The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-08-01
seen IN NEW MEXICO.
uiganilc Lava Bed and Remarkable
Tradition Of a Lost City.
THE WONDERS OF THE GREAT TERRITORY
Mountains Whete Gulf Clouds Break and
prec'pitate Their Moisture TO Form
Sources Of Texas Streams.

'lic oscurro mountains, Soccorro countv
tt's territory, | promised to tell Won what
"''s. Interested me, and what / saw that
"ouh interest your readers In this lana
y wonders As | have only Just com
feted my journey of inspection of certain
INTERESTS came to investigate. | will now
fiahli that promise.
Leaving El Paso at a. m. via tbo pl
tnso and Northwestern railway. whose
present terminus is Captain In the upper
tart OF the celebrated Sacramento range
@ mountains, ! arrived at Oscurro. a STA
tipn about i25 miles northeast of El Paso
at D. m. One soon notes that no is
travelling at the base of the western Stone
oil the Sacramento mountains that loom
attve him at varying heights from 5000
{" l4oOO feet above sea level To his left
across the dead level plains some hfteen
miles like silver thread course the ceIe
bretet white sands. that on neoror an
preach are found to be some eight miles
wide and about thirty or forty long These
sands are said to be nearly pure gynsnm.
l. Is hne fertilizer and can be chemical.
~ combined with other substances and
forms an ideal cement. Beyond these on
the west lie the Jarlla san Andres and
f''''' AA"NhAfAihHF dAlulHliE HulIltuuNS or
50Go to 1900 feet above the sea level. the
latter inhgc IS fast being developed into
one OF the richest copper fields in the
United Stotes One can but be amazed
at the vast quantities of high grade and
easily treated copper there is In sight,
all along the eastern base OF the Oseurro
range The Esty Allulng and Milling com.
pahy. who only moved in there about ten
moths ago, has already far under way
large reduction works where , per cent
ore Gun be prontabiy treated. Water
Mdiie scarce Tor manlng purposes (thc new
ieechlIs process can he employed IN this
prs pc sitonj, can be had, IL being mercy
a question oil little mere or less eX
pehdlture, as 1t underlles the immense
pains lelcrted TO lnaU is about four niles
oisiar@ Ium the Esty and other Chains
IN Inc ntisnDorhoou; 44OUO worth OF copper
ore was taken from one claim alone Gls
year. WitHout powuer, and with oiily pIiml
dye Methods 10 mine 1t, and after u TWEEN
ty-utc mllC maui By wagon ana 40 miles
by raj, 10 the lei Paso smelter, 1t paid Il
I'M greatest curiosity without doubt in
this Ie,'iiors nfc the "nt.lapals'' or lava
heds. There is a soiidrAed now OF lava
HtCrt siAty miles lOng that aiJOlns the
NDllc snlius anu is about 0ne- hli to three
ni,cs wtde. Inis also COURSES the middle
OF the plain between these Two mountain
HhGes. II Is npsuiuIeiy inipdssnbic Tor
man o. beast save at Two crossing, tue
pesl oil wnich was maze by General Albert
sidney Johnston IN about 1885, Tue ggdn'
It boulders anu SLABS of Jagged lana nave
beeL plleI up and forced in,u all concely-
abis snitpes, weird, fantastic, awe-inspirng,
yet intensely fascinating.
Al or near the source of these lava beds
there rs a lost or bnried city, destroyed, so
tradition relates, by IL III the seventeenth
cCutry: the ancient cathedral stlll stands
noarDs, soleinn solitary, tennHess save
idf some Thousand gunnlng skulls that
ueCOrale Its alCOVeS and alsics.
