The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-03-04
LEAVES FROM NEW MEXICAN TRAVEL

LEAVES FROM NEW MEXICAN TRAVEL
ATrip to ths Ancient City sad down the
Hjoaesnde@ Aevolvers On hand-
sheep Raising.
| Correspondence Of TnI JOURNAL.
ALBURQUERQUE,Ne New Mexico,
February 18th, 1880. :
Iwould like to ask the readers OF
the JOURNAL if they ever reached a
place where they felt Is though they
were in another world? feel consid-
erably like it now, and feel as though
it might be the lower regions instead
Of the upper, for when I look at the
grand old mountains near here. reach
ing above the clouds, it seems to me
that I am far down into the earth and
there is q higher cline above. am
within . short distance Of Hell's Cam
yon and have been since my arrival
through Hell's half acre. SO taking
the above together, I must be nearer
the lower abode of habitation than the
upper. 1 hope my friends will not
think I have fallen into the custom Of
the cQuntry-swearing; but a. an
honest writer must speak the truth
and give the true names Of places.
But to lay all fun aside and use com.
mon expression, this country ''beats
the Dutch" and for me to give your
readers an idea OF it would he a fail
ure. 1t Is 80 strange, so curious. Yes,
r Ii nd
has lived for hundreds Of years -Once
give gold and silver almost as We do
iron. Long years ago when Montezu-
mn In his grandeur and wealth reigned
supreme over this country, this great
river, the Rio Grande, rushed on to
the Gulf, filled with pure cold water
fresh from the snOw-capped Rocky
each side Of which was densely inhab-
tied by Montezuma's cOuntrymen, and
along Its banks large portion of his
mines near Santa Ee, which mines are
% he kept the secret and would never
tell the exact location where he OBJ
tanned his wealth, even going so far
a. to destroy all trace The railroad
coming here has caused hundreds of
men to 60 to prospecting for the pla-
oes where Montezums found his
wealth, and believe that the time is
near at hand when they will be found.
I believe that New Mexico will sur
prise the world with her mines before
long. It u very hard to keen the
gold and silver fever OFF down here,
Sometimes the terrible affiiction seizes
me, but I keep the disease away BY
thinking how few succeed and how
many fail. Quite a number of mines
have been discovered and as soon as
the new railroad Ii built to the
Shakespeare mines 80 the ore can be
hauled they will develop come good
mines. Near Soccorro they are find
ing some good mines. About seventy
five miles south of here they are find
ing some good coal and copper mines.
The country near the Rio Grande Is
rich In relics and ruins. On the road
from Santa Fe We saw the ruins of
Mexican house over two hundred
years old also the town of Bernadillo,
which We passed, IL curious old Mex
lean city. Little did 1 think when
boy, in reading Of the exploits of KIT
the Wild counfrv "a he did would ever
be realized: for reading his Adventures
caused me to come west more than
ANYTHING else. But here i'm th,se
mountains. down these canvons and
along this river. KIT Carson hunted
and trapped. and ofcourse this ground
has a charm for me. MANY Of the
citizens here remember him we'll
left las Vegas nv railroad On
Thursday night. reaching santa Fe
on Friday morning about dayiight. II
found found the n,a stsge would not start until
inc around looking Mt the citS + met
one of Salinas Citizens of formec
years-Ambrose MicEs He Was on
his road to Belen about thirty miles |
below here vhere he intands iocating
We came down together in the STAGE
AZ I o,clock wo started an our In,1