The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1884-09-21
A Land Of Marvellous Things.
HYGIENE, Colo, Sept. 4. 1884.

some OF our readers to an extent border
ing on doubt; however we will venture to
few notes.
Along the Atlantic & Pacific railroad
west of the New Mexico line, immense
masses of lava run, twisted and contorled,
Tor miles, as perceptibe and seemingly as
fresh as the day the livid stream became
solidifed. The scenery all along our route
of travel was Of weird beauty and massive
grandeur. That the great plateau of Ari-
iona was once an inland sea, there can be
no doubt; isolated mountain masses thrown
up in an irregular and peculiar manner,
the fantasticaly castellated buttes, and the
erosion caused by the retresting waters,
with numerous other evidences clearly
demonstrate the fact of there once having
been terrific uphesvsl; and here, a. in
many other places in this new west the
book OF nature lies open with the record of
countless ages stamped upon its pages,
ever having 10 readiness a rich feast for
the scientist and sght-seer.
For nearly two hundred miles we trav-
eled by stage through uninhabited por-
tons of the territory, through deep canons
and over rugged mountains. For the stage
to be "held up" by robbers was not an
unusual thing; we, however, escaped such
unpleasant experience.
In many portions of the territory the
Sahuaro, or giant cactus, abounds. 10 the
Salt river valley We found them of immense
size. One day while driving along where
these plants grow plentfully, we had the
driver stop the vehicle, and three Of the
passengers go out to measure one of these
monsters, as best We could. /. was de-
| cided without doubt to be at least forty
feet high, and the main trunk to be two
feet in diameter, with three gigantic arms,
| like the branches Of candelabrum, which
put out about ten feet from the ground and
were at least twenty feet in length and
ten inches 10 diameter, the whole being
covered with sharp, prickly thorns, and
| futed like Corinthan column. The
body is OF pale green, and the plant at
the extreme top of each section bears pur-
pie blossoms that crown the blunt or oval
shaped apex with wreath of beauty, The
blossoms are set on pear shaped frui, that
is paIatable and highly priced by both the
Mexicsns and Indians. The trunk of this
curious product of the sandy desert Is CON-
posed of narrow sticks of wood in the form
of a cylinder, and held together by outside
fbres. These woody strips are used, when
token from partly decomposed trunk, for
roofing, fencing, etc.
The prickly pear, another of the cactus
family, grows to the height of over six
feet, and bears pear-like fruit.
The bisnags, or "well of TIE desert" s
another peculiar kind of cactus. 1t grows
four feet in height, and ten inches or more
in diameter; has long thorns, bnt is one of
the most valued OF all the mammoth cactus.
By cutting out the center, making bowl
like cavity, it soons fills with water, afford
ing the thirsty traveller refreshing drink.
The cholla is the most uninviting Of all
the species. 1t grows from six to eight
feet high, with many branches; it has 4
profusion of thorns with barbs similar to a
huge fish hook.
The ocotillO is another species, growing
in clusters of one or two dozen poles, from
fifteen to twenty feet 10 height. Walking
canes are made Of these poles, and sold as
relics Of Arizona. They are also used for
fencing, and when set in the ground as
pickets will take root and grow, making a
living fence.
The century plant is found in many
parts, and is a useful product of the terrific
ry, The flower stems run up from eight to
twelve feet and is from two to three inches
in diameter; on it are punches of yellow
flowers the size of cabbage head, and
these heads or central parts Of the flowers
| are used as food by the Indians; of it a
syrup is made, and also fcrmrnted lq-
uor.
The amole, or soap weed, is another
plant of value; as soap, the roots are
equal to the soap of commerce, and also as
a hair wash or invigorator, it is very val
liable.
On the ella river we passed through a
large settlement of Indians who are in a
kind of semi-civilized state. They arc en- 3.
gagged in farming to some extent and live
principally off the berry Of the wheat
which they prepare for food by simply
psrching it. Nearby the roadside we saw
here and there squads of these swarthy peo-
pie in an almost entirely nude state, wal
lowing in the sand and dust, similar to so
many swine.