(, Il rom whatever point YOU stand for
hundled miles you see LIE clear outlines
through tnis atmosphere OF the celebrated
M4iuef lnouutaln. fiiis Is about the CEN
tra' peas OF une Sacramento range, ana IL
Is situated about dozen miles south OF
III I apitan, the present terminus Of the
IA Paso aud Northwestern railway aud
about forty miles north OF tnis city and
Globdcrolt. TAVre are thousands OF acres
OF perpetual snow In Its northern gorges
aiil there are large glaciers In lnan also.
iIlRre are immense Forests or the finest
iirc spruce. silver tipped hT, cedar anu
cther trees, covering las glddy heights ana
springs and sparkling streams on ali sides
Cf e. especially on It's eastern slopt.
tame anu fruit abound all over II. Inc
hnest apples, peaches anu apflcots are
lafsed IN luxuriant profusiOn ON me Bon
ita Rio Dosa and scores OF otner streams
that gush from its Sides.
Glance at the map AND you viii mote,
Us i, hut natural, that the regular heavy
sun me, rains OF these mountnins and
.etelnnl SHOWS has scanned their sides and
tar upon the eastern table lands OF New
Mexico and Texas with a Thousand streams
The clouds we people or the southwest
sl,lorgingly watcn for days. weeks, months
and ever years as they 1oat hish aoqNe
as and to the northwest, at lust strike
these hign, cold attitudes and preeipitauhs
thelS gull-laden moisture, produce these
immense grand forests. tnat IN turn pro
fta,t The moist leaf mould ana spungy sph,
Willie II dlstllls Its leg contents into thou
sanus of springs and mountain streams
that supply that vast watershed OF texas.
the Stakrd Plains.
water that underlies that immense ram
less area. the reservoir that supphes ~
reC;ly or Indirectly every stream II leAas
from the BraZos TO the Pcces. Here y
tilr secret without doubt The Mescalere
Apnches have been given tue heaft or my
int,d country In these mountains, lheluuns
Iegrly all of the White mountMbA IL
such a fertile Eden, II Is no wonder theg
do llittle else but draw ratlunS, Datgi5
linz their luXuIiant fields anu ofchllNt
Already the gleSsd .ho lg lG,r pSrilns Of
fhe range around Cloud Croft auout
'one-sixth of all accessible timber ~
precious little Is inaCcessiple 20 llpu NIUE F"
means OF penetrating heights anu goiscsl,
are trying to induce the government ~
.dlsposscss the Indians, and lay their sac
riieeious hands on this Immense Iorest
reserve the last of its KIND south anu
east OF the Rockies. II they succeed II
yyill NOT be tweuty-n five years before tncse
stipefb mountains viii be stripped as
tney are FAST stripping the range about
cloud Croft and the winl Will SUCK ny
the rainfall the mountain torrents VII
sweep on the spongy coverings ana Jay
bare the native rocks, The springs anu
streams will 70 dry, &e streams OF
Nest Texas will cease to flow. Tor their
great reservoir will no longer nave a
Steady supply from these projected soarc'
es and the man Is living VINO WI see
the whole c.linatoiogy Of West NoIln'
west Southwest Texas ul9aslrpusl5
changed. Ali the drouihs combined we
have ever had will rot equal the losses
Thar wopld ensne in comparatively a
snort while If this destruction OF these
Immense forests takes place.
Now what are you and yOgr people
going to do about tit Talk won't Stop
the desperate energy and JeterminatlpA
III these Immense lumber companies.
Their business is TOO profitable ana tue.
are dead On 10 tseir job, II you VIII
hermit the forcibic, but inelegant lan-
sauae OF the street. TweEs years u.s. she
neriod estimated when lacy VIII nave
taken the last carload Of accessible timber
III for lumber oct OF this part % the range.
propose unit-k Intelligent presehla'
n0u OF the facts 10 the SECRETARY of lhs
Inferior mud agriculture, through our dele
s-aflon and other citizens who Will nat
nrniiv have weight with the admiIhstra-
fion 4 further suggest that every foot
~ the Sacramento that yet belongs 20
tht government Including the Indian res
eIvatlon. be designated for public ma
fionai park II abounds IN bear elk.
Rocky. MounfaiLs sheep, deer, turkey, hsn,
etc It Is the nnest climate, summer ana