The Arizona sentinel., 1879-12-06
AN GASES sNlTHE DESERT,
strange HisfOry!Of an Arizona {
Rancho.

lHS appcdlCu
A dispatch from Tucson, Arizona, say:
intelligence has been received that tho
Apaches captured the station OF the J@r'
NADIA del. Nucrto, near Fort Craig, ano
killed thirteen persons. The NavaJoes
have broken out, and the troops at For'
Wineate were dispatched against thei''
They stole all the stock, including maj
mules.
The history of this station is singular
one, and is related to us by an old army
friend in whose mind the ABOVE narrative
reyives memories of the arid region sur
rounding it. The country borders on the
west bank of the Rio Grande river, bound
ed on the north by Fort McRae, on the
south By Mcsilla, and Ion the east by
Organ mountains, ard its passage is
known as the journey of DEATH The
region is over 60 miles in length, untitled
without life, uninhabited save at Aleman,
and as destitute of moisture as the desert
of 2ahara. All travel between southern
New Mexico and the Santa Fe portion of
the territory has, however, to be across
this terrible sand waste, aad its dangers
are eyinced BY the bones Of draft animals
frequently seen bleaching in the sun.
Every traveller breads the passage of the
Jornada, pronounced Hornada) because
all know that tie journey is frequently
one Of death. When General John Pope
was Lieutenant of Typographical engi-
neers, he was sent to bore artesian wells
with view to finding water. This was
for the benefit of government trains and
army people IN general, The passage of
the Jornada then required ard now takes
two days, involving the necessity of haul
ing water for animals and human beings.
| Water weighs about siXty-two and one
half pounds per gallon. Six mules will
drink two barrels in twelve hours. While
Lieutenant Pope was engaged in boring,
4 rough SEQ Gilman named john Martin
conceived the speculative idea of shovel
ing for it, He struck spring at point
nearly in the centre of the desert, and for
years thereafter sold the aqueous fluid 70
patrons at the rate of twenty-five cents a
bucket, 1t proved bonanza to him. At
no other place within circle having a
radius CT thirty miles has water ever been
| fourd
john Martins well at Aleman, on the
Tornado, became known to thousands of
people. The government made Martin a
forage agent. This sinccure carried with
it the exclusive right of sale of forage,
fuel and water for the Tornado. He was
generous, charitable mana diamond in
the rough. The Jicarillo Apaches from
the reservation at Fort Stanton were al
ways kindly treated by John Martin, and,
by tacit consent, they were allowed water
free as long as they left undisturhed the
persons and property of the few people
who conferred at Aleman. Martin was a
married man. His wife, children, and his
son-in law lived with him.
The writer Of these lines has frequently
seen as many as score of these Indians
camped at Martins ranch, and the conf
dence of the hardy Scotchman in their
peaceful intent was mistaken by the fire.
| duent disturbances of that region. Tn
happily, the savage instincts prevailed
over grateful memories of favors received.
| The Geographic message above tells the
rest Martin was the master of lodge
of Free Masons at Mesilla, over thirty
miles south of his well, and never missed
meeting, regular or special, during the
time he lived at Aleman.-T10y Times.
The above reads we'll but is full of mac
curacies neither the jo'nadG del nuerto
nor the station Aleman, is in Arizona, be-
ing in New Mexico, and extends from
Parage, about nine miles from Fort Craig
to Rock Springs, about twenty four miles
from Fort Selden. Jornada del Muerto
means Deadman's Journey" journey of
| dealt . would be .jornada dc IN 1Kucrtc.
Martins well was dug in 1870 and with
government aid, powder, fuse, tools etc,
etc. whereas 1t. Pope was at work there
long before the war
TX Martin Che was always called
jack died about three years ago In Mesi-
la and could, therefore, not have been
killed by the Apaches iii this late massa-
ere, if any such has occsrreu. When
Martin died he had been living sometime
in Mesilla having rented his ranch and
only just completed a contract for furnish
ing telegraph poles between Silver City
and Fort Craig,
The distance from Martins well to Me.
silla is sixty six miles instead of thirty
and water weighs but eight pounds per
gallon instead of sixty two and half.
|