The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1885-02-06
COMMUNICATION.

SnvEg CITY. \. NJ. Jan. 18th. 1855.
left st. Paul on the 18th inst. in COM
pany with party Of gentlemen from
Minnesota and Wisconsin, over the
Omaha road, and arrived in Kansas City
the next day at $50 p. m.
The cold wave that we were advised
was on its way south, on leavingSt. p
had reached Kansas in advance Of us.
We took the Atchison, Topeka 4 Santa
Fee Il. r. for this place, and in crossing
Kansas the thermometer stood at 8 to 10
below zero. l learned that the cattle
were suffering badly from the results OF
a heavy snow which fell few weeks be.
fore. The weather turned warm and
this snow packed down, then the wealth.
or, turning cold, formed q crust, which
prevented the cattle from getting either
grass or water.
A cattle man of Dodge City, who was
on the sleeper with us, said that one
man who bought 2, 800 head of Texican
cattle late in the fall, had lost fully 30
per cent. of his herd and they were still
dying. In the western part of theState,
however the stock looked much better.
On the morning Of the second day we
awoke to find ourselves in New Mexico.
We had been running south through q
part Of the night, and on arising found
we were in different climate where
there was but little snow and the
weather comfortably warm.
We had passed Trenedad with her
hundreds of coax ovens, tho tunnel and
many other points ofinterest, which was
disappointment to those of the party
who had not seen them.
There was however much of interest
to be seen that day, among which was
Starvation Peak, the ruins of the old
Pecos church, and the view from Gloriet:
Ia Summit, where We reach the eleva-
ton of ,453 feet, which is the highest
point we pass over. Starvation Peak has
history, which 10 sad, but interesting.
In the early days of travelling by wagon
trains, large number Of wagons was
surrounded by the Indians, the stock
stampeded and many of the people
killed. The balance Of the party
about so in number-went to the noun.
tains and reached the top Of this Peak
which stands much above her neighbors
After waiting some time for relief o part
fort to cut their way through the Indians
BILE. A dark night was selected for the
undertaking, but the red men were on
the alert and all were killed. The bal.
lance, 81 in all, mostly women and chill.
dren, starved to death. The Pecoi
church is said to have been the first one
erected on this continent, and although
it has nearly crumbled away, there are
many interesting things to be seen there
still. There has been great change In
the past few years, for in place OF the
old Santa Fe trail over which all the
freight and passengers were taken by
teams, Boston capital has built one o.
the finest railroads in the West, in fac
there are few better ballasted or equipped
roads In the East or West, and doub
whether any Of them have better eatint
houses on their lines; We reached Den
ing on the Southern Pacific r. r. on the
Il Iosh 10 part with many usw made ii4sndl
who were en- route for California.
We boarded the narrow gague road
for this place at TAO and arrived here O
II 80 a. m, where we found the weathe,
warm and comfortable, much like the
warm May days of Minnesota.
Those of our party who had never
made this trip were greatly surprised Z
: find In the Thinner House hotel will
"a rooms, furnished equal to any house
in st. Paul. / would describe our triJ
to mining camp, 80 miles west of here
the inhabitants and business interests o
this place, but have already writer
much more thah he eIpectea 70 t;,, we IN
shall hope to find much warmer weathe
, when we reach home.
Hoping this will find you prosperou
and happy.
iremain yours very truly,