The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-10-11
TAOS, New Mexico Sent. & lsGfl-

1Aos, NEW MEXICO, sept. ., loGO.
DEAR ADVERTISER Perhaps a few
lines from my hand will MT insult some
Of your many readers, as promised to
write to number of friends. l am now
in Taos, New Mexico-came here on
yesterday and have been travelling in
this Territory for three weeks, prospect
ing some of the old settlements here in
this country. Came by one town tina,
has been settled for seventy FIVE years -
There is large quantity Of wheat raised
in this country, and the best that l ever
saw. All spring wheat that is raised
here. They SOW il fn March generally
and harvest it in September. But little
corn is raised here, it is too cold at night
fer corn, but they say that the don't have
-, Intel Ine peupie OF this coun-
try are certainly far behind the times
arc very ignorant. All speak the Span
ish language; can't be considered any
thing more than partially civilized In
dians-are at least half Indian and near
ly as black as the African negro. Occa-
sionally We see an American that has a
Mexican for a wife.
There are five of US together in trav-
cling in this country. It puts one in
mind of what We read in the good book
concerning the people of the Abrahamic
days They live in huts, mostly in vii
lagos, work oxen, tie the yoke with raw
hide to the oxen's horns-use wooden
plows with only one handle, beam tied to
yoke-takes three to plough with one
team; have no harrows or wagons do
all their packing on jacks, which are
very numerous. Sheep and goats by the
thousands. They milk sheep and goats.
Some will have two or three hundred
and milk nearly all Of them, live on the
milk with Graham bread or rather what
they call mush.
Day before yesterday We eat dinner
twenty miles from here and started for
this place, it commenced raining and we
had to camp in the prairie, without wood
so hard We could not get any
supper-rained nearly all night and We
got very wet So soon as it stopped
raining We started for some place, did
not know where travelled some six miles
by the break of day and found ourselves
some eleven miles west of Taos, aud no
wood to cook with-turncd round and
made for Taos. We were very wet and
muddy. All on foot but one, with bed
ding on our backs. About ten clock we
arrived in town, very wet, hungry and
tired. AS we came in to the suburbs of
town We commenced to enquire for
Americans. The answer was invariably
nucom- brandy (can't understand). We
began to think all nucom but no brandy.
Finally commenced to wind and twist
through the streets-imag;ued ourselves
going into tho walls of Jerusalem. Fl
nally we came into hollow square. We
cast our eyes all round looking at the
curiosities, and finally looked little to
the southeast towards the sun, that was
shining very hot and drying our clothes,
and there in the centre Of that square on
q pole one hundred and twenty. feet
high, We saw our flag waving in the
pleasant breeze. said to the company,
pointing upward, there IL our flag ; all
eyes were cast up towards what all Amer.
leans are proud to own, let them see it
where they may 1t brought tear to
each eye, and we silently walked near the
pole and stopped and let the stars and
stripes once more wave over our heads
And under that flag We feel At home
yes. home Tn silence and noaca mac