Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-06-07
WILLIAM BIssELL. Editor.
A JAUNT TO AND FROM OLD
MEXICO.
special Correspondence.

One feature is cOnSplcuouSIy pToHl-
nent, not only in Las Vegas, but in all
the towns of New and Old Mexico; and
that is the plentiful sprinkling of sa-
looms and sample rooms. Wine and
Beer! Fine Whistles and Old Bourbon!
are the numerous signs that greet the
rasser-by at nearly every other door;
while long rows of black neck bottles,
and wooden faucets, with high bars
and tinkling glasses bespeak for this
ou1try system of internal as well as
external irrigation.
About ten o'clock our train moved on
to Hot Springs, a distance of six miles,
where the railroad company has so i'm.
improved naturally beautiful and
healthy location, that it is one of the
finest summer resorts in the country.
The valley terminates in sharp point
something like the apex of letter A,
and is closed in by low mountains on
the north, east and west, save at the
northern extremity where q narrow
canon extends up into the mountains.
These high elevations are covered with
a thin growth of pines; and the brown
valley, the variagated rocky bases of the
mountains, with their foliage covered
tops supporting blue canopy of sky,
form picture of quiet loVliness. There
are two large hotels here; the Montezu-
ma, an immense frame building of fine
architecture, fanked on two sides with
a wide cool veranda, and the Hot
Springs hotel, built of stone, and very
fire structure The former is under
The auspices of the R. r. The springs
proper are said to possess great medic
inal qualities. In one, the water is too
hot too drink without cooling, and q
continual steam rises from it. It has a
sulphur taste and is not particularly
palatable. There are large rows of COM
modiOus bath houses erected, where you
can take bath, hot or cold, shower or
tnb, shampoo, vapor, turkish or any
other kind known to modern invention
providing always that you have the
requisite amount of ''filthy lucre,'
which, in this particular spot, must not
he Of mean proportions, for everything
you touch is expensive. The luxury OF
shave will cost you twenty-five cents,
a bath from fifty cents to one dollar and
a half, meal one dollar, the use of a
burrO to ride upon the mountains fifty
cents an hour and everything in pro-
portion. After taking hot bath-from
which we duly recovered, although fol
a time we felt like a wilted Juniper
weed in the sun-we procured one OF
the aforementioned burros, and in com.
pany with several gentlemen, prepared
to ascend one of the steep mountains
close by. am not of very lengthy
architectural proportions, as your read.
ers are we'll aware: but this uncoutE
animal was actually so small that ]
could put my feet together beneath him
One gentleman was so angularly drawn
out in his longitudinal dimensions thai
by removing his feet from the stirrup.
he could use them upon the ground fol-
prOpellers. For rapid locomotion tn,
burro is not success, you may use
raw hide until your arm is paralyzed
you may whoop and yell and vociferat,
until your lungs have collapsed yol
may spur and thump with your heel
until your legs bangle helplessly down
ward from sheer exhaustion; but thi
Obdurate brute will only flop one ca
forward and roll his eye in needles
contempt. But he is sure footed am
will go up almost perpendicular height
sticking his toe nails in and hangin,
like Ieeeh,-or, to put the case still
more strongly, his adhesive qualitie:
are more tenacious than those of an in
surance agent. We mounted up place
so steep that it seemed at time
your Industrious (?) correspondent, bur
TO and all, would tip over backward an,
roll down the mountain. But the per
Sc .ering brute picked his own way, an,
wound about over craggy spurs, unde
overhanging branches, and finall
vneohin" tho suur it gave ore lon,
puff and went to 'owsing. But th
ing and beautiful, fully paying us fo
the exertion of hanging on. l Shall no
attempt to describe our descent B
this time We had implicit faith in tn
hurro, and when the giddy height mad
US dizzy and our brain began TO swim
we had only to shut our eyes and elm
with death like grip, while our faithful
little servant took us to the bottom i
safety. When we returned. we foun
another party waiting for the burros
who were eager to try their equestria
skill. turned the animal which I ha,
over to Noble L. Prentis, whom, Igriev
to say, used some very vile epithets, q
he gently caressed him with raw
hide whip. Mr.. Prentis seemed to tax
great delight in exhibiting his horse
manship before the ladies, and fnall
rode around to see the bears dance.
DurinO the ave1,:~0 IN tho v,a,.l~,-. =