up your mind to buy Hood's Sarsaparilla do not be induced to take any other. Hood' Sarsaparilla is a peculiar medicine, possessing, by virtue of peculiar combina combination, - tion, combination, proportion and preparation, curative power superior to any other article of the kind before the people. For all aflection arising from impure blood or low tate of the system it i unequalled. Be ure to get Hood'. Senator Reagan say be will oppose th admission of New Mexico. "Reagan is a Texan," lay tbo Albuquerque Ctz"t "and Texan have never had any lovo for this territory."