The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1878-09-13
WESTERN WANDER1NGs
NUMBER II.

NUMBER II.
Fort YUMA, Aug, 1S78.-There is
story told of Fort Yuma, which, like
good many western stories, is rather un-
reasonable; but as we cannot prove
that it is not true we will allow the read
er to form his own opinion A soldier
who had for a long time been posted at
Fort Yuma, died. He had led such no
toriously wicked life that, according to
the orthodox belief, there could be no
possible doubt as to where he had gone
His spirit come back and annoyed his
companions so that they employed me-
dunn to see what the defunct soldier
wanted. The medium interviewed the
troubled spirit and reported that he said
he could not stand the change and beg
ged to borrow pair of blankets until he
got accustomed to the climate.
1t is uphill business to leave Pueblo
in any direction except going east. Two
trains stand at the platform on the Den
yer and Rio Grande road, one bound for
Denver and one for the south. A sign
on the platform directs US to the south
ern bound train. We enter the latter
coach and are surprised to find it double
seated the entire length. Nobody APP
pears crowded except an old lady with
an ancient carpet sack and seven or eight
bundles, who occupies two full seats.
The neat little train of mail car, baggage
car and two well filed coaches starts
out and as Pueblo gave us such a warm
reception we bid her a welcome good
bye. The little engine tolls up around
the hill out of Pueblo, and as the speed
rapidly increases, we are pleasantly dis
appointed to find it unnecessary to hold
on to the seat. We are riding as easy as
any one could wish. From the motion
of the train any one could easily imagine
we were going twelve or fifteen miles
which the telegraph poles whisk by, in
dictates speed of twenty-five or thirty
miles per hour. Have you ever consid-
cred narrow gauge railway one horse
affair? If so, could you but look out
the door of the rear coach and see the
three foot track spinning out from I'M
der you at the rate of thirty miles per
hour, and note for a moment the easy
gentle swing of the coach, you would
certainly change your mind.
The Spanish peaks look so plain you
cannot think they are more than ten
miles ahead, but when you have travel
ed sixty miles toward them, they will
still be fifteen miles away The coun-
try is very dry and apparently almost
barren. You wonder what on earth the
numerous herds of cattle have found to
fatten them so. The dry, short grass of
Southern Colorado is among the best pas
ture in the west. 1t is an old story in
the east that cattle do not need feeding
through the winter, in some of our west
ern States. In Colorado it is actually
true. We stop occasionally at a water
tank, but towns have gone out of fash
ion entirely. The mountains look lit
tie higher but no nearer Now and
then tall bunch of cactus covered with
splendid scarlet bloom, is in striking
contrast with the parched appearance OF
everything else. Fifty miles south o.
Pueblo we stop at Cuchara, and oul
train transfers cart load or two of mai
and baggage to the train bound for E.
Moro, 35 miles south. FL Moro is the
southern terminus of the Denver and
Rio Grande Road. When we leave Gu
chara our train turns west toward the
mountains, and soon we are going VI
grade very fast. There are numerou.
Mexican farms along the creek we fol
low. The average possessions of Mex
} lean farmer are half an acre of wheat
one and half acres of corn, patch o
beans, a wooden plow, an interest in al
irrigating ditch, and hoe, which owing
to its size reminds you of handle pu
into a road scraper. The Mexican's am
billions are in proportion to his posses
sions. His house of sun-dried brick il
not large enough to be inconvenient, anC
his mud bake oven is conveniently nea.
the front and only door. We approach
nearer and nearer the mountains. TIL,
engine pants up around pine covered
hills, town appears, and we stop at Il
Veta, which is situated 5000 feet abov,
the sea.