Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-05-31


our party ever did such a thing as to
paint or use. rouge, and yet in the hur-
~ of-or rather the absence ola
morning toilet, upon many fair cheek
appeared those omincus pale leprous
blotches. interspersed with little bronze
islands that smaeked strongly of Kan
sas zephyrs. And sometimes those be-
witching little locks that might have
been pasted to the forehead by gum
tragic-but will desist ere I am called
a mean contemplate wretch. The ext
gencies OF the case demanded that form
atty be laid aside, and we did it.
While q goodly number ofsour party
are reposing in slumbers as we skim
over the plains, several of US are strain
ing our vision across the wild, strange,
but ever new and interesting landscape.
1t is beautiful moonlight night. Away
to the east stretches vast plane,
bounded only by the horizon. just above
which, and in the deep azure of the sky,
a few lone stars are burning and gilt
tering like the flames of oriental incense.
This plane is a silvery shield, dappled
only by the shadows of feecy clouds
that float upon the night breeze. Off to
the west and south lie a long cirular
range of broken undulating mountains,
dim, misty, vague, in their dark purple
outlines. A hundred miles to the north,
with spires pointing toward heaven
like an everlasting cathedral, are the
Spanish Peaks; they are snowy white at
the points, melting lower down into
pale azure, then into steel and finally
into utter blackness. What a time for
meditauonl How often in the long,
long years of the past, may the dusky
aborigines have sat in the shadow of
his tent, gazed upon the same scenes,
been thrilled by the same impressions,
and ANONYMOUSLY worshiping the same
great fountain of the universe.
We are gradually climbing higher
and higher, until we reach Morley,
where another engine is employed to
propel us up grade of 185 feet to the
mile. Finally at an altitude of over
1900 feet we plunge into a tunnel over
half mile long under a crest of the
Ration mountains, and when we emerge
on the other side we are in the marvel
Gus country Of New Mexico.
This territory lies directly south of
Colorodo, it's average width from north
to south is about $50 miles, and from
east to west $40; it's surface is COM
posed of mountains, table lands and
valleys; the table lands include about
two-thirds of the area The principal
rivers are the Rio Grande and the Pc
cos.
In 1880, nearly a century before the
landing of the Mayfower, a Spaniard
by the name of Cabeza de Vasca, with
few companions was stranded on the
western coast of the Gulf of Mexico,
and they came on an exploring expe-
dition through what is now New Mex
leo. Their reports of great cities and
rich mines of gold and silver, induced
several other expeditions. The people
whom the Spanish found here were
Pueblo Indians, who lived lin towns,
and although prehistoric, showed un-
mistakable signs of having once pos
sessed a higher state of civilization.
The Spaniards settled in Santa Fe
in 1888 just 800 years ago. Several
revolutions followed and they were
twice expelled from the territory !;
but they finally got the mastery. That
same quaint race of Pueblo Indians,
forms one of the curious features of
New Mexico to-day.
Mining, stock raising and little ir-
rigation agriculture forms the wealth
of New Mexico. 1t is claimed that
there are 500, 0OO. head of cattle in this
territory, and 100000 sheep. On ac-
count Of the short and scant verdure
and dryness of the atmosphere, in our
opinion sheep are the most profitable.
If men can make money with stock in
New Mexico they.certainly ought to get
rich in Kansas as the latter place has
much better feed and better water.
Along the Rio Grande valley, at places
they turn the muddy fud upon reddish
soil and manage to raise some vegeta-
bles and grains. In lower New Mexico
irrigated fruit gardens and vineyards
are a grand success, much fine wine
being manufactured at Las Crues.
But am diverging from my proper
line of thought, When we awoke in
the morning we found that we were
passing through rough but pictur-
esque country with broken lodges of
SaodstOpa an6 ono, ,i+o or,oOyo- 1ryboSo