El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-05-23
ALAMOGORDO

The Beautiful Garden of the Sa-
cramentOs.-Natural Wonders
A Boon to FL paso People.
Special correspondence of the Herald.
ALAMOGORDo, N. M, May 1S.-The
weather the past few days has been
quite warm but not oppressive, the sky
being partly overcast with the forerun
me-s of the approaching rainy season.
There is that balmy softness too in the
south breeze which shows that the
moisture laden currents are beginning
to reach here which so soon will beg
to pile up the white f1eeces over the
pine forests of the SacramentOs as
their cooler air condenses the moisture
of those warm damp south winds, and
soon the rains will iall and the noun
tain gulches will pour their foods upon
the broad thirsty plains below where
the grass fields lie.
WHAT country of seemingly I'M
congenial features this is, and yet, at
ter all, how we'll nature blends those
features and makes them harmo-
nize.
That one can stand at Alamogordo
aud view the Sahara of white sand
stretching away to the westward, yet
turn and face the forests of pine ard
fir, spruce and bAlsam, with their
walnut and aspen, which in turn covers
the ferns and moses. lichens, flowers
and wild raspberries, and that he can
take q horse and visit both in one day
seems almost Incredible.
Then too he may choose to ride
through lnterminable broad Hats OF
mesquite and grease wood, cactus and
bayonet, the home of the coyote and
the abbit, the quail and the chaparral
hn
toughest of mountain trails which
wind among the bold lodges through
clefts and canyons aud crevices, over
bold points and through cedar and
pirOn groves where one encounters the
camp of the prOspector seeking the
ley TO the treasures of the Sacrament
tos which as yet lie mostly hidden.
de may turn his horse to 8 lake
whose edges and bottom are encrusted
with salt; ne may find natural wells
whose water gives three we'll defined
tastes, of salt, sweet and bitter; he msy
90 to q spring whose water is bitter. or
to one whose stain is one of red on the
rocks below; he may visit the Fresnal
| sulphur spring, whose water ID as
strongly impregnsted with sulphur as
ia that of the boiling Pagaso of the up
per San Juan and whose message from
the awful depths is y suggestive one to
the sinner who meditatively sips the
Plutonic draught, or he may turn to
immense springs of natures purest,
coolest water bursting from the noun
tain sides, ripping among the rocks to
the gulches below. sparkling and al
most effervescent.
What a boon the opening of this
country of wonders will prove to the
people of Ell Paso, and what a resting
place to the weary dollar chasers Of
the border city when the heat OF the
summer, the tiresOme rush and whirr
of the wheels of commerce have made
his eyelids heavy.
The same substantial growth contin
ues. The streets a'e strewn with joints
aud valves and hydrants and long
black lines of ten inch watermsins, the
new depot is under roof. the new mill
likewise, and the little bastile of the
new county is nearing completion,
where Captain Curry will forcibly en-
terrain some of the transients where
circumstances will not permit their
taking suites with the genial colonel at
the Hotel Alamogordo.
Chas. Finch of the PAuly Jail Co. has
just been here aud contracted with the
county commissioners to deliver and
set up steel cages in the new jail.
equipped with the most modern AZ
plisnces for security and convenience.
He will also supply the usual stock Of
wrist and ankle jewelry for the use of
the sheriff and his men when their err
ratio customers get gay and bronco.
The first fire of the city occurred
yesterday morning about ten o'clock
when the Pennsylvania house owned
by Mrs. Mckinney was quickly destroy
ed with most of il contents and the ad
joining store building recently coupled
by Mr.. Whitemsn with stock of gen.
eral merchandise, but which since that
gentlemen moved into his new build
ing, has been fitted up for a laundry,
went quickly also. The fire was well
fought and confined to that one spot
though at times other buildings seem
ed doomed also.
The basket sociable at the Baptist
church last evening was a success both
financially and socially. In addition
to the refreshment served the local or
chestra and Prof. Williams of the FL
PasO Piano Co, rendered a musical
program we'll worth attending.
OF course you are coming up to the
Chatsuqua at the sky ward end of the
''Cloud Climbing Route" and are in
tending to spend few weeks OF the
summer among the tall pines at Cloud
croft. Fl. w. l..