If the story were true he would have been Franciscan not Jesuit. The Jesuits were suppressed in the Portuguese (1759), French (1764) and Spanish (1767) colonies. Father LaRue and his imaginary adventures were written into the "history" of Mexico as being in 1797 - 30 years later. Chasing Jesuit stories in the new world or Asian colonies after those dates and before 1830 is an exercise in futility.
There is a lot to be skeptical of in this recent story. There is no mention of a Padre LaRue in Spanish records or any history for that matter. Besides the story relying on some seriously messed up geography it's based on an event that never happened. Durango is a high altitude, cool, water rich subtropical forest with vineyards - not a dry desert. Even the lower altitude areas are known for their lush growth and abundant tropical fruits. Obviously the author of the tale had never visited the areas portrayed in the story. Not all of Mexico is composed of dried out desert and Sombreros despite the cartoons we were offered as children.
Interestingly the long term residents in the area of "Spirit Springs" (400 years) have a good laugh at the expense of the gullible güeros when the subject comes up.
