New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1883-04-18
WHOLE NUMBER 392
i Paso-A Frontier Town Of Coming
IMPORTANCE.

Crossing the Pecos and reaching
Toyah, 1876 miles from Ell Paso,we COM
mence ascending region of mountain
ridges, composed mostly of gravel and
clay, and cut into all sorts OF fantastic
shapes; and with the exception of
springs and some rancho territory about
Antelope Station, this character Of coun-
try reaches all the way to Ell Paso It
is wide barren, but with consider
able game supply in places, until Ell
Paso is reached, the northern pass on
the Rio Grande between Mexico and the
United States.
There is town more than 200 years
old-that on the Mexican side Of the
rlver-the American portion being of
very recent growth and consequent
upon the advent here of several trunk
lines; the Mexican Central. the Atlantic,
Texas and Pacific, the Texas Pacific,
the Southern Pacific, and the proposed
White Oaks Railway, to reach 100 miles
into an important mining district.
Upon exploring it. looking into its
prospects and inquiring as to its hoped
for future, find that it is on quite
"boom" at present, town-lots selling
active and rents high, much Of the build
ing and improvements on the American
side Observation-Disclosures, nearly all on the
west side as Enthusiastically Mexican and
Spanish, the former reported as having
about 5000 population, the older por-
ton, about 5000 population. Tho most
striking edifice in the latter town-after
the depot of the Mexican Central Rail
roads the old cathedral, built two
hundred and fifteen years ago. An ir
rigating canal running through the old
town looks about as ancient, Judging
from the large trees which border it.
The whole town is mass of adobe
one-story dwellings, which strongly re-
semble SO many fortresses, the immense
number of carefully-built mud or adobe
garden-walls three or four feet thick,
and some six feet high. exhibiting
painstaking people in light that, to
look at them as they lounge about close
ly wrapped in their parti-colored blank
cts, seems quite inconsistent. Vine
yards, carefully irrigated and looking
quite flourishing, are principal feature
Of the cultivation. other things, OF
course, which the climate favors coming
in for their due share.
On the streets, one occasionally meets
the senoritas, with such brilliant black
eyes flashing in their partially yelled
heads, their hair of midnight blackness
too, that the strikingly foreign aspect
of everything seems infinitely intensi-
fed; the men with their tall hats, fanci-
full bands to them, and muffled forms-
for the weather is somewhat chilly
making far less effective pictures than
the women.
The Rio Grande is not formidable
looking stream this high up, and is we'll
bridged for the street railway and other
travel which connects the two places;
and if there is any contraband trade
between the two countries, the single
custom-housc official who darts from
his sentry-box and hastily chances into
the horse car. would not seem of much
force as an obstacle. On tho Mexican
side, not far of, learn there are silver
mines, but not of high grade. Coming
back to the American side, and looking
into matters little more closely, find
that this is trading mart for q large
extent of mining and stock country, val
liable stocks of goods of every descrip-
ton being held to answer all demands.
1nterspcrsed among the principal streets
we find some well-built frame and brick
business establishments, a great con-
trast to the one-story adobe structures.
their immediate neighbors. Spanish and
English, too, flourish along side each
other on signs, to make matters moro
clear by these translations, and TO en-
phasize more signally the situation
american Tourist Gazette.