Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1893-09-14
AMnRInA,s oRBAr sAHARA.
Scenes on the Atlantic and Paci-
fic Railway.

some three hundred years ago
Like Santa Fe, old, but small
and unimportant as most Spanish
settlements were; however, the ar
rival of the Atchison, Topeka q
Santa Fe railway in 1S79-S0 meant
to Albuquerque a new era. From
! a little Mexican village of adobes
and temporary board structures
common to an early frontier trad
ing post, on the fertile banks OF
the Rio Grande, it has given away
to square upon square of substan
tial modern business blocks and
elegant and costly residences. A
population of ten thousand and is
first in wealth and commercial inn
portance of all New Mexico.
Opposite the river thirteen miles
distant is A e. p. Junction. tel.
egraph office and water tank--but
ere the train stops long the Indians
emerge from the sand hills with as
many different trinkets, pottery
fruits and specimens as their pecu.
liar country and abode will pro-
duce. This being the initiatory of
the tourists expectations they gen
orally satisfy their curiosity by
patronizing literally.
The Santa Fe leaves south here
to traverse the tranquil RioGrande.
We are now on the A & p. proper
and to those who have fer the first
time beheld this strange and DESC
late land it is something wonder
ful, bewildering and Incompetent
sible. From the blustery winds,
the high plateaus, cataracts and
mountains OF the day before, we
are within a vast sea of sand, sur
rounded by stupendous walls Of
red stone; dull and unattractive,
nevertheless impressive and inter-
esting; unlike most barren and un-
productive places, the scenery is
constantly changing, and before
the half enraptured, half disgusted
sight seer RECEIVERS from the NOR
ming curios he beholds the his.
toric and picturesque Indian viii
lage, Laguna, founded by the
Pueblos more than two hundred
and fifty years ago, who have since
lived quiet, industrious life and
never engaged in warfare with the
whites. The situation and sur.
roundings are peculiarly striking
and handsome.
To the north far away is Mount
Taylor, the greater part of the year
covered with snow, while the val.
leys and foothills are richly dotted
with shrubbery and evergreen trees
resembling an irregularly planted
orchard in midsummer.
Laguna in true Spanish style is
densely built of stone and plaster
on a great promontory of Slid
rock, fortified by perpendicular
natural embankments. The houses
are three and four story, square
tops with few outside entrances or
windows. The old cathedral with
its crumbling spire and time de-
faced walls stands prominent and
conspicuous in this remarkable
group of buildings, all of which
with four hundred inhabitants does
sIJt. emit -1,0c r-scro-.h-ln-three aeres
of ground. In autumn the houses
are decorated with strings of red
peppers, in the springtime with
girls in red dresses.
A half hours ride and the train
is winding around the rugged edges
Of great black lava beds. This
volcanic overflow has been most
extraordinary in regard to uniform
color and substance, which is a
blush black and resembles molten
iron Just as it hardened from the
furnace. There is as commonly
occurs, no mountain but the erup-
ton seems to have been gushed
right out of the level earth and
flowed over a space fifteen miles
in diameter while cooling. There
are great crevices shaped like veins
in a leaf and contain clear water.
The crater is closed with pieces
weighing hundreds Of tons broken
over its surface.
The next forty miles is so differ.
ent, so beautifully strange that it
appears to be a creation OF its own
and unlike anything on the conti-
nent. TO one who has seen a ship
sail through the Golden Gate into
the broad ocean, recalls a train en-
tering this basin by the deep and
narrow pass; and once within, all
is supreme and awful grandeur.
Immense promontory walls of
solid stone rise to the height of
two hundred feet ON either side,
surprising the strange formations
of the Garden Of the Gods. Here
are the beer bottles, there the
mammoth tonbstones and silent
city, far away and higher up the
three church steeples aud many
defined objects have not space TO
describe. There are natural arches
large enough to admit caravan,
aud in one particularly, there is
growing a beautiful evergreen tree.
Travellers and herds of sheep some
times take refuge here.
As the bombardment begins to
break and the transversal ledges of
rock rear up from west to east like
high ocean waves, the massive
walls diminish aud stand as an i'm
movable armada at sea.
The Rocky nountain divide
passed, the waters contribute to
ihe Pacific ocean. We are now in
the home Of the Navajo Indian, the
sheep, the shepherd and the
ubiquitous donkey. Arizona next
and things have an appearance a
little more related to civilization.