Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-08-02
OUR TRAVELLERS
Seeking Wealth and Health, "a Spring
and q Gold Mine" In the West.
ALMAGoRDo, New Mex, !
July %, 1900. {


DEAR FRIENDS: 1t is by your
request and the kindness of the
editor that this letter finds its way
into print. Only few days has
passed since wo said good bye and
boarded the train at Marion depot
and started in search of better
country and for 1853 miles through
the rich and fertile valleys, across
the barren plains and sandy des-
erts, up through the clouds and
over the mountains, we eagerly
waited to reach this, our future
imaginary home, the land of health
where the people never grow wea-
ny and where the government gives
every mothers son that comes here
100 acres of land with a gold mine
on one end and big spring on the
other.
We entered the great State of
Texas at TeXarkana and for a dis
lance of more than 800 miles on a
direct line we viewed the different
lands of the lone star State. Some
of the black lands are as fertile as
any in the world, but they are not
so healthy as the plains. We had
the pleasure of partaking of the
inequalities of our kinsman, Mr..
w. A. Dean and wife, at Detroit,
Tex, and DIR. Il. l.. Dean and
daughters at Barstow, Tex, stop
ping over one night with each ia
mily for a rest and social chat.
| have seen and heard so much
that | could not tell it all in a let
ter. Some of them would cause
the sides of the most melancholy
to shake with laughter, while 9TH
ers would bring tears into the eyes
of stone men.
Our first stop of note was at Ell
paso. This city has a population
of $4,000: the climatic conditions
all conspire to make this city an
ideal health resort. It's altitude is
about $500 feet above sea level,
the latitude and altitude combined
give a mild winter climate, cy-
clones, sunstrokes and blizzards
are unknown, the nights are al
ways cool in summer, and good
breeze seems to blow all the time.
We crossed the Rio Grande on a
street car and for the first time in
life found ourself outside of the
United States and in the quaint
old city of Juarez, Mexico. The
city is situated in the valley of the
Rio Grande directly opposite Ell
paso, Tex, and has a population of
10000. The first settlement of the
place by Spaniards was made $50
years ago, at which time the
church of Guadalupe was erect
ed. This ancient adobe structure,
with its hard covered mahogany
altar and other wood work still
stands we'll preserved and is used
as a public place of worship. This
old church was the most interest
ing place we visited in the city of
Juarez. At the entrance to the
church the poor would kneel and
beg most pitifully for aims, while
others would enter and go through
their form of worship. Here in
this city Mexican money, costumes
customs and Spanish language
prevail, and the visitor from the
United States finds himself in the
midst of a foreign civilization.
They will gladly give us two of
their dollars for one of ours. l
an article marked 1925
Mexican or 81 .25 American. Their
long blocks of wall like appear
ance plastered on the outside and
white coated. An adobe is nodded |
something like our brick and is
made here from the natural soil, |
mixed with the straw and decom-
posed matter from the stables. |
They are nodded just about twice
as long and twice as thick as our
brick and are then ricked up to |
dry, and then rough wall is built
and plastered on both sides, max
ing a very nice and comfortable
building, but all the poor people
leave off the plaster and this leaves
them very dirty looking house..
The poorer classes of Mexican