The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-08
THE WELL on THE JoRNADA.
John Martins Long Struggle to Find
Water on the Arid Plain.
New York Sun.

New York sun.
DO you see that house and windmill off
TO the east?'' said an old-time New Mexican
to a New York tourist. The two We're oc-
cupying the same seat in the Atchison train
Muerto and had struck up a friendly ac-
quaintance together. THAT is Martins
we'll. The Mexicans called it Aleman, the
word for German in their tongue. Martin
was q German who came to New Mexico
in early days when the JOrnada had the
worst name of any Travelled region in the
Territory, and deserved it. The trail from
Santa Fe to Ell Paso crossed it, and the
trip over this plain meant a seVenty-mile
stretch without water except the chance of
hnding a pool In the time of the summer
rains. AT all other seasons the plain was
arid. Travellers undertaking to cross it gave
their horses all the water they wanted at
starting, drank all they could themselves.
filled their water bottles, said their prayers
then If ever they did, and rode upon the
PLAIN with their lives in their hands. There
could be no delay with safety. for, with
the best luck, thirst was expressing them
when at last the trail came down among
the cottonwOods that border the Rio Grande
and man and beast could drink their fill
from the muddy current. Bands of Apaches
swept the plain and lay in ambush for trav-
elers by the river bank at either end of the
Jornada trail, and it is little wonder that
the crossing of it should be dreaded and
that it should receive the name it bears,
the Journey of Death
Martin was an original character, with
lots OF push and sand. After crossing the
Jornada a number of times with wagon
49,. - 49, - |S $3.50 N'S 49,
could be found by digging at a point about
midway across it, and made his arrange
mentS to sink a well there. He began with
the rainy season, and with a force of dig
gers and blasters set to work in earnest.
The Jornada rests on a foundation of hard
volcanic rock, and after digging down a
short distance he had to use powder all the
rest of the time. 1t was a slow, expensive
and dangerous piece of business. The men
had to receive high wages to risk their
lives in such a place, all supplies had to be
brought fifty miles from Mesilla, and ev-
cry spoonful of water used was hauled in
barrels from pools left by the rains in hol-
lows of the prairie. But Martin kept the
work going through the rainy season and
after, until, one by one, the pools dried up,
and il became verv difficult TO provide his
crew with water. Still no sign of water
could be found in the well as the men
worked slowly downward through the rock.
THE end came one day when Martin rode
in from Mesilla and looked down into the
hole where the men were drilling in the
Work till noon, boys he called down
to them. When you come up to dinner
bring your tools with you. We pack our
g Shall we load up the holes we're put
ting in and try one more blast" asked the
Yes; we'll waste one more round of
powder on the thing answered Martin,
and, turning his back, walked away to think
over by himself what a fool he had been to
invest everything he had in an undertake
ing that all his friends had told him was
pound 10 Idll.
THE men filled and tamped the holes.
and at noon came up out of the well, the
last man staying behind long enough to
light the fuses. The blast went off while
they were seating themselves at dinner.
The meal eaten, while some of the men
helped to bring in and harness the mules,
and others began to pack the wagons, one
man sauntered over to the well hole and
looked down to see what the last blast had
done. He yelled as if Indians were in sight,
and the men came running to see what he
had found. The well was half full of water
and the water was still rising. The last
blast had opened the rock down to the
water vein, and Martins fortune was made.
"A1 the great wagon traffic and the
stages over the Jornada had to pay him
toll, and his well was a mine of wealth to
him. The charge per horse or OK for water
ing was 20 cents, and with the long wagon
trains constantly crossing the desert the
profits counted up fast. One class of trav-
elers, the ApacheS, never paid toll to Mar
tin. They would come to the well, usually
by night, water their horses and ride away,
never molesting the people in charge. This
mutual understanding continued until these
Indians ceased to go on the war path and
kept to their reservations. Aleman was
made a station of the overland stage route,
and a railroad station near the well now
bears it's name. When, in 1880, the Atchison
Company built their railroad across the
Jornada and settlers coming out on the
water and to sink a~rtesian wells, the glory
of Aleman departed, and the place became
the headquarters of a cattle company.