The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-12-17
NEW MEXICO.
A Visit to Las Cruces, Graph
eaIly Described by a we'll
Known Sedalian.

THE following letter written by
DR.. A. w. Small who has recently
been making a trip to New Mexico,
will prove exceedingly interesting to
BAzoo readers-Ed. BAzoo.
Sedalia Mo-, Dec. 10.-In COM
pliance with a promise made to visit
nay old friend Mr.. N. Spatcier of
Las Cruces :. NJ, accompanied by
nv wife, left here Oct. "a, via of
the Missouri Pacific and Santa Fe
railways.
Arriving at Trinidad COL, in due
time and after a pleasant jour ney, we
spent a few days very Pleasantly
among old friends and thence went
to Las Vegas 4. NJ, where we met
Col. Haughton, prominent citiz"
and large dealer in hardware, who
accompanied us the next day to Las
Vegas, Hot Springs.
HOT SPRINGS.
These springs, about forty in num-
Der were made known to fame in
1916, and the United States army
erected the first bdildiug at this point,
and used the springs for sanitary pur-
posee. The building erected by the
United States army was made of
adobe and it continued to be used for
a hospital as late as 1862. Then
came a struggling crowd of
civilians until in 1879, the first hotel
was erected. Shortly after this the
Santa Fe railroad purchased the
springs and erected fine hotel which
was known as the "Montezuma." In
January 1884, this structure was
burned, and soon after the most mag
nifcent hotel in the west "The Pheo-
nix" was erected. 1t was built of
stone, has $50 rooms, elegantly fur
nished, has its own plant and manu-
features its own electric lights,
is surrounded by balconies,
is considered freproof and
has a water main which leads from
reservoir which is let into the solid
rock of the bill top sud holds nearly
a million gallons of prre water. the
manager, Chas. G. Niebuhr, is a
gentleman 10 every sense of the
word and every depa ment shows
his skill and ability. The clerk, Mr..
Butcher, was formerly a resident of
Sedalia.
The views from the Phoenix are
magnificent and Dature seems to have
exhausted herself in the perfection of
her scenery.
Indeed it may be said that we en-
ioyed every minute of our stay at the
Las Vegus hot springs and left there
reluctantly.
In leaving the San Msrcial station
and the Rio Grande river, We entered
upon barren plain, which stretched
toward the south for a distance of
ninety miles,
This plain is called the tornado del
Muerio ("the journey OF sueath") and
from its history, related TO US while
visiting the beautiful Mesilla valley, a
more appropriate name could not be
found. Like the celebrated bridge
of Sigbs", in Venice, the plain has Iit-
orally been journey of death. On
the southern border of the Journey
of DEATH" We passed a small town,
which is used as a shipping point,
called Engle. and from there again
reached the Rio Grande and passc the
beautifully located militia post called
Fort Selden and in a half an hour
was greeted with the cheering an.
1ouncement that we had reached
LAS CRUCES,
the County seat of Dons Ana county.
As we reached the platform of the
depot at Las Cruces we were warmly
welcomed by the friend we bad come
so far to visit, Mr.. n. Spatcier, or
professor" n. Spatcier as be is more
generally styled here, who was await
ing us and who conduc; I'd US to his
carriage and quickly conveyed us 10
the Rio Grande hotel, where we par
teek of substantial aud well servo 4
dinner and then proceeded to take a
look at the town which is situated
midway in the valley,an few years
back was typIesl Spanish or Mex.
can t. Va, but IN the last few sa
char e his come over the O. INV
cont nt of ifs Inhabitants, aud two
story buildings are taking the pee
of the uupictcr' que one-story adobe,
while brick aud wood are entering
larry into their construct ion.
The old adobe church that so
long served the communicates
of the Catholic faith, has given way
to large and beautiful brick struc-
ture, with towers pointing heaven
ward The Presbyterians have q neat