Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-03-07
THE LAND OF THE MoNrEzUMAs.
A Spicy Letter From MR.. G. w. Dam
iels Regarding His Pros
emit Surroundings.

"A BnlCY LoJtDE EIOuA Ne We O@AA-
iels Regarding His Pros
emit Surroundings.
EAST LAS VEGAS, N. NJ,
March 3, 1891.
EDITOR NEWS: General Sherman
once said that he wanted to see one
more war before he died and that
would be war with Old Mexico
10 make her take back New Mexico
and Arizona. II he had added west
ern Kansas and Oklahoma l think /
would like to enlist in that war. Moth
ing can be said in favor of this section
except the scenery and much OF that,
must confess, is grand. One day
last week saw one of the most mag
nificent sights I ever witnessed. The
sun was shining brightly in The Las
Vegas valley, while fierce snow
storm was raging in the Glorieta noun
tains. We could see the swirl of the
snow and wind with now and then
view OF the white peaks with black
clouds lowering over them. AT the
same time IL was still and quiet in the
valley and the sun shown brightly on
the intermediate hills, which were
covered with evergreens and the ell
tire Gene presented such variety OF
colors and atmospheric effets, and was
upon the whole so sublime and mag.
nifcent that l could compare 1t to
nothing l had ever seen, unless 1t was
Tom Smith at festival or the Ranga-
too Guards at a republican roundup.
This is the home of the AZtecs and
the Montezumas. Their descendants
live here yet and politically are a
power in the land. The grandeur OF
the race has left them, however, and
now you only see a poor, miserable
race of dwarfs, picked with red pep.
per, born tired, embued with all the
vices and few of the virtues of the
Spaniard, without ambition, devoid of
honor, and taken altogether, about as
poor race of people as inhabits this
continent.
New Mexico is overwhelmingly
Mexican and more Americans are
leaving here than are coming in.
The land is held IN common as the In
dian territory and the cattle men have
hard time of it. They are not al
lowed to fence their ranches and
strays are picked up hundreds of miles
away. There is no vegetation in New
Mexico except the little short, fine
buffalo grass and cactus. No weeds
grow here, and vegetables are UNI
known. The cows are too poor to
give milk and the only butter we get
Is sort OF oleomargarine which
smells and tastes like spoiled mack
erel. The only eggs / have seen are
al tificial, and when you try to drink
on g in little sherry it dissolves COM
pletely. The only flowers you find
here are Il sort of dingy, dirty lily
which the laundry men bring from
China. There is scarcely fruit tree
or a grapevine in the territory and the
homes of the people look as desolate
and dreary as an Arkansaw distillery.
The only signs of comfort are in the
towns along the foothills Of the noun
tains where few small patches eau
be irrigated, and very little can be
raised there. 1t commences to freeze
at Las Vegas in September and the
weather does not get warm till the
snow melts in the mountains, which
is about the middle of June. This Is
what would call Siberian climate.
The animals, bugs and reptiles become
dormant in the early fall and 60 into
winter quarters till late in the spring
Even the snakes have hair or fur on
them to protect them from the inclcm
ency of the climate.
l am now living in one of the pal
aces of the Montezumas, which j!
constructed Of sun dried mud ant
straw, the walls of which are fOuI
feet thick. dug into the wall Of my
bedroom 10 see what | could find ant
II turned out about half cord OF pet
rified bugs, lizards and antediluvial
reptiles that had been incarcerated
within those noble walls for hundreds
and perhaps thousands of years, ana
among them were specimens that ar
entirely unknown to modern Zoolo
gists, and which would be considered
precious prizes to the enthusiastic bus
Qatherer of the eastern museum
One of these animals looks like some
thing between an ichthyOsaurus and
Mexican idol, and l know il is of Az
tic origin as it has earrings aud teetl
with genuine gold Filings. They arr
all harmless now, being in State o
inocuous desuetude, but | shall max
it point to move out before warn
weather.
1 wish the dissatisfied of Baxte
Springs and I herukee county coul,
see the mountain states and the Paci
|. tic coast. Arizona is worse, If amy
thing, than New Mexico. and Cali
fornia is filed TO overfiOwing with
population who would be glad to sc
back If they could do so withUu