The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1889-01-31


open and dotted here and there with
farmhouses, the country being the
same for miles. At last night came
and we retired, to wake up next morn
ing in one of the most dreary coun-
tries we ever saw; nothing but rocks,
gravel, sand and mountains, with here
and there some grease bushes, small
shrub that grows ON deserts in this
country; it is the place where grass
hoppers take knapsack of provisions
when they pass over. BY and by we
came to place called Big Spring
where we stopped for water there was
pretty valley filed with hundreds OF
cattle the spring is two miles from
the railroad on the side OF the noun
tain and is piped to the railroad. Soon
after leaving here we passed through
town Of prairie dog0 thousands and
thousands of them, it seemed; and
there was also the owl. A great many
passengers shot at them from the car
windows, but none were killed; the
dust would be knocked up and the
dog would jump in his house, stick
out his head as much as to say you
can't do that again. We had on board
200 soldiers going to New Mexico and
Arizona; they did most Of the shoot
ing. Soon it was too poor country
for anything to live on, so the dogs
disappeared and on we went through
rocks, deserts, mountains and dry
valleys. And just here would say
when / epeak OF mountains, ! don't
mean pretty blue and green noun
tains like ours in East Tennessee,
covered with beautiful trees and
mountain gro Nth, but | mean great
barren sand hills covered with rocks.
No wonder Texas is so large, about
half of it is desert waste, the same
country for miles, until we begin to
near Rio Grande valley, then one seer
signs Of vegetation. On and on we 60
and soon come to little Mexican
town with people living in miserable
mud houses or huts which are called
"adobes." Here garrison OF U. s
troops are stationed near the river
bank to watch the threacherous Mex
leans and keep them in check. There
for the first time, saw farming by ir'
riIation farmers we're beginning Il
SOW oats and pillow for corn there We
would pass large crowds Of Mexican
laborers cleaning out the bitches t.
let the water in on the crops wher
sown. Now and then we would pas
squads of Mexicans on their ponies
wearing large boots with shovel o.
spade and sometimes a pick bUcklet
to their saddles. These men, imag
ined were professional ditch cleaners
moving to other quarters. Soon ",
were in FL Paso, which is apretty tow
OF 5000 inhabitants, and after securing
rooms at Hotel Ven Dome, Mr.. Carson
and wife, Mr.. Trail and wife, as wei
as Mrs. Bowman and myself, all fellow
travellers, secured a carriage and drov
over the Rio Grande into Mexico, tn
town is now called Qurey formerl,
Rio Del Mort. Here we saw Mexican
life in reality, and we're not favorabl,
impressed; drove through all tn
: principal streets and to most OF tn
places OF interest; saw the jail il
which the noted Cutting was impris
oned saw and was in the churcl
Guadalupe, which is in English, Gu
Mother or Lady; here we saw tn
J Mexican Catholic women kneeling I,
! the Virgin Mary and going through
! their evening devotions which wa
amusing as we'll as ridiculous to US
from there we went to the pen wher
the Bull fights are conducted ther
we saw the amphitheatre which hold
1000 people, and which is general
full, as we we're informed by the KEEP
, er. He told us that If we would com
., round next day at 8 o'clock we coul
. see the fight, but as next day wa
9 Sunday over in the United States W
: preferred not to go. So we missed tn
9 fight. The fights are very cruel, Ell
9 pecially to the bulls and horses, bu
very amusing to the Mexicans; it
& also very profitable, as they charge
+ fee OF 50c. to 500 to be allowed sea
:. in the amphitheater. One who ha
: witnessed these fights told us that tn
r only thing he hated was that the tigh
ers were not killed instead OF the bull
and horses. The fight / spoke OF wa
the last Of the season, During tn
, holidays they had them ever
: Wednesday, Saturday and sunda,
|. Being tired OF Mexican sights an
Mexico we started for our hote
: When Just over the border in UncI
! Sans domain, an officer of Custom
/ stopped us and said Did you max
: any purchases in Mexico@ We Al
! sured him we had not, but he said