Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-03-26
1RSDAY. MARCH 2e. 1900.

Eup the mountains and not q FAX,
fall on my hat brim, and lust as
have seen the snow come and go
leaving the gound just as dry as .,
first, and it rained hard Mt tvt
O'Clock and our boys play ball q,
three, so rapid 10 the evaporation,
The climate makes Santa Re a erea,
resort for one-lnngs,rs, or any luns
affection. We see around us eysry
day, the Sanatariam constantly
full of health seekers, not to the
manor born, but from every other
part Of the country almost. here
trying to build up. Pneumonia
and che nerves do rot fare quite 60
ze11E1ne rermer snszponE rFfnxsknly
fatal, and the latter flnd it hard to
resist the tension OF the altitude
continually upon them.
On account OF the scarcity Of
water all the farming 10 done by
means Of irrigation. And right
here it might 40 well be admitted
that the markets Of the world will
never be glutted by the agricultural
products of New Mexico; it lays but
a modest claim in that regard,
chiefly the growing of fruit, which
is especially rich in color and lus-
cious in taste, and a few vegetables
and cereals along the river valleys.
But this proceeding Of irrigation is
indeed, very interesting, as indulg-
ed in by the natives, who in their
primitive style, are assuredly adopts
in the art. Well, / don't suppose
they can make water run up hill,
but they come mighty near it, they
get it up the hill and they don't
tote it there either. No matter how
high the hill, there is always some
hard by that is higher,
and up the stream that flows down
the side of this, they follow till they
have reached a point higher than
where they wish to conduct the
water; from this point they dig an
''essaquia," orditch, and then slow
ly down this descent they convey
the water where they wish it, carry
ing it across any arroyas that might
happen in their way by means of
btffSc u rfiiasl9ese9 Gfiet after the ytsshiag,
Juan helping Jose and Jose in turn
helping Juan, and down in the bot
toms, in the Spring, as the snow on
the mountains is melted under the
influence of the vernal sun and
flows down, they gather it in a pond.
Of this they elect q major domo,
who appootions it out pro rata
among them during the summer
months, when you see them with
pants legs turned up above their
spare shanks and hoe in
hand directing its course. But as
just said, farming cuts but small
figure. In their mines, and the rails
ing of goats and sheep the people
find the mainstay of their existence.
These hills on the one hand and
the goats and sheep on the other
seem compliments to each other.
l have seen herds of goats in the
mountains numbering fully five
thousand, landing from crag to crag
on their heads, while among the
hills can often be seen fifty thous-
and sheep at once. with the shep-
herd lad and his dog tending the
flock.
An American living out here,
practically exists at one and the
same time in two separate and dis
tinct eras Of civilization; the one of
the whites, q fraction behind-hand,
wilder, but about like ours of the
East; the other. of the natives,
sticking faithfully to their primi-
tive methods and customs of bygone
days. The inclination Of the peo-
pie generally 10 more towards games
of chance than back with us, and
they will try their luck with the last
nickel at Faro or Roulette. Every
mining town, and every other town
for that matter, has its faro table
and roulette whell. most of them
several, and many q fellow risking
his last, "goes broke" at them.
The money circulation 10 exten-
sively gold and silver, no dollar bills
and no pennies except at the post.
Office, the public resorts have deli,
cate scales with which the gold dus,
is weighed and passes just as if j,
were coin, nothing costs less than Z