The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-12-11
NEW MEXICAN TOwN.
A wheeling BOy'a Picture Of Life In Il
us, <lreNser Territory. Hl.T M

<lreNsrr Territory. 20
Mr.. Dan @. List, son Of D. G. List, Esq
writes from Albuquerque, New Mexico
an entertaining letter, from which til
lNrELLlGENcIR Is permitted to takc tho io
lowing: ~
lhave just returned from the mountains
where the Wilson boys and had gone fo
1.-TWO days hunt. We had most enjoys
bic time roaming for twenty miles over liz
mesa towards the mountains huntin
deer, &c. The snow was 80 deep In man,
places that VIC could 60 only through tn
most irequented passes, and even then
was very cold. We remained there al
night, sleeping on the floor Of mud house
with large fire burning in the good old
fashioned way. Strange 10 say, Iielt no bat
effects, rs l most certainly would had
SO exposed myself In our climate. dit
very little hunting; my object ingoing wa.
TO see the country, and TO look into tn,
cattle business as VIC passed along, and
was well repaid.
There are thousands OF acres Of land yo,
can get Tor almost Il song, yet all you nigh
have would not be worth the paper II wopll
take 10 write the deed on, there being nt
water for more than. twenty miles, nnC
nothing will grow because Of this lefcc
in nature 10 supply the earth with hel
moisture. ! have never seen sight more
pleasing to the eyes. AS far Ms the VALLEY
extended on either side OF tho river
something like forty miles, and hundred
north and sonth-there appeared this i'm.
mensc tract Of land, and no human being
could bring this soil into any practical
,'se. What defect is made til this respect
seems TO be more than compensated for ii
the vast wealth Of the mountains lust be.
yond. 1t is wonderful 10 hear people talk
OF the discoveries made ingold, silver, iron,
copper and coal. You see persons goinr
70 these mines like sheep going to pasture.
They grow perfectly wild with excite.
ment, and YOU would imagine from
their way they talk that nothing else could
possibly be found. l have had several op.
portunities. Of buying mines valued (by
the owners OF course) at thousands, for 4
n mere song. They are continually looking
out for some poor fool upon whom they
can play their game, but rs yet l have
wisely kept what small change ! hive in
my possession. ~
l like the country more each day. There
ls everything here in the way Of good
climate to strengthen one, only YOU must
p.ss through much that is unpleasant, and,
1t may be, hardships. -
The sun never appeared so bright as it
appears day by day in the perfectly cloud
less heavens. Indeed, you som metimes wish
Tor this to cease, as.the continual glare is
hard on the eyes. There is more ulooh to
tho square inch than YOU will see in tho
whole sky at home. 1t does not seem like
the same sun, moon and stars. There is
only one objection to the climate that 1
have discovered. The days are very warm
and the nights equally cold. You must
wear heavy coat at night and will find
lce formed by morning; by noon it is SO
uncomfortable that the overcoat is cast
aside. L have my usual cold. am told
that this case with every Que for the first
three months, after which time they do not
seem to mind these sudden changes.
You have no idea how hard place this
would be to live in. There is scarcely any
society, and the rough, hard clnss Of peo.
pie you are constantly coming in contact
with is 10 ne anything but pleasant. The
temptations here are greater than in Il
larger and more settled place. It takes the
form Of gambling and drinking, and |
think | am safe in saying that in no place
have ever seen so much. They have an
opera house conducted on the following
plan: ltisa common shanty capable Of
holding three hundred people, lighted by
lamps. You payyour half-dollar, enter and
you seea real western theatre. There is
some Observation-Disclosures play going on.
Scores OF men are seated on wooden
benches, smoking and drinking, fighting
and gambling. You 90 up stairs to the
boxes. Passing through the dark narrow
passage you enter the gallery where there
arc some two dozen boxes. Tukiny a seat
IN the first vacant one you are soon an
proaclled by some Door fallen woman and
asked to "set up the drinks" which costs
you II dollar, and they get "a
per cent Of the amount. This
is kept open until midnight when it is
turned intoa dance. Imagine such scene
il you can. could not until went and
saw for myself. Young men were there
who would blush 10 say it was their nightly
resort, and yet none think strange Of your
going but rather il you do not 70. Some Of
these scenes are disgusting, and SO long as
this rough element predominates they arc
bound 10 last .1r :