Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-12-10

the attacks Of the NavaIos, and some Of
their towns were built high up upon the
cliffs for the same reason. The western
banks Of the Rio Grande north Of here
are very abrupt, rising In some places
almost perpendioularly two or three
hundred feet. On the top Of one Of these
bluffs there still remains a stone fort
built by the Pueblos, and almost inn
pregnable from the river side against
anything but modern artillery.
Many wealthy Mexican dons own es-
tates on the Rio Grande River, and, al
though their modes of agriculture are
rude and primitive, their fields are we'll
cultivated, they have large hocks and
herds, and their houses are spacious
and imposing in appearance, when seen
through q long vista Of trees, with their
neatly whitewashed fronts and broad
verandas extending all around them.
Among these people may oocasionaIlv
be found q Spanish family Of pure Cas-
tiliAn blood which, though It came here,
perhaps, two centuries ago, has never
inter-married with the Indians or Mexi-
cans of mixed blood. These are the real
aristooracy of the country, and, as many
Of their children have been educated in
Europe or in the Eastern States, they
have retained not a few of the chara0-
teristics of their Spanish ancestors, 10
which they have added, perhaps, more
of modern refinement. t..|
The old town Of Albuquerque is about
three miles west Of the railroad,
but new-American-- Is already
springing up about the station. The
old town contains about 1000 inhabi-
tants, of whom two or three hundred
are Americans and Europeans, and the
remainder Mexicans. It resembles
Santa Fe except that its architecture is
purely Mexican, and it lacks the ap-
pearance Of thrift and enterprise which
the capital Of New Mexico has in a
slight degree. The plaza is simply an
open square in the center Of the town,
without fences, trees or grass. One side
Of it is occupied by the church and
church institutions, the former of which
Is said 10 have been built about 200
years ago. The people Of Albuquerque
assert that the town was occupied by
the Spaniards earlier than Santa Fe, it
being at that time q large Indian pueblo,
and it therefore disputes with the capi-
tai of the Territory the honor of being
the oldest town in the United States set
tied by Europeans. The merchants
here carry on large business with the
farmers Of the valley. The now town,
which is OF the junction Of the Atlantic
and Pacific Railroad (the construction
of which from this point west to Cali
fornia has already been begpn) with
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
main line, is expected TO be an import
ant railway center. -rfn
The first night slept in Albuquerque,
my room opened by door upon the pla-
cita of the hotel, but the window looked
out upon a broad street with no build
ings on the further side. After mid
night, and when perfect silence reigned
throughout the hotel and town, was
awakened by a weird, plaintiYe sound,
and, locking out Of the window, 1 saw
a tall Indian in the bright moonlight,
wrapped in his gayly-colored blanket,
walking alone, very slowly, and chant
ing something that sounded like dirge.
l watched him for five minutes until he
had passed out of sight and hearing,
and the apparition seemed prophetic.
The Indian race has survived the cruelty
of the Spanisrd, and has not disap-
peared before the civilization Of two
centuries ago; but did this old chief
see in the advent of the civilization Of
the last quarter of the nineteenth CEN
tury the doom Of his people sealedP-
Cor. NetU York Tribune.