The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-08-12
THROUGH THE WEST.
A Continuation of the Visit
Of Joe 81. Bonnell to
the Wild West.
A Brief Description Of the Lead
ing Towns Between Sedalia
and San Francisco.

OI my TOUR Oh over nVe thousand miles
through the west and south. Although
most of il was hard one enjoyed the
rest splendidly. However, / am once
more happy TO tread upon the soil of old
Missouri and behold the beautiful green
fields of grain bowling under their heavy
load. 1t is beautiful sight 20 see after
leaving the sandy deserts of The SOUTH
Dear reader, pardon me for not giving a
more minute description of my tour. /
have 10 condense my notes, so | would not
take ur too much space, and probably in
the future will give you few of the odds
and ends CT what | have seen. krow
they will interest you s. much, ii not
more than my letters have. / will now re-
turn to the place where / left off, Benson,
Arizona. This place calls To my memory
a gentleman whom / heard lecture once in
Sedalia, and sid "a little book The title
Sas Fifteen Years in He'll" and the au-
lhor Was Luther Benson. / think of Mr..
Benson would 90 To the little city bearing
MS name aud stay awhile. he could write
much larger buck entitled, Thirty Years
In the Same Place" However, We did not
have TO stop here long, and did not write
book. The first place of any note after
leaving Benson Is Deming, y. NJ. We ar
rived here On the evening OF July %, 1854.
This is junction OF tie A. L. x ). +. rail.
road. 1t is a good town for almost any
thing, especially novelties. Here / saw
some beautiful clocks. The frames were
made of sgates and specimens of ore. They
also had many kinds of cut stone, among
the most beautiful was the tigerwood stone !;
In fact they were sll very pretty. This
town Is IS miles from FL PssSO, aud what
L could see of the country il is about the
same as that part OF Arizona which have
passed through.
Arrived at FL Passo July 18th, 1855
miles from San Francisco. Here We have
TO change cars again on the Texas Pacific
railroad, which only consumed a short
time. While was waiting had a short
conversation with a gentleman and of
course tried 10 CLEAN few facts from him
To start In with he says: 81 tell you
stranger what is q fact /; this is hard place
TO live in, and man has to be wide awake
TO stay here" / informed him that / had
no intentions of locating in FL Passo and
was only asking for q little information
concerning the town and the country sur.
rounding it. SWELL, as far as the town is
concerned, it is hard place; only the
other night two parties held up a tramp
for Jack knife and a shoe buttoner. This
was on one of the main streets. tell you,
sir, they will hold man APP here for any
thing and kick bin if he has nothing
the conductor sings out all aboard. and |
have to get there. The days are very hot
here, but the nights are cool. From what
L could see of FL PassO liked il very
well, but would not like to work out in
the sun there. II is too hot, and am not
afraid of the sun either. Have worked
this far south when the Thermometer stood
llSo and 1902 in the shade. After leaving
Ell Passo we have no dust to what We have
been having. This change is very accept
able ! assure you.
Ysleta-We are now In the Lone Star
State The extreme western part of Texas
resembles Arizona and New Mexico, il is
mountainous. Some of the small valleys
are good If they could get water to irigste
with. However, il would not pay for the
investment. 1t is not good for grain either.
We have passed some artesion wells that
the company have had bored 10 supp IL
them with water. One of them is ], 200 feet.
The last one We passed was 600 feet. The
foot hills have some bunch grass and
mosquito on them. In the valleys here
at Van Horn the soil is of a light red and
gravel for 600 feet down. They have not
struck solid rock at that depth.
ARRIVED ToYAH.
This is a small town in the plains of
Texas with a fine hotel al the railroad.
J ust in front OF the hotel there is white
sulphur flowing we'll So feet deep. The
water is warm as it is $50 temperature and
runs 800 gallons per minute. II is not
a disagreesble |. k but it puts one in
mind OF the love 'egions. There is sew
eral kinds of ;Ict growing here, some
very fine ones iotI ark east of the hotel.
The town is very laid off and some
day may become a noted watering place.
There is specimen stone in this towc,
was shown some very beautiful ones as
we'll as some curiosities. III the boys will
ask me personally will tell them what
the curiosities were. There are no trees In
were set out for ornaments and shade.
This is only continuous plain aud the
thermometer stands about ll0'
PECos. TEXAS.
This is a new town, very wsll laid out
and is destined TO be good town. Here
are situated large cattle yards, and l sup
pose It Is good shipping point as the
country looks better as We go east. There
are no trees here to speak of but they would
flourish il planted and wstered. A short
distance east of Pecos we cross the
Peeos river, narrow stream.
The water is very dark
red color, in fact, the darkest / ever saw
much more so than Red river. There are
no trees on the river. You would not
know you were near one until you have
crossed it. Ii is a very singular stream.
We are making very good time; had dinner
and bottle of wine. One thing I will
mention, you can see for seventy-6ve or
eighty miles, and see nothing but one vast
plain, covered with greese wood, cactus
and bunch grass-not even q mountain In
sight. 1t is delightful travelling now, nice
cool breezes and no dust.
ARRIVE AT METZ.
Well, Metz is all it is. We met the ex-