Smyrna times., 1888-09-05
A Trip through the Territories.


by wagon through parts of South West |
Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas
and mo Mans Land" was written by |
Geo. S. Hoffecker, of Ulysses, Kansas, |
for the Daily Register, of that place
After leaving Ulysses we found the |
country pretty large. We travelled
southwest without incident, but with
mule team to our canvass back Ten
nessee" red wagon to Richfield, where
the people were all looking for a rail
road and a rain. The latter they got
that night (so did we); the former we
left them still expecting.
We started west from there, striking
for Trinidad, and are still striking for
there. We struck good many little
towns. some younger aud some older,
all looking for a railroad. They all
got struck" on US and wanted us to
become citizens.
Away across the national trail into
Colorado the country is the same flat
buffalo grass prairies that we look on
from day to day south, say. The coun-
try would be larger if it had some
trees in it. Well, we kept right in and
| didn't pay any attention to the stories
of those fellows who were going back
/ to see their wfe's sisters folks in the
east We kept right on toward the
setting sun, and Press says he will
drive to the edge Of the world and the
wagon falls off Of it if we say so. He
still thinks more and more of that mule
every day that like q shot gun so well.
So now we have got into country
where the scenery is large and roman
cling, full of ant-hills, tree-cactus, rocks,
precious little water, less grass, and a
whole lot Of prairie dogs It is Friday
night. We are all lying on a canvass
spread under large spreading pine
tree on the side hill Of u deep rocky
canon, telling stories which none of lis
believe. There is a man out here that's
got a calf with its tail broke Off. John
is going out tomorrow to hunt deer
we expect him to bring it back for {
saddle of venison. We have killed ne
game yet, only Lewis killed a griz
ely yesterday morning, but this is sucl
small prize that liked to have forgo
to mention it.
; l left you in camp somewhere in Col
orado, somewhere ON top OF the earth
nowhere in civilization. That night
few drops of rain wet our faces as W
, lay out looking up at the meteor
shooting and skipping about and th
myriad of silent worlds silently starin
at us. The moon had peeped over tn
rocks on top the east side of the cano
: and gave the clouds a silver lining
tinged the foliage of the pine tree
growing on its side into black yellow
ish green when | shut my eyes.
We called John next morning to g
up and get breakfast. He said he wa
/" sick and couldn't. We all began
feel very anxious about his healt
when he had eaten q can of corn,
= slice of ham, half of loaf of brea
and part of peck of potatoes for h
breakfast We struck camp short
after sunrise and pulled for Trinids
over a zigzag rocky, uphill, dOwn-hi
mountain road, bearing in sOuthwes
erly direction. The scenery still co
tinues large and looks as if all the ri
d raft of the world had been thrown in
w this part Of Colorado, the occasion
cowboy now gets louder and his he
lullaby sounds wilder, the hills g
= sleeper, higher, the guns roar loud
in the cliffs; crags and canOns al
peaks which appear to be three or 70
miles away we never did Overtake
all. We passed through three or 70
deserted towns blooming cities,
mean) and on the afternoon of the
day from our pine tree camp we elm
ed around into Trinidad a sun-brOW
ed, happy-go-lucky crew of Press P
ble's prairie schooner"
Trinidad is o funny place. The
amt man in the place that knO
how many Inhabitants it has g
!, Some say 5000, some say 10000, so
say they don't know, some say 81
and some 1000. Mr. Editor, there
really some intelligent people in Tri
dad though, only they didn't learn
count correctly. Its funny place
cause its laid out in all kinds of sha
over all kinds of places and is inhabi
by all kinds of people that creep, cri
} or run on top of the earth, from hes
en- Chinese to the bloated blu
Johnny Ball man, and just too sV
American dude, the Mexicans, gu
predominating. 1t has whole 10
g palaces and 'dobies where sweet sill
sings to allure poor innocent men,
many other highly decorated, spaci
b rOomy and inviting places of busi
- devoted to skinning the public, bu
principal support is from the rich
mines that are in and everyw
yGI about here and make it a very e.
lent point on three railroads, W
n gives the town some pretensiOns
\, whOlesaling center.
- We camped at Trinidad two
Ii I.e. L.
homeward route that satisfied us
u The road was, of course, a GRO
LIS mountain road and steep and roug
times, but our ride over the range
Usa Trinidad to Ration was by far the
tiest and most pleasant of our
EA Through canons, where were in
hI erable boiling, bubbling springs o
purest cold water, over slopes COZ
with the greenest grass, through
AI row valleys filed with the resonaI
the prettiest flowers whose blossC
could see dipping in the gurgling,
brook, which is in hurry and
. somewhere. The slopes are CO
e with gigantic trees and fat cattle
= branches are full of huttering birC
les fur. cooling doves, chip-munks and ch
prompt ing squirrels Chamber into the CT
omptLy aiIaE of rocks. Now we have not b
iesired ton of man to suggest unhap
lgth Of and misery. Up and up for
'ne 0es' hours till at last we reach the W
summit, over to the west lie the
1C ranges of the Rocky mountains e.
AO' ing miles and miles away, their
dsteads, clad peaks resembling very muc
Spring I tents of an army encamped. W.
1e e same and look, and the longer we lOo
IN 5-tf more wonderful it becomes. Th
who can sit in a wagon and see a
and not feel anything had better
.uEW the Kissimee swamps of FlOriC
-liEB be swallowed by the beautiful
tor. We camped for the nigh
IaIaPr9 0tdanf sent the blazes of our pine
,S1w camp fire up towards the stars.
lEVIS In the middle of the afternoon
adache, next day we were in Ration.
" saerid' rid there we struck northeast for
Irulent and almost ran against the corne
Ilnec9o IN eSEs, at the corner dividing Texas, Nc
fensive: Land and New Mexico, and ate
debility. lei dy there two days later, some in
! IN con- some in No Mans Land and SC
New Mexico. We had passed t
.as 5ee no very excellent agricultural {
until now.
Original While in this country we met
TTLE antelope (poor little thing).
R Pills shot at it and shot at it, till it
b VeOeta- got scared ana ran' eon'G Kn