The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1900-05-24
A RIDE FULL OF SURPRISES.
The Cloud Climbing Route Finest
Scenic Line in the Rocky
Mountains.
SUBLIME GRANDEUR OF MOUNTAINS.
Pen and Brush Would Fail in Attempts
to Picture the Resplendent
Glories Of these Noun
tain Tops.

A recent issue Of The Modern Travel.
er contained the following article about
Alamogordo and Cloudcroft:
After leaving the Texas 4 Pacific
road at FL Paso, the journey to Cloud
croft is accomplished by taking the FL
PaSo Il Northeastern railway to Alamo
gordo, at the foot Of the mountains, and
the A. & $. NJ. road, or the CLOUD Climb
ing Route to the summit. Alamogordo
will be found beautiful village COM
manding grand views Of the mountains
and plains; although quite young, yet
equipped with electric lights. water
works, sewerage fine streets well water
ed, and having perfect climate in the
winter months.
The climb to Cloudcroft may be re-
garded one of the finest scenic routes
in all the Rockies; is "A ride full OF sur
prises, and one never to be forgotten
This "Cloud Climbing Route" rises
thirty-seyen hundred feet in siXteen
miles; is a marvellous feat of engineer
ing; swaying, zigzag, circuitouS wind
ings up the mountain sides, disclosing
wonderful scenes in the great panorama
of Nature; four lines of track may be
seen at the same time. The trains pro-
vide observation cars, which add great
ly to the pleasure of passengers making
the ascent.
CIoudcroft itself comprises two thous-
and acres of primeyal forest upon the
very top of these great Sacramento up
hcavals, an ideal spot for recreation and
and recuperation regarded the
best atmosphere in the country
| for weak lungs and debildated sys
tens. Already plans have been formu-
I lated GNE conducting summer Chautau-
on the top of these mountains.
ring the last season a teachers in
itute was held, including a school of
methods for the benefit OF teachers,
(which was largely attended. 1t is de-
signed to continue this Chautauqua and
|
! The whole Sacramento mountain re-
gion seems one of enchantment. The
mother likes this mountain life because
it rests her. The fresh breezeS, the
| freedom from conventiOnalties, make
the DAYS in ClOudcroft her rest and Joy
This is great holiday place for the
children. Here are caves to be explored,
wreaths and crowns to be made bugs
and birds and beasts to watch, and
pages of Natures great fairy book to
read aud enjoy Here are sermons in
the stones and books in running brooks
The youth also likes this out door acti v
| itY, the endless adventure of the forest
with rod aud gun, and the freedom from
the hundred petty ills Of city life, And
the young woman likes this world of
mountain top, for here she may find
beauty in the leafs green, the dead
leafs brown, In the MONDAY clouds and
the sunset skies, in the softness of the
squirrels coat and the fash OF birds
wing. She, and all of us as well, will
grow to greater beauty by filling eyes
and mind with these fairest visions
And more than all, there is something
in the mountain air, the climbing, the
forest life, which peascs the tred-out
business man, the man of years, whose
| life needs this communion with nature
in her visible FORMS to prolong the
| life and fortfy with renewed strength
for the great activities,
o holy calm! O peaceful solitude of
| Cloudcroit! Pen and brush would fail
in attempts to picture the resplendcnt
glorieS of these mountain tops. What
sublime grandeur in these mountain
piles! Great Sentinels Of the ages, how
they have held their stations against
the warfare of the elements and the
ravages Of time, Generations come and
go, but these mountains remain forever
Much has been written about the rapid
growth of the western towns, and the
statements have been usually regarded
as II ''joke" in the steady going easterns
sections Of the country. A few facts
about Alamogordo will afford con-
vncing proof that the ''rapid-growth
stories" are not too visionary, but were
founded on facts.
Alamogordo, eighty-siX miles north
Of I'll Paso, was founded June Z, 1898,
and tho FL Paso & Northeastern rail
way reached there five days later. In
September 1899, when the town was
fifteen months old, school census was
taken, aud there was found 1860 inhab-
itants, and this without the attraction
of gold fields or silver deposits to draw
the crowds.