Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-20
Wseklg gutelligentm.
SANTA FE LETTER.

SANTA FEE, April %, 1916.
Leaving La Junta we arrived at the town
OF Los Vegas CThe Meadows) ut about ten
O'Clock =. ID. This place contains some l,2OO
inhabitants and is pleasantly situated upon
the Gallinos creek, about 80 miles southeast
of Fort Union. Except 3 very few. the
houses are built of adobe or sun-dried
bricks. These are made of mud and straw,
and are about 2 feet long by l inch thick and
S inches wide, very little uniformity being
required in'their manufacture. As the ma
terial Is cheap the walls are unusually sub
s tantisl; some 4 have seen being four feet
thick, and the houses are the most comfort
able 1 have ever been in, being warm in the
winter and cool in the summer, and in the
storms there Is NO jar or vibration
to suggests the possibility Of the building
coming down upon you. In approaching
one of these adobe towns one cannot fall to
be impressed with the idea that he is COM
ing upon an immense brick yard, as the
houses look for all the world like brick kilns.
The roofs are mostly of mud, there being
little rain In that regioni shingle roofs are
almost unknown. The population is mostly
Mexican with a few Jews and Americans.
1t was my fortune. to attend q session of the
United States District Court here recently.
and frsm the charges set forth on the docket
1t was plain that q number Of the people
here had no more respect for the tenth com
mandment than politicians aud preachers
have in some other places. Egs#t- II
The climate here Is dry and the altitude
about 5000 feet above the ocean. bee, perhaps
more. Agriculture is impracticable, except
where irrigation can be done, and as the
ares capable Of being supplied with
water is very small little is grown
the wants of the cultisator.
Vegetables grew to q surprising size here,
and it would astonish some OF u people
among the rich lands Of Lafayette county to
see the cabbage, cauliiower, beets, beans
and Onions which this country affords.
Wool growing and sheep raising is the prin-
cIpal pursuit. This county tSan Miguel
has for ages been q famous sheep grazing
region and still retains its deserved reputa-
ton in that respect. The grass is quite
short AMI exceedingly nutritious and retains
its qualities throughout the entire winter.
To one accustomed to our luxuriant blue
grsS9, tiEothy and clover, 1t would seem
tnsuficient to Craze a goose on, yet cattle
and sheep not only thrive and grow upon 1t
alone in the summer, but keep fat all through
the winter.
A large wool growing emigration is now
setting in for that part of the terri tory from
California and the states, n persons from
Australia who are acquain ted with the vast
fortunes amassed IN . short time In that
country by wool growing, are now here
looking up land grants In order to secure
an amount of pasturage sufficient to under
take the business extensively. One gentle
man is now on the way from California with
1000 sheep to place on a tract Of land which
he recently purchased from Mr.. F. C.
Smith, ofourzeounty.. It ID astonishing to
hear the Californian who has benin the
sheep business in his WI state, but is now,
on account of the increased price OF all
kinds CT pasture land there, compelled to
seek q new field for his labors, expatiate
upon the profits derived from this business.
Grants with perfect titles and sufficient
water, command from 90 cents to 81 per
acre, though. as the land appeared to me. 1
would not give 10 cents per square miie
for it.
Five miles above the town, on the creek.
are the famous Los Vegas bot Springs,
owned by that thorough gentleman and
clever fellow Frank Chapman Esq. They
are beautifully situated in q gorge almost
entirely surrounded BY hills splrsely COW
cred with pine trees. Some half dozen or
more springs gush out in the valley in the
space Of 200 yards square. 1 accepted an
invitation to join a party OF gentlemen and
with them INDUCED in the luxury of a bath.
The temperature of the water is 100 de-
grees Fahrenheit, and not being q Salaman-
der / could not endure the full heat of the
water and came out as red as a boiled lob
ster, and after dressing was almost too Ian
guild to reach the hotel though only a short
distance OF. The delicious feeling of re-
pose induced by such q bath canno be up
preciated except by acaal trial. Although
q place Of resort for ages there are few
arrangements as yet for the accommodation
of visitors as compared With the watering
places In the states. The bath houses are
rude and the tubs wooden troughs. With
the completion Of the railroad to Trinidad
and a liberal rate aud rapid ransi for pas
sengers to Los Vega shy Messrs. Sanderson
i Co.'S. stage line, these springs would al
once come into favor, as few tourists and
invalids visiting the Rocky Mountains and
Colorado Springs would fail to take these
springs in their route were the cost AMI
Inconvenience Of the trip reduced to what
is entirely practical and remunerative
With increased patronage the proprietor
could aKord to provide comforts and con.
venienees for his guests which the limited
number Of visitors at this time will not jus
tify. L did not learn the amount or descrIp
ton Of the salts held in solution in thest
waters. but that there is a considerable,
quantity is provenby tie saline eferre ceact
frosttng the earth along TIE rtyulets. The
mild climate, the altitude, together with the
facilities for furnishing a splendid table, viii
in a few years make this q resort, unsurpass,
ed if not u%nequalled, by that prodigiou:
bone of contention, the Hot Springs of Ar
kansas. l..