The Alamogordo news. (Alamogordo, N.M.) 1899-1912, 1900-07-26
THE TRIP 70. CLOUDCROFT,
As Experienced by a Texas Jour
nalist, Who Wakes Eloquent
Over the Grand Scenery,
WONDERS OF THE FAMOUS ROUTE.
No Grander Scenery nor More Wonderful
Feat Of Railroad Mountain Climb
ing Can Be Found in
ANY Land.

or course yen know, that is, you
should know, that during the ultimO
there was wholesale excursion frOrJ
all East Texas, and the more anciently
discovered districts of Arkansaw, to Ell
Paso. Well, nearly everybody VINO
loved roughness and novelty planked
down six dollars for ride $500 miles
long and no telling how wide and deep.
Considering the cubic dimensions of the
good time | enjoyed | just feel like !
had stole 2499 mile ride in an unvar-
nished pig sleeper. 1t was suggested
that 60 on the trip and write up all |
saw. but found, while In conversation
with some of the party, that "alf' would
be unpopular in print. so | will abridge
along some lines just for the sake of
harmony, etc, etc, and so | may be ad-
missible to such frolics in the future.
There was just about a car load of
dignitarianes and ignitarianesses from
Greenvile entrusted to the Texas Mid
land for starter on voyage which at
last seemed almost endless to some of
the milder and feebler ones, and the
way the Midland hastily delivered its
sacred cargo to its successor made many
remark that they wished the Midland
went all the way. But, as you know,
every rose has a thorn; this ride was too
good to go on to eternity, even had our
"Saratogas" been checked through.
Still we could not kick at the Central
(even If we had the Central would not
care) as 1t was taxed far beyond its ca
pacity and expectation. 1t really look
ed as though everybody had borrowed
SIX dollars for the occasion. However,
finally something less than fifty thous-
and of us, including Jim Mann and my
self, were dumped in Houston sometime
in the night, and change of cars,
clothing and scenery was ordered, or
something of the kind. As usual we
we're hungry, thirsty, dusty, tired and
good looking, but we did not allow such
trifing misfortunes to obiterate our
smiles or interfere with journey just
begun. Before us lay track nearly a
thousand miles long, and journey of
forty-tive hours. Some proceeded on to
San Antonio to spend day and night
in the famous Alamo city, while others
went down to Galveston to get their an
nual bath. In either instance good
deed was done; but when the wheels be-
gan to roll westward from Santone all
rests, lay.Overs, etc, were off. 1t was a
long, hard pull toward the end of time
western time) No let-up, no change
of cars, no kicking. The train was di-
vided into six sections, each from four
teen to twenty cars long, owing to the
weight and Importance of the passen-
gers. / was right in the center of the
first section and in the middle of good
time--in fact l would not have given a
care had that same train went on for
ever and forever. | found that our
crowd could ride as fast as the wheels
could turn, and that lullaby song of
the rails, click -a-te-click, click-a-te-
click, lost its sound to me; 1t went on of
of course, but it was useless, so far as |
was concerned, for it failed to CRATE on
my nerves and conscience when | got
tangled up in gplches, gorges, canyons,
mountains and the plains OF that famous
Devils River country. You talk about
Colorado, Yellow Stone Park, Switzer-
land, Halifax and all other seapOrts,
but l will wager my best girls favorte
ring that there Is not country on earth
where you can just skip right along
through and see so many miles and so
many pleasant and unusual sights as
fall in view out ON the divides east and
west of the Pecos river. While you are
twisting in and around, under and on
top of mountains, just south of you sew
enty-iva miles you see another range OF
mountains on the Mexican side of the
Rio Grande, and on further south
through the dim mists and behind the
veil Of space, one hundred and ninety
miles away you see the lofty SUBMITS OF
the third chain OF sky-scrapers wear
ing the silver crown Of snow Mexico |.
u "free silver country and everything
from the burro to the mountain has a
crown OF silver. Not alone was the faI
away scenery grand and sublime, but
here we stopned on the famous Peco'
River Bridge, a .aagniiicent structure o.
steel which cost the Southern Pacific
Railway company S1,OoO,O 900. From thu
water line to the railroad tracks there Il
distance Of 393 feet, making this th,
second highest bridge In the world-an'
1t is right here In grand old Texas
Could we have cashed all that exquislt
scenery and turned the proceeds Int
sandwiches Homer st. John, our oil
Denlson friend, and DIR. McCrumb 0