Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-11-16
NEWS AND GOSSIP.


Washington friend whose notes of his journey
across the Plains, from Kansas to FL Psso, have
Of late formed so interesting and agreeable
feature of the Stars columns. 1t is IS follows:
FL PAso, CTeras,) Oct. Is, 1858.
Edition Of The Star: E
continue my journal, as follows:
Saturday, August 2S.-We reached La Joyita
pronounced Ho e-ta) at breakfast time. In sight
OF the town is high mound-perh aps 500 feet
on which Garrison commenced running the base
line OF the public SURVEYS in this Territory. At
80 O'Clock the Thermometer stood at go; but
still II Is pleasant, and thick clothing is not I'M
comfortable. We slept tonight in a bottom,
with high hills on our left We started again at
= O'Clock a.. m. for San Pedro, the last place
where we can procure provisions to take US
through the Journado del Muerto, lJornado,l
which, being translated, means the Journey Of
the Dead Man.
Sunday. Aug. 29.-We reached Don Pedro be-
fore sunrise, and made purchases OF fowls aud
eggs. This Is another small adobe Mexican town.
We filed canteens out OF the acaquia, or irri-
gated canal, aud then went abont ten miles, and
took breakfast on the banks Of the Rio 6rande.
While at breakfast, some Of the wagon road
party passed Antonio Perez, one of the passen-
gers, found rattlesnake, which escaped TO his
hole In some mezquit bushes. At eight O'Clock
this morning, the thermometer was so, and at
one, $40; still the heat is not oppressive. We
passed the ruins Of Valvudo, Green Vale The
ruins are merely an old adobe building, for
sheep or cattle rancho, and acaquia, commenced
but never finished. Fort Conrad Is on the OF DO
site side of the river. The cotton wood on the
river Is getting more abundant There are some
beautiful mssds, or table lands, side of the
river; the ellis, or escarpments forming them
dark volcanic rock. We stopped in the bottom
uf the river. and the mail &C the river TO
Fort Craig. The fort is built on an alluv al de-
post, about fifty feet above the river at its pres
ent stage The buildings are adobes. We reached
a watering place the river in view Of Fra
ChrstovaI, where we filed all the canteens we
had, and those Major Wells borrowed in the fort
We remained here until the moon rose, as we
were threatened with Il storm. Fra Christoval
(Friar Christopher) is i mountain or CUTLER OF
the range Of mountains which skirt the Rio
Grande for about eighty miles. On our left is
smother range of mountains, so that the much
dreaded tornado il down 4 valley from 50 TO 100
feet above the Rio u aude. Friar CHRISTOPHER,
tradition says Gied at TIA IS place; hence the name
After the moon rose, we went few miles further
and stopped, with a view Of reSunIing our travel
before day. But our drivers fell asleep, and the
mules rambled Il ; and il was near sunrise before
they made start Maj Wells and my self walk
ahead, and saw fine herd OF alirlopps We
cannot get within mile of them TIE 'sSparish
Ddyonet' is now quite abTndint on the plains
Monday, Aug 3O-We found no water If a
place where il Is sometimes obtained and we
pushed on to eD.dH. 1T Is called Aleman,
(Dntchman,) as tradition says, from a party i'm
which there was a Du;chman, being attacked by
Indians, and the Duic hman killed. Another ira
dillon says that the D,tchman became excess
lively frightened; and everybody knows what
that when he recovered from his friIh he needed
water more than anything else We reached
this noted place at eleven O'Clock. breakfasted,
laid in q supply of water, and renew, d our travel
i here Is no change in the country or vegetation
Sometimes We see the meZquit, the Iarrea or
creosote plant, the Spanish bayonet, &C The
mountain ranges on both sides Of the valley are
high and beautiful, especial those our left
At four O'Clock we arrived at a hole Of water be-
low the Point OF II ocks, (township IS south range
west Here we supped, there being enough
water for all our purposes. Renewing our Jour
nry, we travelled until fifteen minutes past eleven
o'clock, when we stopped at bank on the Rio
Grande, just below the termination Of the r1n~h
dreaded tornado. 1t is called the tornado del
Masrta from he Circumstance Of thu fr,t person
who attempted to cross il in day died for the
want o. water. The Mexicans call all these long
stretches of country between watering places
Jornados; and the trip has to be made without
stopping. Ii is a journey.
Tuesday, Aug 3l-We reached Donna Anna
where We took breakfast. 1t is quite a respecta-
Bile Mexican town. Twelve O'Clock found us at
Las Cruces, where good many Americans have
located. Capt. TRY left US here. On the oupo.
site side OF the Rio is the Mesilla Valley and
town OF Mesilla-( pronounce this Mes seal At
three O'Clock we were at Fort Fillmore. Here 4
young man ON Virginia, named Cochran, jOinsd
us. Below Fort Fillmore We found puddle Of
water, took supper, and went to bed but We
cannot reach Ell Paso tonight We stopped on
bend of the Rio near the Cotton woods ALA
mos,) near eleven O'Clock During the night a
coyote, small prairie wolf or American jackall,
came near our camp and commenced making a
noise Cochran fred his revolver, which scared
him away.
Wednesday, Sept We tried to reach Ell Paso
by 6rea kfast, but IL is impractcable. Westopped
at Whi s rancho, or what was formerly called
frontero, and took breakfast Resumlng our
journey over some high hills through which the
river has forced Its way, and now flows thr oug b
a narrow, we are in sight Of the monument ma K.
Ing the beginning corner of the Gadsden pur-
chase. On the top Of the mountain perbap s some
three thousand feet high, there is another moDu-
ment Of some whit. material, which can be seen
many miles distant. A few miles more over rouph
road brings US, at twelve O'Clock, to FL Paso.
Ihus you have an abfidgneGt of my journal,
or rather hurried notes, made The journey while
we were resting or taking our meals. 80
REGAINING ITS SENSES. The Richmond
Enq"tr'r at length shows signs of recovering
its lost senses. Thus, in its issue Of the Ilth
that journal says:
While virginia recognises no power that
can compel Territorial Legislature to enact
those laws necessary to protect the constitutional
lights Of SHAREHOLDERS, yet she does hold that
C'nsress has the ri9h and Is in duty bound TO
protect slavery In the Territories unfit the people
OF territory, when on the eve of forrun0 St,te
may decide the Quest ton finally for
The future State. This question is one above the
platforms Of parties, and must be met md de- |
cided constitutionally I'm favor of protection or
against it, IL cannot and Diast
nor be compTOmiSsd.'
This is eminentiy a sound doctrine, though |
lust the reverse Of that held by its Magnus
Apollo Of the hOur-Stephen Arnold Douglas
who, while pretending to admit the right OF
the South to carry her slaves into United States
Territories, also proposes that that right shall
IN all cases he rendered nullIty by the adj
mission Of power on the part Of squatters-the
emiisaries of abolition emigrant aid societies.
who in these times take care to food United
States Territories first with their tools-to enact
such local laws as will prevent all Shareholders
from bringing their servants into such common
property Of all the States of the Confederacy.
When Douglas found that the Republican
party of Illinois declined to accept his bid OF
the last session for its favor, it will be recoI
lected, he backed water from some of the
abolition positions he'occupcd last in Congress
in common with Messrs. Seward, Wade, Will
son & Co. lie, however, kept tie promise of
that notorious allegiance by inventing his
theory Of the right Of sauatters to do that