The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1892-06-25


COLORADO SPRINGS, jane I3.-A
trip extending over a month of con
slant travel and taking in the great
er part of California and parts of
Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and
Colorado would naturally have so
much of incident and interest con
nected with it as to defy the slender
possibility of newspaper letter
written ION the fly" amid the whirr
of wheels, the buzz of conversation
and the ever changing panorama Of
our scene of travel. Hence | despair
ed of giving anything like a correct
and readable account of the Sth An
nual Excursion of the National Edi-
torial Association until a period of
rest and quiet should have followed
upon the hurrying and scurrying,
the wining and dining, the bands,
the balls, the drives and the picnics
with which we have been fairly over
whelmed during our journey of the
past month.
The period of quiet supervened
sooner than anticipated At Hun,
tington near the Idaho line our car
the Itasca-fattened wheel and
was cut out. The 26 inmates were
distributed among three or four 9th
er cars already filed to overlooking.
There was so much grumbling and
crowding that we decided to stop off
at Colorado Splings-rest up-and
write up-and then take train that
would not stop every few miles and
make show of us.
After the receptions at Colorado
Springs and Pueblo the excursion
resumed its itinerary at $50 P. NJ,
May 18th. During the night we
passed the Spanish Peaks and cross
cd the Ration range of New Mexico
the highest point attained during the
5000 miles of travel. The long and
heavily laden train labored up to an
altitude considerably over ii 900 #.
One lady came near dying of hemor-
rhage OF the lungs. Another in our
car bad to be famed all night on ac-
count of threatened heart failure and
many others suffered more OF less
from oppressed breathing.
We now see for the first time the
real adobe houses made of sun-dried
bricks formed of a peculiar dark
brown tenacious clay which prevails
in many parts of New Mexico and
California. A number of interesting
points are passed after breakfasting
at Las Vegas.
The first is Romero Villa-a hand
some residence on the right of the
road, built of adobe and plastered
with white cement. 1t was built by
the younger son of Scotch noble
man few years ago and stands in
the midst of $4,000 acres belonging
to the estate. He soon tired of from
tier life and it is now owned by
Judge Craven, of Kansas City, who
holds it as stock farm and occupies
it as winter residence.
On the right little beyond this,
are the remains of an Aztec ruin,
around which the Bishop of this do
cese has had fence erected to pre-
serve it from vandals and relic hun
tiers. 1t looked to be quite extensive
and was of dark red stone. This
was where the Pecos tribe of Aztees
long worshipped and awaited the re
turn of their beloved Montezuma.
In fartherance of the fulfillment of
their hope they sacrificed, every
month, babe on stone, still stand
ing within the structure This pro
ceeding decimated the tribe so rap
idly that they became almost extinct
and the remnant finally emigrated to
Mexico leaving nothing behind them
but this mute reminder of their form
er occupancy of this land.
A few miles further on and we pass
a lovely valley-San Miguel. Sixty
years ago it was the home of 300
Mexican settlers. One awful day
250 blood thirsty Apache warriors
came sweeping like cyclone down
through Apache canon and attacked
them. They hastily gathered up two
weeks provision and stole stealthilv
away to lofty pyramid shaped
mountain on our left now called
starvation Peak" 1t is five miles
at the base and one at the top and
rises in a series of terraces on all
sides but one. Three lonely looking
crosses outlined against the blue SKI
and the name Of the peak tell the
tale. The Apaches sat themselves
down and waited day after day till
starvation did its deadly work and
thinned the ranks of the besieged
sufficiently to make it safe for them
to rush up and despatch the few mis-
cradle survivors.
At Wallace the train was surround
ed by lot of half naked Umatilla
squaws selling Indian pottery. They
were offering beautiful jars for soc.
which readily command $40 in east
ern cities. Their only stock of En-
glish seemed to be the prices of their
pottery for whatever question YOU
asked their only answer was, Two
bittee! four bitter asked one
from whom | was buying bowl
what tribe she was of and her con
slant reply was 1.-TWO bittee! two
bittee."
At Peach Springs a band of Mo
jave Indians came running out Of the
cave in which they lived by the road
side and surrounded the tourists.
Their dress was medley of the civ
ilized and barbaric; red calico cloaks
or togas, short blanket shirts, bare
feet, flowing hair and faces daubed
with streaks of red earth on their
noses and cheeks. They had no pot
terry to sell but like Gilpin's wife
they had thrifty mind and each
squaw who was the proud possessor
Of a pappcose made many dime by
back the cloth with which
the queer little ozier frame enclosing
it was covered, and demanding 10
rentee a peep. How they ever grow
in such cramped quarters is a mys-
terry as they are wound and swathed
like mummies and strap at the top
shows that they are hung up on the
wall when not out on exhibition. A
few of the men had bits of turquoise
Tor sale but they all seemed misera-
Dly poor, i'll clad and ignorant. One
poor fellow was in the last stage of
consumption and they all seemed to
h. l.. i J