New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-07-12

self 10 prosecutions and most probably suspension,
tyrannical course of proceeding which has checked
| the career of two or three papers even among the
more enlightened inhabitants of Cblhuahna, where
. miserable organ of the Government is still occa-
! sionay issued from The office OF the Iaprentn del
| Gobterno or Government Press No wonder then
| that the people of Northern Mexico much be-
tnd their neishbors OF the United States 10 lnelli
| gence and that the pulse OF national industry md
! liberty beats so low
The mechanic and useful arts are in an equally
| deplorahle condition:
The mechanical arts have scarceiv risen abc"e thu
condition they were found in among the ahorign-s
Sold and Silver smiths are perhaps better skilled ID
their r. pectve trades than other class OF urtsars
whatever as the abundance OF precious metals IN
,ruer DAYS, and the ruling passion of the people for
ostcntatious show, gave very early stimulus 10 the
exercise of this peculiar talent. Some mechanics
of this class have produced such singular specimens
OF ingenious workmanship that on examining them
we are almost unwilling TO believe that rude arl
| could accomplish much. Even II hride-bi or a
mir of spur. il would no doubt puzzle the cutcst
Yankee 10 ia. hon after Mexican Iuodel-such as
| nave seen manufactured by the commoHest black
! smiths of the country.
| In carpentry and cabinet-work the mechanic has
10 labor 10 great disadvantage, account OF want
of tools and scarcity OF suitable timber Their
| boa rds have TO be hswed ont with aXe-sawed
lumber being absolutely unknown throughou New
Mexico except what IS occasionally cut by foreign
efs The axe comm0nl used for splitting and hsw-
Zig is formed after the model o! those clumsy hatch
cts known as 'squaw-axeS' among Indian traders.
We, this is not unirequenty the only tool Of the
| worker in wood; Il cart piow is often manuac-
rurpd without auger, chlsel: or drawing
knife.
I'm architecture, the people DO mol seem TO have ar
rived al any great perfection, tu; rather 10 have
formed themselves 10 the clumsy style which pre-
vailed among TIE aborSines, than 10 waste their
time in STUDYING modern masonry and the use OF
lime. The materials generally used for building are
Of the crudest possible description: consisting OF
unburnt sun-dried bricks, cemeDted together with a
species Of mortar made OF simple clay and sand
| These bricks arc called GdoJeS, and every edi6ce,
from the church 10 The pGaciO, is constructed OF the
same stuff. In fact should remark, perhaps that
though all Southern Mexico is celebrated for the
nagnicence and wealth of It's churches, New Next
| co deserves equal fame for poverty stricken and
| shabby. looking houses Of public worship.
OF the geography and general face Of the coun-
| try Mr. Grogg's information is no doubt accu-
rate, bu. too vague and indefinite to increase
much our stock of knowledge in that respect;
If We look at the Great Western Prairies, inde-
| pendentv OF the political powers 10 which portions
! f them respectively belong, we shall find them &C.
upyipg The whole of that extensive territory Wing
| between the spurs OF the Rocky Mountains on the
North and the rivers oi Texas on the Soulful dis
,ance OF some seven eight hundred miles in one
! direction ard from The frontiers OF Missouri and
| Arkansas on the Eusi 10 the Eastern branches OF
| nc Southern Rocky Mountains Oh the West-abouI
six hundred miles III the transverse direction: the
whole comprising an area of about 1OO.GU0 square
niles some 80 GOO of winch are written the original
| limits of Texas, and 10000 in those of New Mexico
| III we extend them East TO the United States bnun-
larv0 leaving about 100000 in the Territory oi
| me United States.
This vast Territory is not interrupted by any I'M
oortant mountainous elevations, except along the
| Great Western sierrHs, and BY some low, craggy
| ,idgas about the Arkansas ironrier-skirts of the
| Ozark mountains. There is II Is true; high ON the
! dividing ridge between Red River and the False
Vashila II range OF hills, the South Western per
non OF which extends about 10 the tooth degree OF
| longitude West from Greenwich; that is, 10 the
| United States boundary line. These are generally
| allied the Wichita Mountains, but sometimes Tor
| yash by hunters, perhaps from t0ydrtSt, the Co
| ,nanche word for mountain. inquired once q! n
| turllunche Indian how hIs nation esigna'rJ this
| rangc of mountains winch was then IN sight OF us
| lie answered, Sc I6yartSt." - But tins SIMPLY
means a mountain replied. {" How do You ois-
| anguish ,his from any other mountain !! There
| IRE no other mountains in the COmanche territory,
| -e reoiued-' none ill go East 10 yonr country
| ur South TO Texas, or West TO the land oi the
| Mexican"
! have. been assured bv Mexican hunters and In
! diaus that from Santa Fe Sou,heas,ward there Is
;.ut one route upon which This plain can bs safely
| yraversed during the dry season and even some OF
ne watering places on this at intervals OF ty
n eighty miles, aud hard TO find. Hence the Mcxi
| can traders and hunters that they might not lose
| heir wav and perish from thirst, staked out
this route across the plan, II Is sait whence II has
| r.csive1 the name OF FL itaao Est0c0do, or the
Snked Plain.
OF tho quality Of the soil and the inhabitablc
ncss OF these great Southwestern Prairies our au
hor says:
1t will now readily be Inferred that the Grea
nrairies from Red River TO the Western sources o
the Missouri, are, Ss has before been minated
chiefly Observation-Disclosures so much for want o
wood Though the plains are altogether naked az o
soil aud of water ur thong some vi the plains ap
Gear of efficiently fertile soil they mostly of
sterile character, and all dry 10 he cultivated
These great steppes only fitted for the haUnt
OF the mustang, The buffalo, The antelope and thei
migratory lord. the prairie Indian. Unless with tht
progressive influence ui time some favorable mnta
ton should be wrought III nature 6 operations 10 re
wye the plains and upland prairies, the occrsonn
fertile valleys are isolated and remote 10 becom,
the abodcs of civilized man.
Like the table plains OF Northern Mexico, thes'
high praircs could AT present oaly be made avail
able Tor grazing purposes and that IN the vicinity
of th- water courses. The grass with which they
IRE mostly clothed, IL Of Il superior quality. Th,
celebrated bui',lo grass is OF TWO kinds, both O
which are species oil The groma Of New Mexico, an'
eouall, nutritious a; Nil seasons. II is the same
believe as called 'mezluite grass IN Texas, ir"n
The mezquie tree which grows there in the sam'
dry regions with ii. Oh inns uneQualcd pasturag'
ihe Great Western Prairics afford suiciency 1t
Craze cattle Tor the supply OF all the United States
1t is particularly adapted To shceP-raisng, as l.
shown by example OF the same species in New
Mexico.
But from the general sterilty and unnhabi,able
ness Of the Praries Is excepted, as will be under
stood, that portion, already alluded 10, which Dor
ders our Western frontier. The uplands from t'
Arkansas boundary 10 the Cross 'l'mbers are ever,
where beautifully interspersed with isolated prai
RIGS and gIades many OF which are fertile, though
-ome too fat. and consequently inclined In b
marshy. The valleys o the streams are principally
OF a rich loan, rather subject to inundauons bu
mostly tiiiabe. The tinbered upands are mosll,
OF lair quality, except on the broken ridges an,
mountainous sections BEFORE referred 10. Some o
The uplauds, however, known usually as ,,post-eai
flats, like the marsh, praries, seem 10 be haset
unon quick ssud. The soil is of Il dead. unproduc
tive character. and covered wi'h small Jumps o