Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-05-27
A. STRANGE COUNTRY.
incidents ola Trip Along the Verge
of Civilization.
SOUTHERN ARlzoNHs VAST WEALTH.
Relics Of Centuries Ago-RaiIfoad Building
in the Southwest-The Town OF
"The Pass"-Want
of Water.
BIZ Col. Frnnk 4. Bnrr.

BIZ Col. Frank 4. Burr.
THE PASS, Southern Arizona, May
2O.-There is strange country, out
here, hanging upon the very verge of
civilization. 1t Is so strangely built
that scientists, travellers and explorers
have for years looked upon its manifold
phenomena with amazement. Geolo.
gists have declared that it presents the
most wonderful examples of world
building and world destruction that are
to be found upon this or any other con-
tinent, It's canyon system illustrates,
in its mighty grandeur, the strength OF
the natural forces that have for ages
been at work creating them. Its Curl
ously shaped valleys, desert-like, arid
and sterile plains, its broad plateaus and
the fertile lands following the rivers are
all interesting subjects for study and ex-
PLANTATION. Then curious evidences OF
the mighty turmoil in the bowels OF the
earth in bygone ages are found in its
scores of silent craters and in the largest
lava bed in the world, that has in the
far-off past flown from them in terrible
volcanic eruptions.
Its history is as singular and attrac-
tive as its formation is wonderful, for ii
is pregnant with startling traditions OF
the prehistoric as well as of the historic
age. Its caves, cliff dwellings and EVIL
dences of Pueblo life illustrate the ris-
ing and falling degrees of Indian civil
ization; and the Casso Grande carries
the mind back to even higher life
here, when the Toltec empire was in
its glory. With all these wonderful
things pressing themselves upon the
Observers attention, it is difficult task
indeed to come down from them to
study the material features Of Arizona
or write Of the present and future.
Arizona's One Railroad.
The unwonted traveller, getting his
first impressions of this Territory from
a railroad car, would not gather even
faint idea of its possibilities, beauties or
mineral and agricultural resources. The
Southern Pacific railroad, the only iron
highway yet completed across it, runs
through la rren, arid desert that inn
presses one most unfavorably, or, rath-
ar, Expresses one. If the line had been
run farther to the north or the south ii
would have traversed a much better
section, where both the mineral and
pas toral resources OF the Territory are
far greater. But its greed to keep the
Texas Pacific railroad from tea ching the
Pacific slope, and thus prevent this
giant monopoly from robbing and OPP
pressing the people, brought it down
over this barren plateau, so devoid OF
the necessities for easy railroad man.
agement that water cannot be obtained
except at very long distances, and often
has to he drawn with the train in an
extra tank. Before fall, however, the
traveer will have route to the Pacific
that will offer far superior accommodate
tions and take him or her through
more interesting section. 1t is the At
lantic and Pacific, running west from
Albuquerque. This is the transconti-
mental line belonging to the Atcheson,
Topeka and Santa Fe railroad.
You leave the Gould system at FL
Paso Texas, and it is but just to say that
it gives you pleasant and easy jour-
ney to that point, mostly through a
very interesting country. At this point,
where you leave the Texas Pacific
and start west over the Southern, your
tribulations begin with the sand heaps.
AThriying Little Town.
The Pass, as this little thriving, push
ing town is properly called, presents
most striking example of the rapidity
with which tOwnsand even cities spring
up in this western country. 1t has
grown from an overland stage station
of half dozen old adobe houses to q
thriving, vigorous little city of some
1900 or 5000 inhabitants, in about
eighteen months. TO be sure, its nat
ural advantages are great. 1t stands in
the gateway where the great through
railway lines go West to California and
East to the seaboard, and where the
Mexican Central, the extension Of the
great Atcheson, Topeka and Santa Fe
system, pushes of into Mexico through
PasO del Norte the Pass of the North.
Nothing can illustrate the wide differ
enee between the Mexican border and
the frontier of the United States more
than these two towns, separated only
by the Rio Crane de.
The American town of FL Paso, young
as i is, is rapidly pushing on towards a
good sized city. 1t already does an inn
mense trade with Mexico, has two
banks, a good street railway, fair hotels,
schools and good daily paper, the
Times. How the shifting scenes of life
throw people about! | found Colonel
Dick Hinton at ri Paso running this
promising journal. Hinton is a queer
character, and, cultured and able as he
is, is lust suited to this western life. He
has lad curious history, beginning
with the border ruffian war of Kansas,
and extending not only into the broad
journalism Of the East but to the Pa
cfic slope, where he edited the Even
ing Post OfSan Francisco. Besides be-
ing good editor, he has been an eX-
plOrer, miner, engineer and geologist.
He came TO this country from England
about 1851, and has ridden over most Of
it on horseback. He is an erratic, ner-
vous person. who has spent most Of his
life battling for ideas. 1t is queer, in
deed, to find such man, now well
along in years, settling down here, at
the gateway into Mexico, hoping to
make an American journal for the new
republic and TO continue to improve his
wide store of knowledge by adding to
the great volume he already has in his
head thorough knowledge of Mexico,
its people and possibilities.
Tale offs City.
The reverse of FL Paso is found just
across the Rio Grande, where Paso del
Norte still slumbers in the lap Of the
civilization Of 400 years ago. 1t is dead
even for a Mexican town. Toillustrate
ITS condition, a good story is told by