Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1899-08-10
PoRrALEs, New MEXICO.

PoRTALEs, New MEX1co,
August, 9Th, 1899.
DEAR FATnER:-I will %endeavor to
give you q little description of the trip
to the southern part OF the Territory
Tennie and l have just returned from
through the kind invitation of Mr.. ID.
II. Nichols, Vice President & General
Manager of the Z. V. u N. e. Ry.
This trip was made the most pleasant
OF any we have yet taken. Mr.. Mich
OILS having invited us to make the trip
with him in his private car "l4OO." Be-
side Tennie ana 1, were Mr.. Nichols, a
cultured and most interesting gentle.
man, and HIS son Arthur, mi of the
M st manly little gentleman of Is years
it. has ever teen my pleasure 10 meet,
together with his friend Will Garwcod,
son of Gen. Baggage Ag't w ID. Gar
wood, Mr.. Caswell, road master nf the
Northern Division. going part of the
way must rot forget "rom." the
gentleman of color. who served meals
up to the Queens taste. and ever ready
to care for II comfort.
Leaving hear Wednesday morning.
we ride over the most level country.
and when Is miles from Portales can
see the little town very distinctly.
The country gradually becomes a lit
tie rougher, reaching Kenna. a station
80 miles from Portales, we are on the
highest point on this ROAD, it being
4O3O feet while the altitude of Portales
is 1000 feet. Before reaching Roswell
we came in fine view of Mt. Ell. Capt.
tan. 1t looks to be about 2 miles dis
tant so very distinctly can you see each
peak or crevice. On enqniery | found
1t is 80 miles distace, and 9 miles from
base to summit. AT foot of Mt. Ell
CAPTAIN the Apache Indians are loca-
ted We also have a good view of the
White Mts They look much smaller,
n"ia'g =" 'he fac THAT they are 1870 ms.
dis'a,t hn' nrn three times the height
OF M' El. Captain At foot of these
was old Fort Stanton. now heing moved
away and making the fort a marine
ho.pi al.
1t is wonderful tn" distance you can
see i'll this country, and the distance,
sound il carried Sitting IN our pourch
OF hn evening. can ca'ch II word now
aud .iI~n frnm , cnnvtrSHt!"n 2 hl cks
Il" ~.
.Jl.. before reaching Roswell we de-
cended d grade nf 400 feet and on a
W .rm dn' the difference is quite noii-
GA able. Roswell is a BEAUTIFUL little city
OF 1900 Inhabitants, and seemed unu-
sually nice to us, owing to the fact of
so many trees. The p. v. & N. E. R'y|
shops are located here. They are large
and said to be the most complete shops
in the southwest. Around here the
irrigation commences, and we pass
beautiful farm, all watered by irriga-
tion. They raise some corn, fine vege.
Italics and fruit. Alfalfa seems to be
the principal production; from this is
harvested four crops per year.
Through q farm where the irrigation
ditch runs 1t is bordered on each side
by large trees; q little beyond the Pa
COS river are banks or hills, very red
and rough and Is the termination of
the plains. The Pacos river along here
resembles very much the old Missouri
only the sand bars are of red tinge IN
place of the yellow.
Lake McMilion 2H by 10 miles is the
head of the irrigation of Carlsbad or
! Eddy as it was formerly called. This
lake is IL miles from Carlsbad and
empties into Lake Avalon, q smaller
lake, from here it flows into the flooms
which cross the Pacos River. The
looms are simply tight boxes about 40
feet wide through which the water
passes. In case too heavy q flow of
water the gates are opened letting the
water flow into the Pacos River; from
the fumes 1t Is carried into a large
ditch, then to smaller ones until each
house in Carlsbad is supplied. The
system of bitches and water gates are
attended by a stitch rider in other
word, the same as we call Water Com
missioner.
We reached Carlsbad at z, p. NJ, In.
time for dinner; stopped at Hotel Ha-
german, which is q beautiful place e
by 1 block, built around a court, a We
r8nda or gallery as they are called in
the south, extends on the three sides,
both on first and second floor, large
trees in grounds, the prettiest being
the Chimes umbarella tree. The hotel
has quite a tropical appearance, owing
to the many large palms In yard, some
8 or 10 feet high, but they are really q
species of the cacti called the Spanish
dagger, and look exactly like our palms
in our p8rlors at home only larger and
leaves thicker.
Carlsbad has 5000 population, and is
q very pretty little city, the longest
street being 4 miles, bordered on each
side of the street by large trees as all
the streets are. Here we find five nice
churches, school house, fine courthouse,
sugar beet factory, and the winter
houses of many, among the principal
is the Hagerman Heights, (Mr. Hager-
man is the Pres. of T. v. & N. L. Ry.)
built at q cost of R265,000, The next
morning after our arrival the Compa.
ny's carriage and driver, accompanied
by Arthur Nichols, called to take us
driving. We visited the famous Carls-
bud Springs. 1t is said that the water
will not only cure all ailments but a
drink from its flowing waters is like
"The fountain of perpetual Youth"
Carlsbad is very warm, being only
&c miles from southern line of the teri
tory and is located in q regular basin.
The foot hills of the mountains forcing
q complete ridge around the city, thus
giving it complete protection during
winter from all storms OF sudden
changes in temperature incident to the
approasn OF q "npTtber," and giving it
the remarkably even aalubvions climate
that has made Carlsbad a home word
with all those afflicted with lung or
throat trouble. Here we have a good
view of Guadalupe mountains, at the
foot of which is the great Crystal Cave.
We visited the fruit display. 1t is
in q large brick building and all the