New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-11-02
NEW-MEXICAN INDUSTRY.


LUxURIANT GROWTH OF THE MISSION GRAPE-PRoSs
IT'S OF THE CRoP--LIFE IN MINING CAMPs-MiS'
ERAL RESOURCES or THE ORGAN MOUNTAINS
NEW RAILROAD SCHEME.
lFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rkiBuShl
Las CRUCES, n. NJ Sept. 1S.-The ar 10
spicy with thesme OF vineyards and resonant with the
voices OF who hunger 10 sell the tender
foot" mine On every sit phlegmatic Mexicans
with baskets luscious Mission grapes and other
doorway frames miner whose pockets bulge with frag
ments Of assayng thousands to the ton. Behind the
line OF low adobe houses stretch OF magnificent
vineyards and the horizon cut 0y the vertical organ
pipe-lke peaks OF the Organ Mountains where lie tho
mines which have set this little abIsze. The
formation sudden to be fairly ridiculous. This
and La Messia, about three es away, have been
among the quietest and sleepy well "a most
beautiful Of all the Michigan villages In the Territory
The adventOf railroad hardly caused ripple in their
existence-indeed, II anything IL nearly extinSushed
what little life by killing much Of the freight
ing trade and general business OF which La Messa vas
centre. Bat Mammou has enthroned himself in yon-
der mountains anthis followers hasten 20 bow beneath
his relentless yoke Some discoveries OF rich silver ore
short time snce followed by the location Of vein
fquartz bearing free gold in large quantities. Tho
news spread through the Re Grande valley aud from
Rincon TO FL Paso nothing is talked OF but the strike In
the Organs. But the mountains and the vine,
yards near 80 before describing the new mining camps
let take you the vineyards and the ruit orchards.
Along the outskirts OF the village the
acequia, irrigatiug ditch, extending from tho
Rio Grande at about Leesburg Immense cotton
woods, three four feet in diameter. line the ditch
and give the village the appearance. novel In
this country OF being completely empowered In trees.
Threading the shady lands among the trees and sunhow
er found the land along the ditch divided into teranos.
as the foryaere called with It's adobe house.
showing whitewashed fronts and atticed balcO-
MES and others hardly be distinguished FROM the high
adobe walls that guard the fields sroled up an open
driveway leading into Of these teranos On the left
was vineyard fifteen acres, the vines loaded
with purple clusters and the right an orchard OF
pear peach and apple At the end o: the drive,
the hedge and acequa found the Of the vine
yard, Mr. Cunie experimenting the gathering Of tha
vintage. Under awning his wife and daughters were
packing dainty boxes and baskets tempting fruit
that Mexicans were bringing from the vines The
smell Of grapes everywhere, on every side green
hedges, uxurlant vines and sturdy fruit trees, the
clear, exhilaratng air golden with sunshine and tne
Scared mountain peaks IN the distance forming strik
| ing background TO this American vintage scene.
followed Mr. Cunife into his adobe perumed
with the apples that lay in glowing heaps upon the floor
basket Of freshly plucked figs produced, melting
like honey tongue and my host began to instruct
me In yculure carried nhe valley OF Las Cruces,
found that this the first year that he has shipped
grapes away and that he expects TO send on 100000
pounds at cents pound. which is not bal showing
for so small vineyard He rrigates his vines once In
|
labor for the irrigang ditch il cooperative affair and
ia kept in repair By all those who the water. Tho
grapes are sent throughout this Territory into Old
| Mexico and Texas and to Colorado and Kansas. Had
the Franciscan monks done any other good they
would well Of posterity for introducing the Mig
sion grape which after its higher cutiyaons called
the Ell grape Purple Like the familiar Concord, our
triae smaller its flavor has spiciness and piquancy
with which the Delaware compare, Joined with
a sweetness so great that nothing is needed In making
rasins except drying the grapes. They are e1ceenty
adapted for making wine and brandy, az | found on
driving over to La Messlla the quaintest, prettesi
| Mexican town il has been my lot 10 see.
PHASES OF NEW MEXICAN LIFE.
The charm OF the place lies in the immense cotton.
woods which the streets and give the plaza the
resemblance Of a New England village green enoircled
with ems and IN the gardens. vineyards and orchards
which lie all about the town. visited Mr. Bulls vne'
wards the largest believe, in La Messilla valley where
| I walked through OF richly bearing vines sur
rounded by peach trees and these surrounded by hedges
OF Usage orange The peach this year is rather
failure and apples not very abundant but the grapes
are uerrectiou On one side of Mr. Bulls vineyard was
the shed containing his still and the large adobe store
house where the grapes are piled four feet high in
readiness for wine making while In another part pie
horic casks aud hogsheads OF wine the room the
| appearance of a mOnkish wine cellar in olden time.
Another room was filed with casks and bottles OF grape
| brandy five years old had a smooth richness which
French cognac cannot surpass II triumph OF home
production, much more 20 than the red wine sampled
In another sorehOuse which retained something OF the
crude taste peculiar American wines II was genuine
land OF plenty for there we're storerooms
| filed with splendid wheat and vegetables nom Mr.
Bulls farm as well with grapes and wine. Ny host
informed ME that he would clear % 600 this year from
| his grape crop, all of which he makes INTO wine aud
brandy and that he would have received $1,000 from
his peaches pears and apples had the crop not been
Injured by late uost
NV visits TO various vineyards and orchards showed
that the fruits raised here superior in uicnessavof
and sweetness the California fruit that ID met with
commonly in the dorado hotels though not SO extava'
gautlv large and D. possessing externally Tie VileY
OF the Rio Grande from below Soeorro nearly TO "a Paso
with the exception Of certain desert sections cau WIN
irrigation be made available for fruit raising Comate
and soil are perfectly adapted for the purpose Inc IN
dustry has been hitherto chiefly carried on 10 the Dona
Ana Las Cruces and La Messa valleys. all lying in the
Rio Gran1e valley, AMI the rosts Indicate lts rapid eN-
tension Already land is being taken NJ. new vineyards
and orchards out and old increased, and renew
ed attention given raising vegetables especially the
colossal onions which produced here The fruit raised
in this valley is already beginning 10 drive California
ft from the market IN open competition in TINS Terri
tory and il is reasonable prediction based on an exam
nation Of this district that RIO Grande fruit particular
y that OF Las Cruces and La Messla viii soon become
as famous as that OF California
Returning from the vineyards through the plaza
stoned at the court instant to hear an inter
prefer and a lawyer struggle with mixed jury OF
Mexcans and Americans. The low, stHfy court room
is historic In this section for fl was here that billy
the Kid was tried and senenced to DEATH and was in
| leaving his room that he made boast that they'll
never hang me-" which came true in way entirely IN
expected Pausing 70 pluck from Mr.. Bulls trees some
luscious figs drove back Cruises across the old bed OF
| the Rio Crande which formerly ran between the two
| towns
There was a sound OF revelry that night in the bar
room OF the hotel Some prospee.Ors WHO hs1 struck