Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-01
AN INTERESTING sANTAFELETTER.

SANTA FEE, N. NJ, March q, 1876.
EDITOR NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. homo
on u bright and balmy Monday morning,
about the close OF last month"; reached Kan
sas City at about 10 q. M, and Immediately
took the Atchissn, Topeka & Santa Fee road,
ticketed for West Las Anlmas, Colorado.
Before leaving home l endeavored to obtain
information in regard to trains and stage
routes to Santa Fe, but no one there seemed
to know. At Kansas City l found l could
reach West Las Animas by either the A. 7
u S. F. T.. X. or K. p. X. r.; but beyond
that point, and what stage connections exIs-
ted, l could not learn.
Passing through the settled portion OF
Kansas, I was surprised to see the evidences
of thrift and pluck among the people who
| had been SO lately and severely afflicted with
the drouth hard winter and locust visitation
1.-The same scourge that befell our own coun-
TWIN the past eighteen months. l had ex-
| pected, from what 1 had heard at home. to
lind farms abandoned, houses vacant, people
dispirlted, and y general look of desolation
and despair throughout the entire state I;
but, in addition to what l have stated, l was
assured by Col. Taylor i prominent gentle
man of Wichita, Kan. that, instead of the
population decreasing. under their trials, the
country was rapidly filling up with eastern
states families and foreigners.
The road, for a large part Of the way, con-
tinues along the Arkansas Valley, d rich
lprairie bottom, which affords = constant sup
ply Of excellent %pasturage for the vast herds
Of cattle dotting along almost the entire
road.
Arrived at West Las Animas at 3: 80 p. m.
!, Tuesday. A furious gale was blowing
clouds of dust, sand and gravel, binding the
eyes, singing the face and rendering an
exploring expedition through the town i'm
possible ; later in the evening, however, the
f wind lulled land the stars shone out far more
brilliantly than they appear to us at home.
t Las Animas is situated on the southern side
/ OF the Arkansas river, about go miles from
Kansas City by rail, and is the first point
, reached by both the A. r.. T. S. F. R. R. and
the X. P. X. R.. The former road has push.
= ed on, and reached Pueblo about March LIST
: The latter has been built some 20 miles west
of Las Animas to La Junt station, from
which it is said 1t will shape its course dl
8 rectly towards Trinidad as soon as money
r can be raised to push the work on.
e Freighting by wagon from Las Animas OF
La Junte to Trinidad, about loo miles, cal
v be lone at about so cents per 100 lbs, which
r Is cheaper THAI it can be done by rail VII
Pueblo, aud thence down the Denver AM
n Rio Grande Narrow Guage to Trinidad, sa,
about 200 miles.
The Narrow Gauge Is expected TO reacl
y Trinidad by May or June next,but the della
and expense attending the transfer of irrigh
1t from the broad gauge to this road will calt>
all goods for Trinidad to be shipped by way
Dr. on or the X. p. when built.
Ir AT Las Animas | learned 1hst 1t would TAX
Is NE is hours continuous stage coach travel [
e. reach Santa Fe, distant some $50 miles. Sly
ne ty dollars Il the modest sum the unfOrtunat
H. trave ler Is asked for u through ticket Tor
is shorter distance, 30 cents per mile, in
So wretcheu, little. crampcd mud wagon, drai
y ged and jolted along. At The rate OF AZ mll'
er per hour. Messrs. Barlow, Sunderson & Co
the same firm Of recent straw bid and brit
j. notorlety, boast that they have long eXper
d. ence in staging throughout the west, al
hs ! that as a result Of % years in that line, The