Daily Texarkana Democrat., 1893-07-29
IN WONDERLAND.
The Beautiful Scenic Effects of Colo
RADIOS Mountain Country.

dust and business cares of our Texar-
kama home. With wife and babe we
reached this famous mountain city
yesterday afternoon about 4:3O O'Clock,
after forty-two hours spent on the
cars enroute. To quiet my restless
mind and while away an hour before
bedtime, will indict short letter to
my pet enterprise, the DEMOCRAT.
First few thoughts as to observa-
tions from the car window, etc. On
awakening Friday morning we were
speeding along the Cotton Belt route
through the rich black lands of Dallas
and Tarrant counties, Texas; crops
looked very fine, as fine corn as we
ever saw, and cotton waist high, full
of young bolls and blooms-farmers
are jubilant in all middle and northern
Texas over the fine crop prospect. 1t
appears that the Empire State of the
South will make corn enough for
more than dozen of her sister states.
AT Fort Worth we had two and half
hours in which to rest and take look
at the city. 1t was not our first visit
there, but our better half had never
before seen it, and 80 we "took it in"
as well as possible during the short
stay. 1t is busting place, but can
not compare to Dallas in point of size
or improvements; and the visitor is
not favorably impressed on first sight.
1t has many little wooden shanties in
the heart of the business center, and
this with poorly paved, if paved at all,
streets, detracts much from appear
ances; streets are graveled, or poorly
macadamlzed, and very dusty. City
claims population Of over $4,000,
but does not appear to have same.
She has splendid water in abundance,
and fairly good electric road and
light system. But enough Of the
Fort.
Friday morning at 1880 we LETT
Fort Worth behind, taking the Fort
Worth & Denver City Ry. for Mani
tou. The famous Pan Handle country
soon began to attract our attention.
But we cannot say much in favor of
this noted wheat-growing section, for
the reason that drouth has cut short
all crops, and everybody feels the del
eterious effects of the same and are in
consequence very gloomy; but one
needs not to be told of the situation,
the parched appearance of all vegeta-
ton discloses it at once. Around
Fort Worth and all up the Pan Handle
country, but little or no rain has fall
en- in some time. Many farmers who
planted corn and cotton will realize
scarcely anything, and the average for
wheat (the staple product is only
from to IL bushels per acre-not a
half crop. Another gloomy fea-
ture, the price of wheat has fallen
from 25 to 40 per cent, now
bringing from SOC to 40c per bushel.
Much of the Pan Handle country
looked like a desert waste, almost as
bad as New Mexico, and we would
not turn dog out to die in that for
lorn territory. Northern New Mexi-
co-the part we passed through-is a
rocky, wild desert, sure enough; but
little grass will even grow on her thin
soil, and that little seems to dry up, as
little or no rain falls to give it life.
The territory is inhabited principally
by Mexicans, with settlements few
and far between. Sheep raising is
the main industry, we are told. We
noticed large herds, looked after by
shepherds, who keep off wolves and
other wild animals. Southern Colo
rado is similar to New Mexico, but
after reaching Pueblo it improved
considerably. The mountain streams
are used for irrigation, and many
beautiful green valleys dot the way
side. But enough Of wayside observa-
tions.
We are comfortably quartered at
the Norris House, directly opposite
the bath house ane the soda springs.
(The editor stopped here in June,
1922 1t is good hotel, with all
modern improvements-sets splen-
did table, and does not rob one, eth
er; rates $40 to $15 per week, accord
ing to location of room. Other hotels
here, no better than this one, charge
double this rate. After getting rid
of the dirt and dust and renewing
our toilets, Of course we first took in
the mineral springs. There are two
principal springs, the soda spring and
and large iron spring, called Ute;
other springs of minor Importance
sulphur, magnesia, etc. The two
main springs are handsomely i'm
proved, and the life-renewing mineral
waters gush forth under beautiful pa