The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-08-19
TEXAS "ROOF GARDEN. !"
CloudcrOit Is Visited by Numerous People
from This Stale.
DESCRIPTION or THE JOURNEY THIIHtR
scenery IL Described az BcinE SUR
pnssingIy Bcautifui--some of the
Points of interest.
Especial correspondence to the post.)

Of Eastern Texas are sweltering under
the heat of sun that pushes the mer-
curry UP 10 30 aud 100 degrees. Cloud-
croft eagerly seeks the immense 6re-
places of the pavilion sitting rooms
each night. and crawl in the morning
from beneath blankets aud two pairs Of
quilts. and dress by roaring fires Will
the tents are warming This, too, des-
uite the fact that the Cloudcroft region
is considered the most favored local ty
OF glosious sunrises, Transparent blue
skies and gorgeous sunsets.
Quite number OF Dallas, Houston aud
San Antonio visitors put IN their APP
pearance here last week. aud they prcdict
that the low excursion rates adopted b.
the railways will have the eject OF bring
ing a great many more. even though it Is
generally conceded that the summer sea
son IS hognnig to wane and that nearly
all who Intended TO take vacations have
already graCned that desire
Cloudcroft region Is veritahle garden
OF ungarnerod hues for the scientific.
poetic and speculative mind,
From III Paso to Alnmogordo the re-
gon traversed resembles the brown plain
country OF Western TcXasa nat unpro-
ductivo and checrless waste, cut b. o.
casional waterways, which only furnish
sufficient moisture TO insure crop chltl-
walton on narrow strips Of land.
Alamogordo gives striking example
OF the possibilities In western town build
ing. when capital, backed by energy and
pluck, determines to succeed. The pla 9
was founded juno Z, 1928, and nov las
5000 population, the county seat, two saw
mills, each with capacity for manulaH"
turing 100000 feet OF lumber per day
railway shops. general offices OF the ri
Paso and Northeastern and Ahmogordo
and Sacramento Mountain railways, box
factory, planting mills National bank a
park ono mile long, four churches, three
newspapers, an Ice factory 10000 shaIe
trees. electric light system, water sys
tom, presidential class p0stoftlce. $lj,OtO
public school building, public library, con-
mercial club, womcn's club and an aRgre-
cation OF fine residences and brick store
buildings that would be O credit to any
city The Lincol1 Baptis, association has
evlnced desire to emulate the example
80 successfully set in various Texas cit
les, and has begun the construction OF a
! 800, 600 college there. II Is estimated that
the payrools of the mills and railways
| dqNribube from $4,000 to $4,000 per
month in Alamogordo.
| On leaving this active frontier town,
the steel trail to the heavens leads the
passenger through mountainous country,
| picturesque beyond compare. Nesting
| close to tho overhangng layers OF tower
ing rock creations are pretty little MeSi-
! can hamlets, the adobe walls OF the
! houses being sheltered by great cotton
woods, single trees of which afford from
! nifty to seventy-nve feet OF shade.
stretches OF fruit laden orchards and mel
] Ilnuanf rfapadnwa avtand from fhA oun n
old towns far into the canyons OF Tho
mountains, furnishing picture of pas
| toral quiet charming TO behold
| II II said that engineers pronounce the
! "cloud climbing route" the triumph OF
| Nineteenth century standard guage rail-
way building A succession OF sinuouS
wndings exceeding 30 degrees curvature
and Of grades varying from to IL per
cent are tho chief physical characteris-
ties OF the road At times the engineer
seems to tower above the passenger
coaches, and the phenomenal loops and
curves makes 1t possible FOR one to ex-
anime from tho renr car the minutest de-
( tails OF the mechanism In the engine cab.
Cautiously climbing along the rock
/ bound canyon Sides spanning dizzy ra-
Eings, over fling trcssled conceptions
OF the road builders brain Ia less than
| fourteen miles the train reaches an elc-
vatlon OF $500 feet from which point
the scenery comprises some OF the most
beautiful effects Of desert expanse, valley
vordure and mountain ruggedness. The
range OF vision extends TO the west,
north and south from nfty to go ME,
embracing suow-clad mountain peaks.
/ orotudlng from a wilderness OF pine and
| fir, ragged volcanic upheavals, nankcd by
I black lava beds and white desert sands,
ana brown plains. strewn with the sill
| very threads Of water courses. From
the elevated points of vantage along the
| route Is seen Sierra Blnnce mountain, the
! Pixies Peak OF Ney Mexico. 900 feet higher
! than the Pixies Peak OF Colorado, rs
bald or snoy crowned crest maiestioaly
rising from a eiump Of smaller noun
tains, which look like sand domes, In
comparison. AZ intervals the world ia
mous White Sands desert, vast bed Of
pnow white graduated gypsum, from
| forty 10 nifty miles in length By ten 70
twenty miles In width, can be dscorned,
its tossing ever shifting and billowy sur
face needing but the tall Tnasts and broad
hulk OF a ship to complete an oceAanie
| Illusion.
The kodak enthusiast invariably reaps
harvest OF rare pictorial gems along the
route. The Hazel Kirk" mill, built In the
early sixties as community affair ltne
community embracing several hundred
miles sreal. Is never overlooked A broad
/ sheet OF water emanating from an acequa
flowing along the oinyon side near the top
! Of the mill. splashes down on the ragSed
! fry colors into the cooling stream below.
water sparkling and rejecting all OF the
hues OF nature gives the appearance OF u
beautiful rainbow ground out by the
wheels OF the old mill and dripping US
adobe walls. and the pretty globules o.
The mouth OF Canon Cajon, an impossible
preclpiious cleft In the rocks, its bottom
never having witnessed the SUMS rays
co, cred with the mold and moss Of count
less ages and its sides notified with the
dark openings OF caves containing under
ground lakes and maryeis unexplored, Il
another object for the photographer. spior
Kop. from which can be obtained u supert
geographical may OF the road. Bridal Vel
Falls, the Switch Back, Reverse Curve
Bridge and Scenic Point arc localities
which are considered the 'stock' scenic
attractions for the cursory visitor and ko.
daker. From the latter place one can see
distance OF $50 miles, objects on ths
White Sands desert and Tularoea valley
one mile vertically below, being distinct,
Visible.
While Cloudcroft Is only twenty-ai'
miles from Alamogordo, the attitudes o
the two places are 5000 and 1920 feet ahov,
sea level respectively hence II viii b
noted that the railway climbs almost ons