The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-29
From the Mining Regions,

SANTA FE New MExIco, July 2G 1871.
Editor Of Register Leaving Mesilli
We jounied north following the Rio Grand'
in its meanderings most of the way to Al
buquerque q distance of 275 miles, ex
cept the crossing of the .Jornada De
Murto tourney of death). This is al
elevated plain semicirclcd by the river
aud derived its name from the fact tina,
there is no natural water found upon i,
for q stretch of 100 miles. Once acros,
this desert aud the road follows along tn,
river banks, and through cultivated fields
aud narrow belts of timber ever green
in beautiful contrast with the scared and
desolate mountains on either side. The
whole valley so far as we have seen, is 4
natural garden, but the Mexican system
of labor is so utterly at fault, when com.
pared with the most thorough and improv
ed modes of cultivating the soil in the
states, that it is painful to observe the
difference. In every corn field of any
considerable size, may be seen 20 or 81
able bodied "greasers" some asleep in the
shade of a cotton wood, others smoking
cigarettas, while few are chopping
weeds with hoe weighing six or sever
lbs. 1t would be uncharitable to cal
these fellows lazy, but one can't but think
that the most Of them must have beer
born tired. Between the two point,
mentioned we passed through as many a,
fifteen adobe villages, all presenting tht
same dingy and ragged appearance
Every town is similar in dissimilar ir
regularity Their streets have no begin
ming nor end no uniformity in width o,
course, and are seldom designated by Il
name. Their buildings are one story, bu
never of the same hight; never on lin,
with each other, and rarely marked Il
perfect square on the ground Or stand
perpendicular. To careful observer
they suggest that the builders must hav,
found hole for each, that answered fol
a door, and then built the walls arounc
them. In each Of these little burgs W,
had occasion to stop, we found plac.
called hotel, but our unavoidable ex,
perience in thes institutions was anything
but agreeable. The alpha, and Omega
of a purely Mexican meal, is all there j,
oft, but a "tortia" "-red.pepper-moonshinC
nothingness, producing an irreconcilablc
goneness in the region of the stomach
suggestive of water.curc, boarding
school, or poor.house famine and starva.
ton. Not until we reached Santa Fe
did we find anything indicating gener,
Gus appreciation of the inner man. Here
the principal hotel is kept by an Ameri.
can and everything about his house and
surroundings foreshadows the proximity
of civilization. Santa Fe is rs miles
north of Albuquerque andl about 200
miles south of Colorado line. Its site j,
very pretty being surrounded by high
mountains just far enough away to lend
enchantment to the view while in Il,
most immediate vicinity cultivated fields
abound, springs, small hills &C., and a
warbling little creek runs through its
center. The town is more regularly laid
out and presents more uniform and
neat appearance than any town in New
Mexico
One of its principal features of attrac-
tion, is the public square, beautiful with
trees and shrubery, and large monu.
ment erected to the memory of soldiers
who lost their lives during the rebellion
Another is an ancient Catholic church
Main street running from the piazza to
the Fast part Of the town Remember.
ing that Santa Fe disputes its antiquity
with the oldest town in the United States,
and that the primitive days of this anti.
quated structure, were the spring.time
the aowery dawn Of two centuries ago
ono naturally feels the weight of sacred
veneration, upoa treading the ground sur.
rounded by its aged aud crumbling walls
No seats to occupy the space within and
the walls are uuornamented with the ex,
cePtion of cheap pictures Of the Saints
Virgin Mary Corpus-Christi &c. The