The bee., 1884-01-12
MIR. TANCILs EXPERIENCE.
Interesting Letter from New
Mexico.
Chico Springs, New Mexico,
Dec. 18, 1883.

L
After having passed through all
the central and the greater num-
ber of the Southern Atlantic States
| have at last dropped with GER
tain degree of permanency in the
territory of New Mexico.
You will remember no doubt
that ere / left "W" promised at
the first available opportunity I
would write you, and I take great
pleasure in utilizing the few leis-
ure moments that are now mine,
in essaying to fulfill the same.
Being as you are, and have been
for years, used to perusing parch-
ment upon parchment, issuing
from men of brilliant entellects.
coupled with broad experience, I
doubt therefore that you will find
anything of special interest in my
letter. In consequence OF which I
deem it appropriate to request that
you attribute my writing more to
the high appreciation in which I
held the privilege than to any
presumption on my part as to my
ability to write matter the end of
which would justify its beglng,ng.
10 say more than that the trip
from "W'' to New Mexico IS most
enjoyable and the scenery pictur-
esque and lovely would be su-
perfuous, since the subject has
been dealt with most exhaustively
V men who shove the pen of wit,
humor, eloquence and logic, and
thereby rid me of a task which if
left to me would have been per-
formed, no doubt, with but little
3 credit to your humble servant. I
, will confine myself closely to what
| have personally observed; aud
l in order to do so [ Will begin at
l Trinadad Colorado, which is To-
Gated at the foot of a range form
+ ing. a part of the Ration Mountain,
i the summit of which has an alti-
J tude Of 5000 feet above the level
of the sea. Being situated on the
o R. R. this is necessarily quite a
: thriving little town, and forms
e quite center for the mineral pro-
ducts of the surrounding country
t This in the part of the world in
y which you see high and low life,
-, :-l;+:--i---,---e---- ----h---a----------
Looking in one direction you be.
r hold, catered at intervals of a
d fourth, a half and one mile apart
$ little habitations known here as
E "dug OUTS" in which you will
e lind existing the year round
: families of from two to eight souls
D not eking out a miseroble exist
= ence, as you might naturally sup
s pose, but apparently contented
: and happy.
These "dug-outs" are very pecu-
a liarly constructed, they dig hole
, in the side of the mountain as
long as they think necessary to
accommodate the number of per.
t sons that are expected to share the
i protection of the rude walls. and
the building ( to them } is like a pal
, ace consummated' with the
= exception of a chimney, the
I former requires no mental, and
but little physical exertion, since
, the only thing necessary is, to
punch a hole in the roof directly
above the niche formed in the rear
: wall to do duty similar to our "old
; home fre-places''; take the lid OF
a medium-sized dry goods box,
, nail a piece of leatheraon top and
bottom, respectively, to serve as
} hinges, attach it in like manner on
the inside of the hole in the wall,
"dig your trench around the build
ing, and you have an epitome of
the famous ''dug-out".
Ding, ding, ding; hoot, hoot; all
aboard, and we bid Trinidad good
bye.
With grad ual ascent the en-
glne makes its way with human
like groans, up the side of the
mountain until, about midway be-
tween Its summit and base; at
which point it merges into a TIM