The Mesilla Valley independent. [volume] (Mesilla, N.M.) 1877-1879, 1878-03-30
A HUNT IN THE SAN ASDREAs.

~
As the sun sunk slowly il, the west, and !
the gray peaks Of the San Andreas cast their /
lonr shadows over the plains of San Angus
tine we arrived in camp, and found that our !.
party had been reinforced by the arrival Of
Col. W. /. RynerSon and Master John Lemon
who had followed close after US Shortly
after. the Judge. arrived in camp, bringing
with him fine buck, the result of the days
sport
supper over. the usual campfire stories
were INDUCED in. and many interesting re-
mnniscepces of frontier life related; among
which was the following Twenty years
ago twooenierprising Germans purchased
wagon load Of Ell Paso wine which they in-5
tended to offer for sale in the then sparsely
settled country in the vicinity Of Fort stan
ton. While IN route to their destination
they caml,ed at San Nicholas spring; here
ti,cy we're attacked by BY a war party of white
mountain Apachez; the two men were muir
,iered. the wagon broken up and destroyed
and the Indians, under the influence of the
vine celebrasedtheir success by war dance.
While they were at the highth Of their
drunken rerelry. q soldier, carrying an ex-
press nom Fort stanton to Fort Fillmore
attctnpte1 To enter the Canon for water; dis
covering what was going on, he hastenee
na.h ALI speed to his destination and report
ed what he had witnessed.
4 A veil organized party xas immediately
started in pursuit. The Indians, in the mean
K,ime. had gone on to san Andreas Cadoi
where they made camp and commenced an
Other drunken carouse; crazed with wins
no thoaght Of danger occurred to them, an
they finally sank stupefel from the ei
fects Of their p0sations While in this con
.litioa they wera discovered by their PuI
sucrs. and beng unable to offer Resistance
were slain
The following day We proceeded up Il
: Canon with the expectation OF hndin
J. a more practicable and less laboFieus Tou'
{ through the mountain, although it held o'
no promise OF being a better hunting groun
In neither was mistaken,
A short distance above our camp the CahS
r narrows until it is not over a few yards
width. on either side, the granite walls ri
10 a thousand feet in highth. In mar
plsoes permanent wafer flows from benea
the rock walls. 4 few cottonwood trees
= founa in the Canon, which is carpeted by
dense growth of unlerhrush though viii
o We found ii difficult TO force our passas
e the Canon cuts square through the mountai
the grade is easy, and an excellent wag
road could easily Ike opened through q
n, pass ont onto the plains lying to the west
m the San Adreas range.
" Near the head Of the canon where II brea
Rio into a number Of small rayines, Is flne pa
~ ~ or valley broken by low, rocky ridges,
the center Of which rise a number Of spirit
- WHOSE waters arc slightly mpregnais'l "
ar- sulpher These Springs come 70 the surf
is. | IN a bread strata Of slate.
on Visions Of coal aroae before the eyes z
re- twain Of hunters, and deer hunting y
e IT. turned to prospecting The slate.bed q
TO the west at an angle of ten degrees.
ter careful inspection Col. Rynerson, y
w has a geological as well as legal turn
irc. mind, pronounced the indications worthl
'ur- II generally couceeded by scientists
nor, the part OF New Mexico lying South of
.Torna.la del Muerto is outside the coat-f
, fmt notwithstanding this learned opir