Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-19
THE TOURISTS TRAMP.
Picturesque Pen Points-SubNme Scene
ry-ToothSome Trout, Etc.

Ay-AOOe14SC4-IO IL O-AS3 LIZ
To the Editor of the Eagle.
June q we started up the Santa Clara
river; it empties into the Rio Grande at
the town Of Santa Clara, two miles be-
low Espanola. There Is nothing remark
able about the river; it is small but like
ali mountain streams, it Is cool and
lively, but the valley and cannon are
worth visiting. The valley rises (as we
go up very fast and contracts so that
from two miles at its mouth in gets to be
about forty rods eight miles from its
mouth. There is but very little timber,
SO that there is but little TO see except a
few dwellings that were once Inhabited
by the Cliff DwellerS, but we can see that
the white man has been here with his
saw mill. Once the valley and the
mountain sides were covered with for
est OF noble pines and spruce, but now
we have nothing but old tree tops, and
stumps to tell OF what has been. | sup
pose that they would have carried their
work OF destruction further up but the
mountains seem to step out and tell men
to stop, for two enormous mountains
seem to rise up, the one on the
north nearly perpendicular and as near
as [ could estimate about 500 feet high
with the river at the base not more than
ten feet wide, while the mountain on
the south side commences at the river
and rises gradually for short distance,
then shoots up among the clouds, max
ing a complete barrier against any
further depredations by the saw mills,
rTpora - r1otbinor hrJr S3nryla fo.faJ
trail, no wagons 90 up, 50 that we find
some grand old pines and spruce trees.
The valley grows wider and as we
travel up we find some nice small parks
with fine grass, making beautiful camp
ing places. the mountains growing
higher with less timber but more grass
Oh them. There is one old mountain,
the highest and largest up there, that is
not very steep but runs up to a point,
(in New Mexico they are generally tiat,)
there is not crook or break from top
to base; it is covered with green grass,
not rock or tree until we reach the
summit; then we find a few spruce
trees. 1t is about eight miles up the side
of that mountain and 1t will make a
man have larger ideas, and his
ideas Of every thing will expand
until he will become bet
ter man by studying that mountain.
But we were up there after trout and we
found them. Ali we have to do is TO
catch them. We have concluded that
they are the finest fish that swim. Camp
ing. of course, gives person relish for
anything digestible, but when we have
hot biscuit, hot coffee and two dozen
trout well cooked to sit down to it makes
q man willing TO be forgiven for all the
sins he ever committed, and he Will en-
Joy life until he has to run to the river
and catch more, and after keeping that
up for few days he will want change.
So after three days we went down the
river to Espanola, then up the Rio
Grande six miles to the mouth of the Rio
Chama. The rivers are not as high as
they were last year. When | went up
the Chama last year for forty miles it
was muddy and not fit for any purpose,
but this year ii is very clear and nice. 1t
runs through very roEg rocky coun-
try for one hundred miles and
has some wonderful scenery.
1t is a volcanic region, not much timber,
it is wonderful TO see the mountains.
Some show towns, domeS, arches, and In
some cases it was hard to detect any
errors, in one case the front of the
was half mile long and six
hundred feet high. perfectly straight
and perpendicular, while ON each end
was a tower straight up not less than /.
400 feet in height, while the top of the
set back and ran up to point /
making the dome, and it was in the cen /
ter between the tower. making Won /
derful sight, and let me ask why some /
did not have energy /
enough to go or send some one that will !
go away from railroads and hotels and /
give us some mountain scenery: TOitec .
z rye is all that we have from the y. & +
L. g. road, and that is insignificant when +
contrastad with some things to be seen /
in the valley of the Chama.
The D. & r. G.. has an old road bed /
graded for about fifty miles, and as the I
do not use it the people have +
taken hold Of it and fixed ii up so that .
they have a good road up TO Conenos /
Creek about thirty-five miles.
We stopped at Johnson mining camp
but everything is quiet. 1t is placer /
mining and a large amount Of water IS
needed TO run it successfully. Il has
been estimated that it would cost about
SAC, 600 to get the water up there: SO the
I'D saying is true again that it Is no use
for poor man to have gold mine
From there we went up the valley to
Sierra Amerilla, an old Mexican town,
he county seat Of Rio Arrilba county,
situated on a stream at the head Of a
ine valley. From there. went up the
Brazos river about four miles from town.
and in my next | will tell something
about it; also some big fish stories.
GEORGE y. WHITE.