San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-08
TRAVELS IN WONDERLAND.
Climbing the Mountains-CrOss the
PIains-Scenes by the Wayside
Among the Prairie Dogs
CIimate-A Close shave

dent boarded a South-bound train on the
Mexican National railway for the pur-
pose of taking a look at the country be-
tween here and Catarce, and return in the
evening on the up-train from the City of
Mexico. .
The train in pulling out from S~altillo,
passes through orchards, and fields Of
wheat, oats barley, corn. and mague
plants, until it reaches the battle ground
of Buena Vista, distant from SaltillO
eight miles. The road run close to the
Iona or mountain where Bragg had his
battery, and past the spring where Gen.
Taylor had his headquarters, and through
the field where Jefferson Davis defeated
the Mexican troops that were sent against
him and gained the day. But as the
train does not stop, but pushes onward
and upward, the passengers do not have
much time to see this historic place. As
your correspondent spent half a day
there in October, 1888, we will refer to 1t
on some other occasion. From this point
up, the road skirts the mountains until it
reaches
ENCANTADA
distance from Saltillo 10 miles, and 1000
feet above or 5000 above sea level.
The station and section houses are
brick and they are the first of the kind
between there and Laredo.
After the train leaves Encantada, IL en-
tiers one of the most picturesque valleys
that is TO be seen between there and the
Rio Grande. As far as the eye could
reach, cattle, horses and burroS could be
seen grazing, and there was not a brush
nor chapperal to be seen TO mai its
beauty. The next stopping place was
A~QUANUEvA,
Eighteen miles from SaltillO and l,500
feet above it. This is The only a water
ing station, but close by ii is a large
ranch with its church and a large water
tank which is surrounded with cotton
wood and cypress trees. After the train
leaves this station 1t enters the noun
tainS. and makes a horse shoe, or more
strictly speaking a mule shoe bend that
the tracks at the heels come so close to
gether that a boy ten years old could
throw a stone across it. After making
this curve the iron horse ruShes upward
and downward until it reaches
CARNARos STATION
which is nestled between the Rockies a,
an altitude of 1000 feet, while the dis
lance in adirect line from AQuanueva is
not more than three miles, yet it had to
wind round and up the mountains six
miles and climb 500 feet.
III SNlhS NhNC pass NOllO vi bliN
most panoramic scenery on the continent
are seen from the cars. Hundreds of feet
below and miles off, beautiful valleys
and ranches can be seen, surrounded by
fields of wheat and corn, while in front
the hills come together and the mountains
hug and kiss each other. Some tender
foot may take exception TO this and say,
I'VE don't believe it," All we nave to say
to them is this: IF they DO not believe
orr statement, we would advise them to
go there some dark night when the moon
and stars have gone to sleep, and If they
do not see the mountains hug and kiss
each other their sight must be defective"
The station and section houses are built
of brick and look comfortable. For the
first time between here and the Rio
Grande, groves of cedarS can be seen on
the mountain sides and Skirting the val
legs. From here to
AFRO
the road is down grade. 1t hugs the
mountains and in places the train looks
like the letter s as it rounds the uTveS.
The drop to Arc is 500 feet in 4 miles. At
this depN' we saw silver md lead ore, and
coke. he next StatiOs is
GOMEZ FARIAs
which is perched at an altitude of 600
feet above sea level and only Z miles from
Arc. From here to
SANTA ELENA,
the road hugs the mountains, and de-
ScendS 700 feet in IA miles. There was sill
yer and lead ore at the depot which was
brought in from the mines close by. AT
ter leaving Santa Elena the road bids the
mountains adieu and crosses the plains
for a distance of 46 miles, which is as
level as a table, and the road in that dis
lance has not a single curve. The only
thiDu that will attract the attention nf
the tourist is a colony of
PRAIRIE DOGS
that they pass through before they reach
La Ventura, which is the first station on
the plains. As this was Sunday the old
chiefs could be seen perched upon their
mounds smoking cigarettes, while their
better halves were gathering food for
dinner, and the young bucks and papuSeS
were baSking in the sun and gazing at the
passengers. As the prairie dogs are NOR
mons. they have more than one wife, and
they watch them very closely, and when
any of the yOung bucks are found
m%onkeying arounG them they are severe
ly punished by the old chiefs. After
leaving this colony, the train makes short
stops at La Ventura Lulu, ri Salado,
San Vicenti, La Parida, until it arrives
at the Junction Vanegas, where it stops
TO exchange freight and passengers.
CATARCE,
which is distant from SaltillO 139 miles,
and has an altitude of 5000 feet. There
is large, twO-story stone hotel here,
at which the passengers get dinner
Eight miles up in the mountains sits the
celebrated town of Catarce, at an altitude
of over 5000 feet, with a population of be-
tween 5000 and 10000. The only access
to the city is by burros, as they are the
only animals that can carry a load and
climb the mountain. Catarce is one of
the richest mining districts in the state of
San Luis POtOSi, and hundreds of millions
of silver dollars have been mined and
for the mining town of that name, which
is about twenty-five miles from the sta
ton. Here there was some silver bullion
taken aboard which was consigned to San