El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-21

mountains, which shone on the San
Andreas mountains to the west, long
before l could see IL.
At 8 Il. N. 1 met Mr.. S1mpson and
the EDDY Brothers with A. s. Gregg,
one OF the brainiest, most genial young
men l have ever met in my life, Mr..
Geo. 5. Good, of Lock Haven, Penn,
one of the iolliest men and best story
tellers il has been my fortune to meet
in may years, and Mr.. A. w. Clifford,
promo .er of the Jarilla mine.
s urting in an observation car on an
even up grade for about five miles up
the valley on the Sacramento noun
tain railway, we turned into q canyon
through which little mountain stream
was running, following the winoings
of this stream rising nearly one foot in
five, with curves forming complete
SIS" of the little logging train. which
was not over 400 feet in length. and
anon "U's at which times We could
look across the engine, and a. times
see the car directly in front of US, up
and up, twisting and bending around
the mountain, exposing to
for over 100 miles each way,
| to the west, north and south, while to
the east lowered the Sacramentos and
our objective point. "Cloudcrofs,"
to be seen, pine, fir, maple, birch and
aspen predominatinR. majestic in their
height and size. Stopping about mid
way to the summit we took q rapid
walk of about mile to view Scenic
Point and Suicide Cliff at an elevation
of 6, 500 feet.
To the south and west nestled the
Oregon and San Andreas mountains,
the sea of Gypsum and the Sacramento
valley to the north. The White noun
tains, in whose. hollows or gorges lie
snow the year through.
This is the highest point in New
Mexico.
We caught q fine view of very
large herd of Angora or Mountain
goats feeding about 200 feet below US
on lodges, where it would be quite i'm
possible for the foot of man to either
rest or reach.
Leaning over the side of Suicide
Cliff we could not less than half q mile
down the canyon to what seemed to be
q small stream but was q very generous
sized river. Several of the parties,
strong of arm, tried to throw stones
into the stream which seemed directly
under our eyes but were sadly disap-
pointed until finally one of the stoutest
of our party, Mr.. Gregg, claimed to
have done so.
1t took at least ten seconds for
stone thrown with the greatest possible
force, down and outward, to reach
ledge of rock which seemed to bound
the stream. and how far the stream
ing.
Trees, appearing like shrubs still
topped out below this ledge.
From the spread and length of fall of
stones thrown down it estimated the
distance to be fully half mile.
The distance to the opposite side OF
the canyon I judged to be fully two
wooded with patches of fine verdure,
while under US were over-hanging
cliffs, caves and sheer vertical rocks
hundreds of feet in height, with moth
ing but mesquite and sage at slight
outings of rock, and around us, at the
top, scrub cedar not more than Is feet
high, where under it's shade grew the
brown grass of the plains.
After spending a half hour drinking
in this wonderful panorama we re-
traced our steps to our iron horse and
here let me describe this wonderful
and unique piece of mechanism, the
like of which has not it's equal else
where in the world.
135 900 pounds of weight rests on its
flangless driving wheels, the tires of
which are ten inches wide, and here
take the very sharp curves and yet
have fractional hold fast on the Is
pound rails forming theNroad bed; In all
the rs miles OF this winding upward
climb there Ia moi 800 feet of straight
road, for while the scored sides of the
mountains make it necessary to form
these multitudinous curves, thew are
needed to hold back In part the 300, 900
to 40O. 900 feet of lumber load which
fr0r nj
tain each day to Alsmogordo.
Whom the road is completed 1t will
tap a splendid lumber section, also btu
minous and anthracite coal of q very
fine grade.
In returning we took back with us
over 200. 900 feet of timber, in lengths
of IL to is feet, onl 5 cars, our car be-
ing q caboose, at the rear end, with
seats on the roof from which to view
the whole line OF cars, enabling the
conductor to signal the engineer in
case of falling logs.
Leaving the cars at the lumber camp
we took stage and climbed the Next
can canyon for an hour. The temper
AZURE registered go degrees, and only
los miles from FL Paso, where the
temperature registered 80 degrees.
There is hotel here, a large pavil-
lion, several shacks, or wooden huts,
and street after street named after
animals that haunted this place less
than year ago, lined on one side with
a great number of tents, which lease
for the season beginning in June and
ending about September Goth, at $3.50
per week, and meals at the hotel con-
sisting of soups. fish of all kinds,
game, meats, all kinds of vegetables,
paetry, ice cream. lovely water, coffee
and tea, for one dollar per head.
Why will our tired aud wealthy citi-
zens travel to the effete monarchfes
of Europe to stop at crowded hotels, be
toaded to, for filthy lucre, returning
tired and worn out. when 3 little en-