The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-12-12

from 500 10 600 feet above the level OF the while
that OF the central or Abuquerque roate near the 6th
parallel is according to tie Pacific Railroad Reports
far from 600 feet The temperature at these two points
corresponds with the difference IN elevation AT Abu-
querque the mercury sinks below zero and the Rio Grnde
Is sometimes frozen that persons may the
ice AT I'll Paso II has been known TO sink as low
as zero. The boundary commission wintered there In
lo5O-5l which pronounced the coolest ever known
there. Snow fell twice at night but disappeared
the day following before noon, and the mercury sank ON
a single occasion TO lO2.
These conclusions not new, the opinion
expressed in my Personal Narrative report of eX-
ploations connected with the Boundary Commission pub
shed Immediately the return OF that body from the
survey of the line. In volume of that work, page
lSs in speaking of the district east of the Rio Grande
il is stated that
The country is we'll adapted for wagon road and
equally so for railway From fredericksburg in Texas,
all the way to the Rio Grande there natural road which
whole better than onehalf the roads In the Uni
ted States west of the Mississippi Very little has been
done to this road of nearly 600 miles to render it what II
Is and little labor where the streams crossed, with
bridge the Pecos which could be constructed with
and at small expense would make the whole of it
equal to our best turnpikes."
In continuation of my remarks the practicabilty
OF constructing great wagon road the parallel OF
1872 suggested the necessity of sinking wells at certain
places, and further stated my belief from what had
heard from Mexicans who had travelled the country be-
tween the Pecos and the Rio Grande that water could
be found in other places not then known to travellers,
thereby removing of the greatest obstacles in
ing this arid region
The district OF country bordering on the Rio Grande at
FL Paso is the widest and richest portion OF the bottom
lands along that stream and hence capable of sustaining
larger population than at any other point The strip Of
bottom land known the Mesilla Valley, though not
onehaf the extent of that south of Ell Paso also vau
able and at Doha Ana, well as few miles to the
north the bottom lands again expand into broad plain
admirably adapted to artificial irrigation and agriculture
and consequently to the sustaining of larger population
than is elsewhere to be found in that vicinity Indeed it
valley of the Rio Fande lies between the parallels of 80
80 and 80 degrees. I'll Paso lies in 80 AS OF the
tent of the culturabe valley the parallel Of $50
am not prepared to speak with confidence
will now speak Of the country west of the Rio Grande
the parallel of 80 degrees which the contem-
plated mail route is to This district frequently
crossed and recrossed by myself personally well by
various engineering parties of the boundary commission
To avail ourselves of the few watering places then known
we followed the Rio Grande to Santa Barbara thence
westwardly to Cookies spring Our surveying parties,
which followed the line OF 800 22 found springs at
el places between Doha Ana and Cookies spring. and in
their various reconnaissance discovered water in many
places not marked on the maps known to travellers
Proceeding west, the Rio Mmbres and copious spring
called Oo de Vaca followed at intervals of ten and twelve
miles t.# .... s.
Westward from Oo de Yaca the vast region extending
to Tucson entirely unknown and am not
ever uaversed by any party of white men previous to
1851, when it became necessary that commission
should penetrate it, When Col. Cooke was here in S47
with his battalion, his march to California, his guide
Leroux afraid to cross it, not knowing of the exist
ence of water there He Therefore advised the Colonel
to take southweserly to the Guadalupe Pass in
Sonora thence to San Pedro river Tucson and the ila
Col Cooke took this route and opened way which has
since been laid down the maps Cookies road while
the district avoided by him is designated Gas open
prairie and good route, if water be found Such
simply the .beief' Of Ieroux. In entering upon
this unknown district we had many fears vet with
train of both heavilyladen wagons and pack mules
took course due west from Ojo de Vaca, and found in
the Burro mountains fifteen miles distant, abundance
OF water and small stream, which, think extended to
the Gila We had followed mvne for five miles
through the mountains, and supposed should be
obliged to retrace steps yet after searching hour
or two, we found passage through the mountains for
wagons without using spade or encounering any
steep ascent or descent. .r
Thus the whole party for the survey of the line to its
western extremity, and that for the survey of the Gla
as well of the Rio Grande divisions, with their
loaded wagons, pack mules herd of twenty five
and one hundred and fifty sheep taversed this unknown
region, crossing mountains ridges, open plains and des
crt wastes without losing crpping wagon without
suffering for the want of water which always found
at convenient distances until the rivers San Pedro and
ella were reached. In where water was
seen we dug for it, and in every instance found it
the surface In every mountain range defes easy of
with gradual ascen and descents everywhere
found by diverging little to the right or left Grass
too for our large train of mules horses cattle and sheep
was always found in abundance. When encampng on
the woodless plains there deficiency in re-wood,
ty. Sometimes were put to little inconvenience to
find wood water, and grass ut once but enough
to satisfy that party exploring for the purpose and
not confined to particular line could find all these
ceSsaries in abundance and at convenient distances from
the Rio Grande to the valley of the Santa Cruz
The valley OF the Santa Cruz is the richest, and,
though quite limited in BREADTH contains land suit.
abe for agricultural purposes than any between the Rio
Gande and the Pacific within the belt between the 3st
parallel and the Gila Here, too, Santa Cruz, Tu
bac Tumacacov and Tucson forests of mesquit and
the only considerable tracts of woodland he mountains
excepted in this large district In this valley are some
of the Oldest missionary establishments in America Mar
co de Mia and Coronado having tversed this valley and
made known its advantages before the year 1860 Such
is the superior excellence of this valley compared with
the other portions of the socalled Gasden purchase
lying west of the Rio Grande valley, that should be
made available for many stations possible the
contemplated mail route. 1t contains the chief pepta-
ton of the district is versed by excellent road it
opens the most direct and best route to Sonora and
bounded the east by the Santa Rita and other
tans known to abound in iron well the precious
metals. The valley of San Pedro is admirably adapted
for grazing, but not for agricultural purposes.
That my ideas with regard to this route are not now
stated for the first time, but made known to the
government six years ago. will quote from my despatch
from Santa Cruz to the Hon. Alexander H. H. Stuart,
Secretary of the Interior dated September 81, 1851
% Being the first party of which have knowledge
which has crossed the unknown region lying east of the
San Pedro and south of the ella. o g o +
enabled to state, with great satisfaction that the
direct route travelled by the commission nearly west
from Ojo dc Vaca, is route far practicable for
road railway than Cookies route that the distance
from water to water is less that the hills and mountains
to be crossed infinitely less in height and easier to