Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1866-01-04
Mist.lIanp.
The Great American Pasture.

have been spending several days
in the northern part (above Fort Gar
land) of the famous park or valley of
San Louis, and although its beauties |
and attractions have been yelled do
ring considerable portion Of the time,
uuder mantle of snow, yet, as it rap
idly melts, I have enjoyed . few good
opportunities of observing this re-
marksble portion Of the American
continent.
DISCOVERY, HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION.
This park was discovered by the
Spauiards in the sixteenth century.
Its general physical features are de.
lineated in q Spanish military map
found at Chihushua when the Ameri.
can troops occupied that city in 1916,
made in 1870. The ruins Of an old Span.
ish fort in the Sangre de Christie Pass,
are believed TO be at least 200 years
old, an ancient abandoned mine found
near there, lead to the conclusion that
this park was embraced in the miner
al district known to have been worked
by the Spaniards for 100 years. up to
1860, when they were compelled to
Zee southwark by an insurrection
among the native Indians. whom they
had overtasked in their mining opera
ti0ns.
After our Government acquired do.
minion over the country. aud the In.
dams. who had long possessed undis-
puted sway, were held in check by a
vigorous policy and by the establish. |
ment Of Fort Massachusetts (for which |
Fort Garland, situated at lower point
in the park, was substituted about
1857, )the people Of New Mexico were |
encouraged to extend their settlements
northward, aud about %, 900 of them |
now reside in the park. 5000
Of whom live within the limits Of Colo
orado--in which fully three .fourths Of
the park 10 located. Interspersed
among them are q few American mer.
chants and mechanics, nearly all Of
whom accumulate wealth rapidly. Al.
though nearly one.half of the park |
lies north of Fort Garland, few settle |
ments have yet been established there,
partly. I suppose, because the Indian
title or claim to the land has only re-
Gently been extinguished. and because
il 10 an intermediate ground between
the American settlements in South
Park and along the line Of the Arkan.
sas and the Mexican settlements south
Of Garland. But it's great natural
advantages must soon attract to il
large immigration and I have met
several pioneers who announced their
determination to establish themselves
and families here next spring. The
Colorado portion Of the park 10 divided
into two regularly orgsnized counties
-Costilla, pronounced Costes.) EN-.
braces al the territory north and east
Of the Rio Grande, and Conjos, (pro-'
nounced Conahos,) the land west and
south of that river.
PHYSICAL FEArCREs.
The physical features Of San Louis
Park are peculiar and -onderf0lly at
tractive. II was evidently 1t one time
the bed Of . great inland sea, and 10
surrounded by towering mountains Of
majestic beauty-the Sierra Madre Tor
main chain of the Rocky Mountains }
enclosing it on the east, and the Sierra
Mimbres on the west. The park is
surrounded with numerous natural pms.
ses, through which communicat ions
with the external world can be cstab-
lished.
Into the park flow numerous small
streams, thirty-four in number, a. well
as the Rio Grande del Norte, which, as
it approaches the Gnlf of Mexico,
marks the boundary line between Tex
a. and Mexico. Nineteen streams in
the northern portion of the park flow
into the Saltwater Lake, which has no
apparent outlet. On the borders an
abundance ofsslt has been discovered.
Now. when il is remembered that the
park, thus surrounded, comprises nine
thousand four hundred square miles OF
level land onc.fif,h the area Of Penn.
sylvania) THAT at it's extreme points
it 10 two hundred miles long by seven.
tys6ve wide--that from any place in
il, on clear day. nearly one-balf of
the park and surrounding peaks can
I've distinctly seen. while from the ele-
waited tanks Of Sierra Blanca its whole
area 10 Visible. some idea Of the ex.
tent and beauty Of the landscape may
be formed.
In the Atlantic States intense admi.
ration il elected by valleys . few
miles in width. enclosed by hills few
hoodred feet high. Here 10 . valley
larger than many Of the Eastern
States, encloaed by ranges and peaks
rising from Eve TO seven thousand feet
above ito surface. and from thirteen
thousand To fifteen thousand feet above
the sea. any one Of which would 81.
tract myriads Of visitors If il were 10.
Gated east Of the Mississippi. The
fertility at the northern portion Of the
park 10 much increased By the Sab.
watch lake. iuasmuch - By becoming
great reservoir, and BY having its
boundaries expanded Ia the spring BY
high waters and then contracted in
the summer. il irrigates millions of
scrcs Of splendid grass lands, on
which IN unlimited quantity of hay
can DO cut and many thousands OF
cattle and sheep pastured.
~ GREAT SAVANNA AND TERrlLrY.
A gentleman whom met ct Fort
Garland. who had recently traversed
the county adjoining the lake, ex.
pressed bis idea Of its productiveness
BY saying that one thousand moving
machines kept busy cutting grass oil
season would make no sensible ion.
preston upoD it. For years past con-
siderable quantities OF hay have been
cut in this manner to supply Fort GAR
lsn1. And thousands Of cattle and
sheep hsve been driven mp east Of the
Lake to fattep spon the pastures have
described, and those which exist on
the One lands stretching to the noun
1siDs and. along the borders OF the
streams which sspply the lake. You
will readily perceive that these pecu.
jiar advantages are Of immense value