The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-04-05
NUMBER l6.


Crossing the Pecos and reaching Toysh,
1876 miles from Ell Paso, we commence
ascending a region of mountain ridges,
composed mostly of gravel and clay, and
cut toto all sorts of fantastic shapes; and
with the exception Of spring and some
rancho territory about Antelope Station,
this character of country reaches all the
way to El Paso. II is wide barren,
but with considerable game supply in
places, until Ell Paso Is reached, the
northern 'psss" on the Rio Grande be-
tween Mexico and the United States.
There is a town more than 200 years
old-that on the Mexican side of the river
the American potion beng of very re-
cent 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 I'M
portant mining district.
Upon exploring 1t, looking into its pros
pects and lnquirlng as 10 its hoped for
future, find that it IS on quite boon"
at present, town-lots selling active and
rents high, much of the building and inn
provements on the American side dis
tlnctIy American, nearly all on the west
side as Enthusiastically Mexican and Spanish,
the former reported as having about 5000
population, the older portion, about 5000
population. The most striking edihce in
the latter town-after the depot Of the
Mexican Central Railways the old cath
edral, built two hundred and fifteen years
ago. An irrigating canal running through
the old town looks about as ancient, judg-
ing from the large trees which border it.
The whole town Is mass OF adobe one
story dwellings, which strongly resemble
so many fortresses, the, immense number
of carefully-bullt mud or adobe garden
walls three or four feet thick, and some
SIX feet high, exhibiting a paiustaking
people In light that, to look at them as
they lounge about closely wrapped in their
parti. colored blankets, seems quite incon-
sistent. Vineyards, carefully irrigated
and looking quite flourlshing, are princl-
pal feature OF the cultivation, other things,
Of course, which the climate favors coming
In ioT their due share.
On the streets, one occaslonly meets the
senorltas, with such brilliant black eyes
flashing In their partially yelled heads,
their hair of midnight blackness too, that
the strlkIngly foreign aspect of everything
seems infinitely intensified; the men with
their tall hats, fanciful bands to them, ard
muffied forms-for the weather Is some-
what chilly-maklng far less effective PIC
lures than the women.
The Rio Grande is not a formidab le
looking stream this high up, and
is well brldged for the street railway and
other travel which connects the two places;
and il there is any contraband trade be-
tween the two coun ries, the single custom.
house official who darts from his sentry
box and hastily glances into the horse car,
would not seem of much force as an OBJ
stacle. On-the Mexican side, not far off,
learn there are silver mines, but not OF
high grade. Coming back to the Ameri-
can side, and looking into matters little
more closely, l find that this is trading
mart fer large extent of mining and
stock country, valuable stocks of goods
of every description being held to answer
all demands. Interspersed among the
principal streets we find some well-built
frame and brick business establishments,
great contrast to the one-story adobe
structures, their immediate neighbors.
Spanish and English, too, flourish along
side each other on signs, to make mat
ters more clear by these translatlons, and
to emphasize more signally the situation.