The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1881-04-09

is muddy and shallow, but it furnishes
good drinking water. Rincon is little
more than a railroad junction.
THE VALLEY OF DEATH.
You now leave the river on your left
hand, separated from the line by the Sier-
ra del Cabalo, or Horse Range, which
here forms the eastern boundary oe its
wide valley. With the river you leave all
signs of cultivation behind, aud again
plunge into the desert On your right the
distant ranges Of San Andreas and Solidad
are seen. Before you lies the Jornada
del Muerto, or the Journey of Death.
Why this part of the desert plateau is
so called is difficult to imagine. 1t is no
worse than the rest of the desert; on the
contrary, the buffalo grass here grows even
thicker than in the vaunted of valley San ST.
mon. As for water, the distant mountain
ranges were capped with snow, it hailed and
rained as we passed up the valley. There
were no springs in the vicinity, and water
can only be obtained, if at all, by sinking
artesian wells; but this is the same every
where throughout southern Arizona and
New Mexico, except close to the few rivers
that flow through these regions. Perhaps
the Jornada del Muerto memorialiEes sUme
dreadful incident Of privatiou which befeli
the hardy Spaniards who first penetrated
these arid wastes in search of gold Wa
ter was forty miles distant, hostile Indians
were on every side, home was thousands of
of miles away, and an unknown continent
was before them.
This was the road from Mexico to the
seven golden cities Of Cibao, the ruins of
one of which, Gran Quivira, lie on the
l06th meridian, aud due east from Alam-
lilo. II was thc road to the Colorado. 1t
was the road ts wealth. It's solitudes per-
haps once echoed the despairing cries Of
De Soio's party, who struck tie Rio Gran
de 10 their mighty wanderings, and finally
made their way TO Mexico. Ii resounded
to the jeers Of Colorado, who was the FIRST
to dispel the glamour that long hung over
this region. He il was who confirmed the
reported existence Of the seven cities, but
proved that, instead Of being golden,
they we're built Of mud, aud protected a
population to whom the use of gold was
unknown |, was along this valley that
the conductors, laden with silver, which
had been wruus from the blood aud tears
Of the enslaved uaiiyes, wended their way
to Nueys Espans, thence to be rsshippcd
to Spain The valley IS doubtless well
named, aud i, Is TO be hoped that, in the
vandalisB Of railroad progress and nomeu-
cla,uTe, this name viii not be changed.
The northern extremity Of the Jornada
del Muerto Is strcWa with lava At this
poiat you approach the Rio Grande. aud
again cross it between Fort Craig aud the
town Of San Marchl. Here again you
observe cultivation Of the river bottoms.
You low continue up the valley Of the
Rio Grande, crossing the river again near
Albu1aerque, until you reach Domingo,
where the line turns suddenly 70 the east,
and, crossing the Divide that separates
the Grapde aud Pecos, enters the valley Of
the lssl named river, which it follows to
Bernal
Your last view Of the Rio Grande IS a
mcne thread Of silver, ucaRdcFing through
a sandy bottom. louF 6rsi view Of The
Peeos Is q sturdy little stream cutting its
uay through basaltic rpcks and 4 rich
vegetable loan.
You are now in 4 wooded country, you
hear the muTmur Of waters aud the songs
Of birds, and begin to realize the fact that
The great deserts Of the far West have
been passed The ruins Of the Peeo-
Cathedral, whose timbers have tuFsed iO
stone, arc 10 be seen in the valley beneath
you, while far beyond to the northwaFd
rises Old Bxldy, the southerum0ss column
Of ihe Rocky Moantain range. Santa
Fe Is but = few miles dis,abt TO the west
Las Vegas 70 the east. The air is sharper,
patches Of snoS lie on the ground, psOpls
move about more briskly, the peanut 6end
appears ia the cars, the Chicago paper'
aTe bawled 10 your ears, and sou are again
entering those thresholds Of eivi.iza,iot
which you might have fancied had closed
upon you forever, when southern Califor
nia last faded from your sight.
/ From Las Vegas to Trinidad you skir
the Rocky Mountains; al Trinidad you eros,
them, over a spur called the Raton; aud
after sliding down the heaviest railroad
/ gradient 10 America (2I0 feet to the nile J
/ you end yourself in Colorado, aud 10 aI
atmosphere Of mines and mining men o
very recent growth
You now turn to the northeast uuti
/ you strike the valley Of the Arkansas
/ which you follow to Central Kansas. YOI
are on the Plains. The country is tree
less and black, the cabins are poor ant
dirty, the people are rough and squalid
/ the ground is streWn with the earcasses oI
dead animals, myriads Of which have per
ished in the winters storms; but you know
thot the rains here fall Perennially, sut
that, with all its present disadvantages
this region must eventually become tn,
scat Of great empire.
THE NEW TRASsCoNTINENTALR ROUTE
Speaking generally of the new route, i
must become 4 favorite one with travellers
The regions it traverses are full Of scenic
and istoric interest. The country abound
10 rich mines There are gold placsrs il
southern California, silver mines in AriEo
na and New Mexico, copper, iron, antimo
ny, tin, gypsum, coal, petroleum, aud man,
other valuable minerals all along the route
Both of the roads are well built Th,
Southern Pacific is as solid as skill cal
make it. AHesian wells and dining sta
ticnsare established along its entire length
and las sleepi. cars are as elegant anC
comfortable. The Atehisop, Topeka auC
Santa Fe is also well constructed.
The time made on the through trip is a
short as oA the Union and Central Pacific
The fare is the same. There is no snow
in the winter, and in summer-as | cat
testify from experienee-the heat is no
oppressive, because the air is pure aud dry
The pirates at Deming, however, must bC
fred out When this is done-and per
haps it is done already, for the railroad
men were making preparation when
passed ,hrough-the new route to and from
San Francisco will become very attractive
In the course of year or two, however
another transcoutinental route will be open
ed. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fl
have already constructed branch lin,
from Albuquerque, west, to Fort WiHgate
on the Rio Puerco. From this point it il
being laid at the rate of two miles day
along the 36th parallel aud across Arizon'
to the Colorado. After crossing this rive