Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-30
New Route to the Pacinc.


New Route to the Pacific.
New York Herald.l
For a second time have the %tircles
railway builders riveted the Atlanti,
to the Pacific, by the meeting OF tn,
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe anC
the Southern Pacific roads, at a pOin.
called Deming, in New Mexico. Dem
ing is a newly created place, and was
given its name in honor of the wife O
Charles Croker, the president of the
Southern Pacific, whose maiden titlC
it a 1t is in the southwestern cor.
ner Of the territory, near Floridf
Point, about forty miles north of the
Mexican border and fifty miles east Of
the Arizona line. The last spike Of
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Ft
road was driven at DeDing on the 9Th
of March, the Southern Pacific people
having finished a month before tlum
The junction was made unoslerta
! lousy, and, indeed, considering The
! importance'of the entire work. it he's
received bu. small attention from the
eastern public. 1t is only of second
airy Importance in the railroad history
Of lbe great west TO the completion OF
the first overland route. But the
first event filled the whole world
with admiration; the new settlement
has been less difficult Of performance,
but far moro rapid, and the praises
OF il remain unSung. The through
line was formally opened gu the 18th
inst, when a train left Kansas City,
Mo, at ten O'Clock in the morning
with passengers for San Francisco and
points in southern California and the
territories. These passengers we're
due in Demi ing Sunday morning where
they we're to be transferred to the
Southern Pacific coaches, and accord
ing to schedule they should have
reached the city Of the Golden Gate
at half-past three O'Clock Tuesday
afternoon. In four and three-quartcr
days of travel they will have accom-
plished a distance Of 2Il8 miles
1850 by the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe. and 1893 by the Southern
Pacific. On the morning Of the 18th
the first train left San francisco
with passengers for the east. The
first through ticket via the new route
to the west was sold in New York on
the 18th inst. over the New York
Central, Lake Shore bee line" Mis-
souri, Pacific, Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe, and the Southern Pacific
railways.
ANCIENT AMERICA.
Apart from the commercial devel-
opment that will follow the construc-
tion Of these great railways there are
interesting scraps of early American
history to be brought from Arizona
and New Mexico into the sunlight of
the east. Santa Fe alone, with its
queer people, its venerable buildings
and commercial record, so far ante
dating the record Of any eastern or
northern city, is a volume of interest
TO the student of Spanish American
history. Not much older than Tue
500, it is described as the oldest town
in the southwest. st. Augustine,
Florida. was settled in 1868, but the
Spauiards found Santa Fe a populous
place in 1912. One writer says. 1T
was old when New York was a swamp
and hoary with age when Columbus
discovered America" The Aztec and
his predecessors lived in it long before
the new world was known. When
che Spaniards invaded New Mexico,
at an early date, they made Santa Fe
their capital, as it had been the CAPT
tai of the Montezumas before them.
The Spaniards drove many Of the In
dams away and forced many more Of
them to work in the mines, whose
richness then received marvellous re
ports. In 1880 the Indians reyolted
and drove the white men out, but
after a protracted struggle the Span
iards regained possession in 1852. In
the war between Mexico and the
United States Santa Fe was cap
tured by General Kearney's troops. In
lS62it was captured by the Confederate
trO0pe, who held it for about a month
and then egacuated it. Santa Fe has
long been a great trading post between
the valleys Of Mexico ana the noun
taiBs Of Colorado, Arizona aad New
Mexico. The products that have for
centuries fogpd their way on burros
to the market of Saata Re will, within
another twelve months, be wbirled
over the track of the Mexican Central
and Sonora railroads. Tucson. in
Arizona, lays claim to being the old
EST town in America, but the early
historyO 81 the place is very obscure.
L has had a great trade with Sonora,
Mexico, exchanging products from
there With western Arizona and south.
ern California.
Santa Ne and Tucson are only the
two principal marts Of a country whose
ancient thrift and peculiar peoples
will now be told Of with every train
that rolls to the Atlantic or 10 Inc Pa
cihc. If great men make history
great railroads often uncover the hid
den volumes. The events that we re.
gard With a reverence for their age as
we'll as for their results, such as the
explorations Of Hepdrick Hudson and
the landing Of the PileTims, will seem
recent when the travellers from Cali.
fornia shall tell us of the lunches they
ate and the sights they saw in cities
that were old before the part of the
world that they exist in was designated
new"
The Peoples Worldwide Yer.
diet.
Burnett's Cocoaine has been sold in
every civilized country, and the public
have rendered the verdict that it Is
the cheapest and best hair dressing in