The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-22
LEAVES FROM NEW MEXICAN TRAVEL.
LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO, !
Jan. 18th, 1880. 4

Jan. 18th, 1880.
EDS. JOURNAL: suppose no State
or Territory In the United States il so
little known or written about as this
Territory. The two railrOadssnow
being built through New Mexico will
open up great fields for newspaper cor
respondents and historians. Az
said in my last letter Las Vegas Is a
queer place to one from the States.
The railroad runs about one mile from
the old town. Since respectable town
has been built near the depot, called
East Las Vegas, the old town is called
West Las Xegas. The town lays at
the foothills of the Rocky Mountains,
which are about ~ miles to the West.
New town being built mostly Of franc
and the old town almost entirely out
of Mexican 'd0l,es. very few two story
high. These 'dobes iH many places
are several hundred feet long, contain
ing many families or business houses /:
some Of the old 'dObes having port
holes 50 the MeXicans could protect
themselves from their common enemy,
the Indians, in old times. The walls
are about double the thickness Of n
brick wall, covered with q dirt roof.
making them very comfortable in the
winter aud eOOl III the summer. The
old town is built very irregular, with
very narrow crooked streets 1t locked
so strange to see the stOr,s, hotels and
churches made out of these 'dObes. In
the center of the old town Is large
Plaza. Las Vegas has about 1000 in
habitants, about One-half Mexican, and
is at present ruled by town council,
but expects SOON tn rut Oh city airs.
This il now the terminus Of the A. t.
Il 5. +. r. II. or Us ii Is called from the
Territory line, New Mexico & South
ern Pacific, although they run q con-
of the road, which passengers can &c
on; it extends about 80 miles aud ex-
poets to b1in Santa Fe in q few days,
which will he Its terminus. On New
Years the Mexicans had grand cele.
bratiOn q party dressed as Indians.
another party as L. s. Soldiers, all
mounted on good herses, and all very
good riders; after the soldiers had
chased the Indians through the streets
for seVeral hours they went to the
Plaza, where sham battle was fought
which lasted about two hours. The
prize being two Indian prisoners held
by the soldiers; they were captured
and re-captured several times, many
hundreds Of people hsing witnesses.
Farming In this country will never
he carried on very extensively, As il
requires Irrigation and but very little
near here can be irrigated, but when
cultivated produces very largely, both
in quantity and quality, The largest
onions over saw We're raised here.
weighed one that balanced 3 pounds
and ounces.
said there were about 1000 Next
cans here; well on an average every
Mexican has a dog, which il quite an
annoyance to one who is coward OF
dogs, rs the writer il. I think very
strong of running for dOg-killer here
next Spring. Another curiosity to me
is how the Mexicans bury their dead.
When the first one of the family dies
he or she is buried 0 or 10 feet deep,
then when the next of the family dies
he Is buried on top Of the first, the
third on top Of the second and SO on
until the grave is full.
Another Mexican wonder is the Mex
lean BurrO, which is an animal like
our dOnkeys, only smaller-abOut 3
feet high: These Burros carry i'm
menseloads at framed to their bacEsOyer
the highest hills and mountain sides.
They bring about ali the weod Las
Vegas uses in this way: as YOU see
them coming the wood looks larger
than the Rurro. The Mexican rides
them never using a bride. hut guild
ing with n stick In his hand. Some
times Won can see a large drove com.
ing i'm town loaded with wood. the
streets are more or less full of them. I
foryotitO mention that as Vegas is d. 400
feet above sea level. and we see fine
white snow canned mountains i'm sight
tn the northwest any time we may
look We are also 7SG miles from Kan
sas CITY. We get the Kansas CITY pa,
ners in two days. the ST. Louis and
Cbicapo in three. we have two daiiies
nnhliSIed here the Onfic ana G0-effe
The frat il an evening. the latter n
morring naner They lack one essen.
ti,l thjny and that il the Associated
press disnatchcs. ALSO one weekly
Frank f.hanman The leading mer.