Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-07-21

a
O'Clock in the morning, as we hav,
long ride ahead of US to morrow
June 2. Arose at four o'clock thi.
morning, breakfasted on ham, harC
bread and coffee; struck camp and
pulled out on the road at five O'Clock
and twenty minutes. 1t is very cold
the wind blowing directly off the
Snowy Range" The ladies wrap up
in blankets and the men find their
overcpats quite comfortable Carr in
forms; me that we have splendid road
to Trinidad, our objective point to-day.
| therefore instructed Carr to drive
ahead and get the ladies into Trini-
dad as early as possible--distance "a
miles. We reached Trinidad in five
and three-quarter hours, having passed
over a road better than, any turnpike l
ever saw. There was not a drop of
water to be had for the mules for
twenty-four miles--not until we reached
the acequia--a ditch through which
water flows for purposes of irrigation.
The scenery to-day has been very fne
We had the Spanish Peaks and
Snowy Range" upon our right and
the Ratoon Mountains upon our left.
1t was like the two sides of a tri-
angle, the road running down the CEN
ter apparently ending where the
mountains, on either side, merge into
one. The country, for the last ten
miles, has been beautiful. Farm hous-
es appear along the road, and every
thing gives evidence of labor. The
soil is very rich. The want of rain
and the labor and expense required
In irrigation, are the only drawbacks
to farming in this section of country.
Vegetables are not to be had at any
price, and we have seen none since
leaving the line of the Kansas Pacific
X. K. Potatoes here, are worth eight
dollars bushel, and what few can be
had have been brought from Den
yer.
have neglected to state that since
leaving Fort Lyon. the boys, (as We
call them, F. and N, have been COM
PEELED to stick to the wagons, owing
to the crowded condition of the am
bulance.
The ladies, determined to have one
square, good meal, to-day. having in
vestigated, thoroughly, the kitchen and
dining room, and after comparing
notes, ordered dinner for six--at the
house where we were resting and
waiting for the wagons. Having, also,
agreed as to the price per head--fifty
cents each--we sat down and pro-
ceeded to get, if possible, the worth
of our money. The dinner aOaS good;
everything gave signs of being well
cooked; the table cloth and all the ac-
cessories aOeye clean, neat, and tidy. l
am satisfied, however, that the propri-
etor's profits on that dinner, as far as
our party is concerned, were Very
small. Our party gave unmistakable
evidence of;hunger; and fifty cents is
very small charge where such evil
dences are so plainly manifested.
Trinidad is a town of about 800 in
habitants, situated at the foot of the
Ratoon Mountains, and settled mostly
by Mexicans. We found quite num-
Der of Americans here, who were very
kind to us. | replenished our larder
here by the addition of eggs, butter,
fresh beef, milk and ice. The wagons
arrived at 4 P. NJ, pitched tent at
once and went into camp-the ladies
having had good rest. Mr.. and Mrs.
Rifenberg, from New York, now resi-
dents here called upon us this even
ing-have lived here nearly three years
and like it. Mr.. r. informed me that
he had found good soil at depth of
eighteen feet, and no better soil, any
place for ten to twelve feet. / saw,
myself, soil as black as ones hat, at a
depth of nearly ten feet. 1t is quite
cold this evening. We retire early, as
we have to cross the Ratoon Mountains
tomorrow.
June 3. After a good nights rest,
arose at FIVE O'Clock, had an excellent
breakfast of beef-sseak, soft-boiled
eggs, biscuits, butter and coffee. Got off
atsix thirty, a late start, having been de-
layed by getting a shoe put on one of
the mules. To-day we crossed the
Ratoon Mountains, reaching the sum-
NIT, distance of thirteen and one
half miles from Trinidad, in FIVE hours,
which shows, better than any words
of mine can convey, the nature of the
roads and the hard pulling our mules
had. A mile and half before reach
ing the summit we halted few min
utes at Dick Wooten's, a notorious in
dividual in this country. He came to
the plains in 1886, and for many years
was with Kit Carson in many of his
famous scouts among the Indians
He is full of information in regard to
Kit Carson and the many adventures
they passed through together, but time
presses and we have 10 pass on, as we
are not yet over the mountain. We
reached Sayres' Willow Springs at
three o'clock P. NJ, and camped for the
night, having Travelled distance of
twenty-five miles to-day. We had ex-
pected fine view from the summit OF
the mountains, but were disappointed,
for mountains, towering still higher,
us on every side. The air
was SO chilly that at high noon over c
coats and blankets were not uncom- e
Our passage down the noun I
tain was more quickly made--through a
a narrow, wild. canon--many places in e
which was barely wide enough to ad- :
NIT the passage of the teams. The !
seemed to be on fire on all 0
sides and compelled US to pass through o
smoke and near cracking t
flames. The Ute Indians had fired the
grass on che mountain sides in hope of ]
the wrath of their Great /
Spirit, and cause him to send copious