The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-03-07
FROM NEW MEXICO.
The Land of Dry Bones.
FROM FORT STANTON TO SANTA re.

. lyon must know frOnl WHere we start, 10
every journey has a beginning as well as al
/ ending. 1 found myself at the beginning 0
! this story at Fort Stanton, New Mexico, Will
a team, wagon, photograph outfit and tive
, dogs, Now, some of my readers may no
S like dogs, and therefore wonder why should
mention dogs, but won't detain such by {
dissertation on dogs. [ like dogs Wen
there | was, and wanted 10 get 10 Santa Fc
!, distant shout two hundred miles. | didn'
know the road, ard therefore had TO enquire
| came across Dutch shoemaker who had
been over the road and knew every nook and
icrook in it.. lie proceeded to ealighten me.
! He told me At least half dozeS times dot
lwhen | come to dr spring l must let my
Istock drink leetle water shust, ard much wa.
ter after leetlc vile, and den does dean no
harm Dot on part Of de road must beal
mine eyes, Sir sometimes de Apaches steals
horses und kills be@bles." He graphically
described all the horrops and dangers on The
road, but about the rpad itself he failed to
| tell me much.
| have been in the fosC about twelve days;
but you haven't 50 before leaving We VIII
look around and see wliat is in and around
| Stanton,
| 1t is a four company font, built of stone in
the form of square, vita large and hand
somely laid ont parade ground in the center,
planted with shade trees.
The headquarter building or quarters, OF
.Ln o,;l J., ia,
finest military building in The territory, and
cost twenty.tw9 thousand dollars.
| The fort stands on the fertile banks Of die
Rio Bonita, (pretty river the bottoms, of
which are covered near with the milit EY
gardens, where are grown all the vegetables
which are used by the soldiers and officers I'M
the fort Some of the officers appear to tate
as much interest N their company gardens rs
a farmer would IN his crops. The work lsI
done 5y details Of soldiers, and appears toi
be we'll and cheerfully done.
The fort is considered by the soldiers to bel
the most desirable location in the territory.
The climate is SalubrOus and the surround
ing country beautiful. The scenery in thei
mountains near is truly sublime Stanton
literally basks in the lap of the mountains
To the east and north are the Sierra Captain,
while west are !he SerraB Blanca, from whose
SUBMITS ut sunset had one of the finest views
it has been ny good fortune to see. had
been travelling for foulteen hours without
water, and tbs last Il sc hours, had been
Clmbing the mountain side--experience
which did not tend TO foster ones cOncep-
| ton Of the sublime. Tct there and then L
was compelled. to devote ten CT fifteen pre-
cous minutes 10 the contemplation of the
grand panorama betop me. In the fore
ground were mountains, which by their very
massivencss aYed you. Their tOps, painted
by the setting sun to, the color of molten
gold, gradually merged INTO the.oold gray of
their treeless heights, t&eir sldclspotted with
living green, which -darkencd with the
shadows till in the cslyons ii became black
as the darkest night
| Raising tie eye from the ncer9r view, you'll
| take in IA view two huadrcd mixes in extent,
containing fsur distinct rangesni mountains
while Immediately 10 the foot of those ON
which we stand ID Il rsst plain which hadl
been three days in crossing, through the
very center of which for fifty Sc sixty miles
once flowed vast rl1er of molion lava, stast-
ing from low, round mountain which now
stunt ers IA peacefully as its. ,ass eyential|
| brothers.
The country III Which Stanton is situated
was chris,aned after him who left us in sie
height of his glory: Lincoln Il comprises
much Of the best agricultural land in the her
ritory, while its forests are we'll stocked with
deer, eli, ). antelope and turkey, with once in
while N bear, by way of variety.
The fort has for some Yeas been the trad
ing post and agency for the Nescalero Aps-
chcs. Here Uncle Sam fesds poor L4O on
corn and beef, so that on ration day the place
is rendered quite lively by scores Of Apache
braves and squaws who come in for chuck"
They are nearly all mounted on good horses,
and some are handsomely dressed in buck
skin suits trimmed with lorg fringe and
beads. They are mostly armed with bows
and arrows. Sol2e have guns, while many
carry slender spears with blades foot long,
land raw hide shields, said to be so tough and
Ielastic that they will glance bullet. These
shields are often gaiy painted with rings,
stars or rude pictures Of animals The men
are generally large and well formed, while
the squaws, like mos, Indian ladies, are
rather inclined 10 be dumpy Though they
may aoi be so elegantly built, yet, as walkers,
they beat the Broadway bellies. Their move.
ments are graceful, because uncons,raned,
and their shoes don't pinch.
They carry their young hopefuls in wicker
/ baskets, made partly of wood and partly of
a raw hide, and pack them 90 nicely that they
look rs though they were part of the appa-
ratus, Quite a nice aiaii; decided i'm.
l provement ON the aristocratic baby carriage,
A II, D.,