Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-04-06
HOMEwARD BOUND.
Captain Lakes Concluding I.eate
of His western Trip.

At $50 p. m. we start for home via
SOuthern Pacific. Sunday morning
we are still in Arizona speeding across
an almost barren country. On either
side, in the distance, are mountain
ranges and the highest peaks are
capped with snow. Cattle find sus-
tenance on the dry grass. Sage bush
and Spanish dagger cacti prevail.
The latter is a stout stalk from one
to six feet topped off with large
bunch of leaf like sharp proDgs.
Our breakfast station, Deming,
New Mexico, is town Of about ], 200
inhabitants. The buildings are all
one-story-many of them adobe
some frame and a few brick and
nearly all fiat rooted. The town is
treeless, excepting few fruit trees in
back yards. Wind mills pump water
from wells from thirty to fifty feet
deep. An unpleasant feature are the
sand storms. Itschief support comes
from the cattle ranches. Silver and
copper are mined nearby. The prin-
cipal lOafing is at the depot at train
time and what rigs those Mexicans
put on! A red shirt or a red sash or
| red cuffs or collar to shirt Is good
Sunday rig. AS we speed away Mrs.
| Lake calls my attention to string
of burrOs (pack animals) loaded and
travelling across the plain and head
| ing for Deming. Some had riders,
but most OF the people men, women
and children were walking. To us it
was novel sight. Then for miles
we see not living thing, excepting
now and then crow. Sand drifts
| are ON all sides as far as the eye can
| reach.
Our next stop is Ell Paso, on the
Rio Grande River in the west corner
of Texas, near New Mexico, and
within stones throw of Old
Mexico. We change from Pacific to
central time and set our watches
two hours ahead. In approaching
Ell PasO from the west the road runs
through the poorest country imagin-
able. The grade rapidly descends
and winds down through drifting
sands to the Rio Grande River a
| muddy stream from fifty to one hum
dred feet wide. Along it's banks and
at the beginning of the city are the,
most miserable habitatiOns we have
ever seen human beings occupy.
They are small huts formed by
setting four crotched posts in the
ground for corner posts and poles
are laid in the crotches. Then small
stakes are stuck in the ground close
together the tops of which reach the
plate poles. They are then plastered
with mud which forms the sides of
the hut in which hole is left to
enter. Poles are laid across the top
and thatched or mudded for the roof
The earth is the floor. One end of
the hut answers for one side OF the
pen in which the horse is kept. A
box or two answers for table and
furniture. Blankets answerfo for beds,
and two or three families tumble in
together. 1t is said a Mexican never
marries but once and that marriage
answers for all other wives heshould
chance to have. His earthly belong
ings consist of his hut, family, the
clothes he has on. a blanket, a saddle
and horse or donkey. They are
stingy with money and like to
gamble. They don't care to learn our
language or assimilate with us.
Arriving at the depot and a stop
of twenty minutes gave me time to
inspect the many inhabitants that
swarmed around the depot and
train. They were the worst mixed
ever saw. There were Jews talking
Mexican, Spanish, and American.
Spanish negroes and all nations of
the world seemed to be represented.
The city proper has some blocks Of
brick buildings. Leaving the city the
scenes are similar to those described,
excepting the land. The road runs
through the river valley. Some fruit
and vegetable farms were passed,
but nothing green was growing ex-
cepting the mistletoe on the trees.
The road soon leaves the river and
crooks it way through thelower hills
to a higher altitude.
Monday morning we find ourselves
in a better country, with small green
liye-oaks, and mesquite wood and
much cat-claw bush in bloom a
flower from which bees gather good
honey. The Spanish dagger cacti is
in bloom and millions of prickly
pear much larger than that in Jersey
stands in punches. Cows and sheep
eat it when the pricklys are singed
off
At noon we are in San Antonio,
Texas. When entering the town the
impression is most favorable. The
green foliage on the bushes, the
wezash tree covered with deep yellow
bloom formed beautiful wild wood.
Next comes the green truck farms.
The city viewed from the car win
dows is pretty. The homes are neat,
and there is plenty of green shade
trees. Now we are in a cotton
growing country, and as we pass the
different stations we see bales of
cotton for shipment. A half days
travel shows about two weeks diff
ference In foliage. We pass through
the most beautiful wild scenery we
have ever witnessed along railroad.
The grass is green and in places is
almost hidden with blue flowers
dotted with deep red flowers and
many stems protruding holding a
white flower. Then patches of pink
flowers are passed. 1t is a great
contrast from the parched plains we
have rode through. One sees beauty
in a mud puddle after passing
through Arizona and New Mexico.
Now cotton fields are passed and
gangs of darkies, men and women,
are hoeing and cultivating theyoung
cotton that is sprOuting through the
ground. Here saw woman plOw-
ing with cows.
Tuesday morning we pass Morgan
City one hour and three quarters late
owing to crippled engine. The
streets are green with grass and
well shaded. 1t looks like a well
kept city. New Orleans is reached
too late to connect with the morning
train east. Strangers are surprised
when entering the city at seeing such
narrow streets. They are not as
the streets of Philadelphia. The day
was warln and to escape the heat we
went out to the Metaire Cemetery
where there was a breeze and shade.
Metaire is the principal cemetery In
New Orleans The dead are placed in
tonbs above ground, a condition
made necessary from the surfac
water. They are built OF brick,
cemented or walled with marble or
granite, on the outside, The caves
and roofs are all ornamental. They
cost from $500 to $4,000. The