Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-04-27

are not alike in resources. and their varia-
tons are simply the variations in the water.
The back bone ridge of mountains OF North
ern Mexico is the Sierra Madre, or Mother
Mountains, for from them all other ridges
and spurs seem to emanate. From their
upper crests, as with all other mountains IN
the world, spring innumerable rivulets and
creeks, which, uniting, form rivers. But
nearly everywhere else these rivers in
crease il size by the addition of the waters
of other rivers until they reach the sea.
Not two leagues to the north of where
write the road from Deming, n. NJ, to Las
Palomas passes over two graves Of as many
Apaches killed a few years ago, while on
hill hard by can be seen three creScentS OF
thrown-up stones where the great Apache
chief Victorio with three or four score
warriors made a stand against the
combined forces of the United States
and Mexico which proved entirely too
much for him IN the resulting COM
bat. No more worthless, meaner Indians
were ever driven out of a better country
than when the Apaches found this region
uninhabitabie, or at least unbearable to
their murderous methods of life, and much
of the decisive actions that led to this de-
sired end we have to thank the Mexicans
for.
The way the Las Palomas mountains have
Of rising sheer out of level country is
quite common in this region, plainly show
ing that the mountains once rose from a
great sea that washed their bases, and
when It receded with the uplifting of this
region it left the level plain TO show where
its fat bottom had been icons before. A
fine example of this is seen in the mount
aims called Tres Hermanas (The Three
Sisters) very near the boundry line and but
o few miles from the wagon road leading
from Deming from which point on the
picturesque Santa Fe railroad they are
plainly visible) to Las Palomas in old Mex
leo. They are the subject of Illustration as
''takeu by our artist on the spot
Sometimes a single peak just gets its
head above the level plain by a few hun
dred feet, while IN others great ranges ex-
tend for miles, their tops covered with snow
in the winter mon tbs. However long the
range may be the re Is always that level
plain between it and the next range.
A railroad has but little trouble so far as
grade is concerned in getting through this
country. They may have 10 wind like the
map of a corkscrew in getting around the
projecting hills and mountains, but If the
constructors are lavish with rails and ties
and don't mind mileage the grade is as
simple as building on door; ID fact it is
the floor of an Old inland ocean.
A profile view OF. many Of these ranges and
isolated peaks give some very grotesque as
well as picturesque views, and the imagi-
native people of the southwest fancy they
see many silhouette designs in the crests Of
the mountains. Faces seem to predominant,
and especially MouteZuma's face is quite
lavishly distributed over this region. l
think can recall a half dozen of them in
the southwest since first visited here in
1867 This unfortunate Aztec monarch must
have had a very rocky looking face. or his
descendants must have thought exceeding
well OF him to sculpture him so often, even
in fancy, upon the mountain crests.
l went into a little face making business
OF my own so as to keep along IN the custom
OF the country while l was here. The most
southerly peak Of the Florida range had
a quite well-defined face upturDed 10 the
sky that to my Imagination looked more
like the well-known face of Ben anin Frank
lin than any of natures sculpturIng so often
portrayed IN many mountains when helped
by the fancy of man. There is only one
difference in this case and that Of the 9th
er., ana that is in the fact that where the
average traveller thinks he sees Ma
po!een's fsce. for Instance, be araEs FsSy