Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-05-15
EpHRIAM KIMBLE'S TRAVELS
What He Saw in the West In His
Ten Thousand Miles
Of Travel.

Sights and Revelations That Interest and
Amaze DweIIers in the East - New
Mexico and the Rocky Mountalns-Tn-
dian vilIages-Meets PennsyIyanians-
Regions Rich In Wealth Await Devei-
opment Enhancing Scenes on the
Pacific slope-A Gold Mine Named
Honesdaie-The city OF Sunshine, Fruit
and Flowers.
(From the Independent
On October 6, 1895, in company with L.
V. Holbert. Of Binghamton, I left for an
eStended visit to the Pacific slope and the
Great Southwest, the latter for the benefit
OF his health and my trip was devoted en-
tirely to sightseeing and pleasure.
passed through nineteen states and terri
tories and covered distance Of more than
ten thousand miles. A remarkable fea-
ture of my travels was the good connec-
tions made and at no time was I delayed
over one-half hour. Though / passed
through different climates and with chan
ges Of water I was not indisposed one day
After short stay at Kansas City, Mo,
we took the Atlantic s. Pacific road and
rode through Kansas, Colorado, New Mex
leo and up through the Rocky Mountains,
which are 1900 feet in height, until we
reached Las gas Hot Springs, N. NJ,
one of the most picturesque and restful re-
sorts for pleasure seekers in the Rocky
Mountains. We found the Montezuma
hotel at that point one of the most perfect
ly appointed caravansaries in the south
west and accommodates 250 guests. The
temperature there at midday averages
from January to May go degrees Fahren-
heit. In summer the average for those
hours is IS degrees. The climate is nearly
uniform the year around,
At Los Vegas spent one week and was
well pleased with the city which has pop
ulation of 5000 1t is strange place and
is mostly inhabited by Mexicans who are
small Of stature. Burros are chiefly used
for draying purposes. Four or six are
hitched together side by side, and attached
to a small wagon they make very attrac-
tive appearance as they trot through the
streets They are also used for carrying
wood, packed merchandise, and for climb
ing mountains. They are very cheap and
can be purchased for $3.50 to $500 each.
The city also boasts Of an electric street
car line. Have immense mining indust-
ries and vast plains for raising sheep and
other cattle. saw loads of wool sold there
for six and eight cents a pound. A per-
son who has always lived in valley can
hardly imagine the beauty Of the sunshine
as seen and felt on great mountain heights
The first rays in the morning at O'Clock
seems as warm as those in the east at high
noon. No barns were seen at this place.
After leaving Las Vegas we next stop at
Albuquerque, the leading railroad and
commercial center of the Santa Fe route
between Topeka and Los Angeles. Min
ing, sheepraising and farming are the pro
minent pursuits in this place and eastern
people, after looking at the vegetables and
fruits, are convinced that everything Is
true about the wonders that are performed
by irrigation. A great many of the homes
are one-story high flat and are built of ado
be which consists of sand mixed with
straw, made into square blocks and baked
in the sun. Another cheap building ma
terial is gathered from the bank of the Rio
Grande river where the wash of the wave,
leaves deposit of sienna, which is dug out
with spades, made into square chunks ant
dried by the sun until they become as hare
as brick. Some of these buildings last fo
century. Gen. Grants headquarter
were on the banks of the Rio Grande river
when he was travelling in that part of tn,
country. The air was so clear and the SUI
so bright in Albuquerque that we coult
see the mountains, sixty miles distant
near the city of Santa Fe There are
great many Indians in this section of tn,
, country who raise grapes, fish and hun
for a living They are given grand op
portunity for an education by the govern
ment. In one school that we visited ther
were 800 Indian boys and girls who wer
taught all kinds of work and TO read ant
write. They also take care of the building
= grounds etc. and make their own clothing
EARLY morning frosts could be seen on tn
house tops and on the sidewalks and in
: few hours person could go out and pic
/. geraniums and the most tender plant
, which do not freeze on account of the dry
ness of the atmosphere.
On November o, we left Albuquerqu
and were soon viewing with interest In
5 dian villages mountains and hundreds o.
miles of bare prairies. Upon one Of tn
mountains could be seen a fortihcatio
which was occupied by soldiers in the eal
ly days of the country. After riding alon
one hundred miles further we stop for wa
ter. Here Indian squaws, with spapOose
strapped on their backs, offer clay orni
ments for sale. Their huts are mostl
made out of stone and adobe Looking fol
ward we saw what appeared to be a brow
stone city, but as we approached we di
covered that they are rocks that have bee
forced up through the earth by voleani
eruption. They are hundreds of feet higl
are square and seem to be on the level pra
rie and are nearly fifty miles in length.
We stayed but one day at Ashfork, Ari
our next resting place, which is the term
nus of the Santa Fe railroad. It was
very barren and desolate country and th
only water that was used in the villaa
was carried in tanks a distance of fort
miles. Here we took the Prescott & Pho
= nix railroad for Phoenix Ari For ls
z miles the descent over the Rocky Mom
4 tains was very steep and we took dro
p from an altitude of 1900 feet to the city
n Phoenix. On this trip we stopped at
small place called Skull Valley, where W
had dinner the water used in its prepar
ton being taken from the boiler of the
comotive. On the route cactus and mi