El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-01-17
TOPOLOBAMPO COUNTRY.
Description of the HarbOr, the Soil and
It's Growth.

James w. Gordon writing from 10
polobampo to the San Antonio Express
SAWS: Much has been published OF
| tie wears concerning this country. If
[ mistaken not The Express has pub
lished number of letter from tn S
place. but as many of your readers do
rot know of this wonderful country it
may not be amiss to repeat the story.
shall not attempt any minute des-
cription of the bay, barb2r, etc., be-
cause do not know much about such
matters and do not wish to expose my
ignorance in so public d place as the
columns of The Express.
Suffice to say, however, that many
have pronounced it to be one OF
the finest harbors on the Pacific coast;
aud l see no reason why it should not
he. for it is almost conn letely encircled
by mountains about 300 to 400 feet in
height. The water is said to be deco
enough to float the largest ships and
the bay is sufficiently large'tO accOmmo-
ate any number of vessels that would
ever gather here at one time.
But we leave the bay t. more learn
ed writer's and start on our journey to
the American colony, which Is located
about fifteen miles north of the
bay. QUE road for the first mile winds
around the foot of one of the noun
taius. Then with but little apparent
ascent we reach a level, marshy, pla in
having a short stubby growth of bush
es with some larger mesquite bushes
catered here and there. This is
tnOwn as the city site and 1t is here
hat Mr.. Owens intended building his
grand cooperative city. 1t is at pre-
sent inhabited by Mexican cattle, coy
otes and wild birds.
From here to the head OF the ditch, q
listupoo of ahOnt twPntV-tiVe miles.
here is q gradual ascent; SO gradual,
however, that it seems perfectly level
The rise is about one foot to the mile.
Perhaps your readers can get better
idea of the surrounding country by &C.
companying us to the top of Mount Me-
noria one and half miles northeast
from where we live.
We look to the north and see the
mountain beyond the Fuerte river some
ifteen miles away. To the east the
mountains are probably twen9 or
twenty-five miles of. To the south we
see very plainly Ohuira Bay, an arm
Of TopOlobampO; it is about ten miles
away. To the west, perhaps thirty
miles from where we stand, we see the
sun shining on the waters OF the ocean
Just a little spot visible though in
that direction While to the north
west and southeast the eye sweeps over
| d
Northeast and east we see several lit
tie hills; no two connected but each,
like. the mountain we are standing on,
rising abruptly with an angle of about
10 degrees from this level plain. With
that exception it is one unbroken plain
from the sea to the noun ta1ns and from
the Fuerte to the Siualoa river, al
area of perhaps 1900 to 1000 square
miles.
no,,% Two r;po noun that IL ia q GRAND
prairie over which the eye can sweep
and behold vast herds of cattle, horses.
deer, ETC., feeding on the luxuriant
grasses. Far from it. 1t is covered,
yes absolutely, with the most dense
tn cket l ever Jaw, not a thick place
here, and an open spot there, but a
veritable jungle of low brush all over
the country.
In Atascosa the cactus is found down
under the brush, but here it is seen
above. They grow to the height of
fifteen to eighteen feet AMI the bush
forms an underground. There are
principally two kinds of this cactus,
the "hecho" aud the "pi'alla;" the
latter furnishes a fruit in its season
much like that of the little. low, cactus
of the same name we were accustomed
to see in Texas. They also furnish
building material They are cut aad
the outer bark or pulp hewn off and
you have nice straight pole twelve
fifteen feet long to make rafters for
your house. 1t is also used for fuel, as
is the ''hecho.' These cacti are quite
thick 10 places; while in others there
are comparatively few.
One thing that surprised me most in
regard to the natural growth of this
is the absence of thorns, not
that they are entirely absent, but there
are comparatively few bushes here that |
have thorns The ''bara prieia' con-
stitutes the sereater'part OF the urder-
growth here and it has no thorns. 1t |
plum bush more than any |
OF her bush | know.
1 have here written a general de-
scription of this immediate country in |
it's wild state. Naturally it has few
things to at ract one. In my pext /
will tel something of what is being |
done with this wilderness