St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-04-15
A TRIP TO OLD MExICo--v.

From Ell Paso to Zacetacas--A Desolate
Country VermOnters Away From
HOme--An Exciting Incident by the
way--Zacetaeas and Its People--Water
Carriers and Mule Drivers--Trahn
Wreckers ina Grief.
Zac-e-td-cas is $50 miles south OF
chihuahua and the train has run near
ly 500 miles into Mexico since crossing
the Rio Grande at Ell PasO. All this
distance the railroad runs along the
high table lands of Mexico. 1t seems
to skim along the backbone OF the
country, as it were, and nearly the en-
tire distance these broad plains are
skirted by mountains on each side, the
intervening land being for most OF the
way a treeless, waterless waste. This
desOlation has an occasional oasis.
About rs miles south of Chihuahua the
road runs through some rich agrlcul-
tural country for some miles. lrriga-
ton is necessary to the growth of any
thing, and the bitches in which water
is brought from the few streams in
this section are seen everywhere. 1t
is refreshing to find, for a few miles
even, some rich farms where scores of
men and oxen are seen employed In
preparing the ground for corn, wheat
and barley, the principal crops. So
far all through Mexico up to this point,
aside from the people, lack of water
and trees are its most impressive fea-
lures. There is scattered growth of
cactus, clumps of little thOrny bushes,
and once in while a cottonwood tree,
and an occasional little Mexican viii
Iage of low, mud huts. These are the
sights that greet the eye in ride of
800 miles; and little else.
But to go back little; Chihuahua
is a silver mining district and 20 years
ago this city had four times the pOpu-
lation of to-day When we babe adieu
to the place Monday noon the train
stopped a few miles below and the
party were given opportunity to visit
a large mill where silver ore is crushed
and the metal separated. The ore is
brought from the mountains IL miles
away. This mine and mill are Oper-
ated by New York parties.
At Calera, the terminus of the sec
Ond division of this railway, cavalry
soldier was doing police duty with a
long sword and a cigarette. He is a
hard looking specimen and there is the
hfa foXy
Americans employed along the line of
this railway and this native people to
whom they are subject. Among the
onlookers at the station was an unmis-
taxable Yankee. 1t took but a word
to bring out the fact that it was Mr..
Barney of st. Adams, for several years
conductor on the Central Vermont.
Money induced him to come down to
this Goddess country, but his heart
and family are yet in old Vermont.
An incident occurred at Santa RO-
was q change of locomotives and the
passengers all left the train to get "a
little exercise. Very shortly five Mex
leans rode up, all fairly mounted, with
lariats hanging from their saddles. AS
they sat watching the white invaders a
Boston man, through one of the inter
prefers, offered one of them Il dollar to
exhibit his skill with the lariat. There
upon two of them started away from
the platform abreast, on gallOp, and
when some 26 feet apart, one who had
fallen little to the rear threw his la
rat with unerring aim directly over
the head of the horse of his companion,
and halting too suddenly, both horses
and riders went rolling in the dirt. 1t
was an exciting moment, but in flash
both men were on their feet again and
very soon the loose horses were
brought in by the other mounted men,
and all came up to the platform I'M
hurt and in high glee.
Another dollar brought an encore.
This time the lariat failed to connect,
and the two hOrsemen brought up
some 20 or 80 rods away. Determined
to win their money they unwisely I'M
dertOOk the repetition while riding to-
wards the platform which was covered
sharp cord was thrown it encircled the
neck of the leading horse, and as it
compressed his windpipe the animal
seemed to realize the situation and felt
he must escape strangulatiOn by flight.
He was the swifter horse and the lariat
was brought to extreme tension. The
man who threw the lassO released his
hold and the flying horse with the Ia
riat trailing was by that time within
30 feet of the platform and wholly I'M
manageable. His rider screamed in
Spanish to that effect, and the excited
not to say terrified audience fled right
and left, when the frenzied horse dash
ed over the platform and struck head
foremost a freight car standing on the
siding, where horse and rider fell all
in a heap. A cry of alarm escaped
Mexican as we'll as American, but be-
fore help reached them the man had
disengaged himself apparently unhurt.
The horse did not fare as well. His
head was badly skinned and he limped
considerably as he was led away. How
either escaped death no one could tell.
This ended the sport of the afternoon
and the party re-embarked thankful
it was no worse.
Iacetacas is the capitol of the state