The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-02-01
LIFE IN NEW MEXICO.

tonished the Patrisrchs-The Cattle |
Hfng-DiscOuraged Apaches Blood
shed, Lawlessness and Judge Lynch.
From the New York SUM-
LINCOLN Co., n. NJ, Jan. 3.-Iwrite
from a rather isolated point in the
much abused, long suffering Territory
of New Mexico, which has been vainly
knocking at the door of the Union for
so many years. She has been persist
emily, contemptuously pushed ABIDE to
make room for other Territories Of
mushroom growth. am not going to
advocate her claims, however; mere
ly desire to give your readers an insight
into the character of this country, it's
advantages for farmers and stock-rais-
ers. The region bordering
ON THE RIO PECos
snd its tributaries is to the eastern por-
ton of Southern Mexico what the valley
of the Rio Grande is to the western por-
ton; what the valley of the Connect
cut is to the Statee which it traverses;
what the valley of the Mississippi is to
the Western and Southern States. But
while the valley of the Rio Grande is
most beautiful, cultivated garden, the
valley of the Rio Pecos is wild tract
of hills, valleys and plains, surrounded
by lofty mountains, interspersed with
clumps of trees of Natures planting
marking the river courses, and dotted,
of late years, by few widely separated
ranches.
Yet this beautiful valley nourishss
vast herds of cattle, sheep, and horses,
which Craze upon the luxuriant herb
age of their inexhaustible pasture
ground, and an immense number of
deer and antelope, which feed unmo-
Tested among them. The yearly advent
of buffalo swells the four-footed popu-
lation. For hundreds of miles this is
TIE CATTLE-RAIsER's PARADISE.
write this letter from a point only
four miles distant from the headquar-
tiers of John S. Chisum, thefamous cat
tie king of New Mexico. His range ex-
tends full 100 miles north and south, on
the Rio Pecos; and as the country
sbounds in lakes, his cattle wander as
far as 80 miles from the river. It is
impossible to estimate the number of
cattle carrying his mark and brand, but
there are never less than 40, 900; and
after driving three large herds this sea-
son, good judges claim that there are
still $4,000 on the range. The tally
shows 1928 calves marked and brand
ed the past fall. Although Mr.. Chi
sums original herds were Texas cattle,
he has had running on the range some
400 imported bulls for the past two
years, and his stock shows marked i'm
provement. To attend properly to
these vast herds requires from 250 to
800 horses and mules, and I will not
attempt to tell you how many men. The
country for 200 miles along the Pecos
and in the vicinity of the lakes is sprin-
kled with his stations and camps. And
yet he is only the foremost and richest
of over
ONE HUNDRED CATTLE MEN
in this valley. 1t is a surprising but
urdoubted fact that the grass improves
in quantity and quality yearly, and has
done SO for the eleven years that these
cattle have grazed here.
Farming has been almost entirely
neglected hitherto, and yet the few who
have gone into it have proved beyond
doubt that no region in the Union can
boast a more favorable climate or
more prolific soil, while the facilities
for irrigation are unsurpassed. There
are six rivers within four miles of me-
five of them tributaries of the Rio
Pecos. They all abound in fish. There
are few of the scores of lakes which
can not be utilized for irrigating pur-
poses. Above and below are numerous
rivers flowing to the Pecos, on most of
which there are from one to dozen
ranches.
You will ask why, if this valley is so
fertile, it is not more extensively cult
waited. l answer in one word-Indians.
That terror, however, is now almost
thing of the past. The Comanches and
Apaohes, who were the
scourge of this section, have been so
frequently thrashed and driven within
their reservations that they seem dis
couraged, and confine their depreda-
tons mostly to Old Mexico. But, IN
derstand me, there is no credit to be
to Grants troops, white or
colored, for this result. General or
ders and fear of punishment for killing
an Indian, restrain the blue coats, and
the citizens, ranchmen and cattlemen
hive been left to protect themselves,
and to avepge their own wrongs.
A party of
CHIsUM's "Cow-BoYs,"
q short time since, fought, whipped,
and chased four times their number
into Fort Stanton, 80 miles from here,
and recovered drove of stolen horses.
They brought their stock triumphantly
home, without saying "by your leave"
sither to Indians or military officials. |
It has been about two years since Chi
sum has lost any stock by Indians, ex-
cept, perhaps, an occasional horse
which was never missed. Two years
ago F. McKittrick and Mr.. Chisum lost
TWO or three large droves. One drove
ost by Chisum numbered more than
700 horses and mules.
Much has been said of the lawless-
less of the people of this section. 1t is
rue that there is little recourse to law,
,ut that is not so much the fault of the |
people as of the Territorial Govern
nent. Few care to appeal to the law
when its dispensers are more than a
hundred miles distant, and, when they