El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-23

( Notwithstanding the late rains. TWO
| miles below the crossing. at the LETT
| bank. there is a settlement OF Germans.
at Dermis. Here. as at Vandenburg.
| great inconvenience arises from he
want of water; and while we were en-
camped on the banks the people mad 10
drive all of their cattle two miles to a
| pond found in the bed of the stream.
| This has been selected as a site for a
| military post; and on our return we
| POUNDS tationed here two companies.
one of dragons and n of infantry
the distance from Vandenburg, 12-IS
miles; distance from San Antonio. 55.31
miles.
From the Seco the country is d
iating in appearance for several miles,
and then opens out into a level prairie.
! which continues to Ranchero creek
distancef rom the Seco, S.3S miles
Four miles further is the Sabinal-a
clear. cool, delightful, running stream.
with banks bordered with large trees.
suitable for building purposes. Leav-
ing the Sabinal. the country is more
rolling and diversified; the growth of
small mezquite bushes begins to take
the place of h open prairie. With but
little change. the road continues its
westerly course across the Comanche
creek. and thence to the Rio Frio. 1887
miles. We found in the Rio Frio no
running water. Its banks are high.
presenting in places a wall of limestone
of considerable height; and evidences
of it's being swollen to a stream of large
size. at times, were visible. Its bed is
| covered with well attritioned limestone
andi is edges are bordered in many
' places with oaks or large growth. Thus
far the Oad yer which We had trav-
eled is known as Wool's of the Preside
J r-oad onI 0vtandc RI tho Pin Granda
But at the crossing of the Rio Frio
: the road to Ell Paso leave it. and COM
menceS its course over the hitherto I'M
trodden prairie. Bearing q more nor
therly course, it strikes the head waters
of the LeOna above the site of the mil
itary post.
The Leona-a clear. cool. and beau
tifuI stream-has its source in this
neighborhood. and forms, in the course
of a few miles, a creek some fifty feet
wide. flowing through a dense forest.
on either side a quarter of a mile in
width. The lands on this stream will
vie in fertility witha ny portion of Tex
as: n the abundance of timber scat
tered Over the Whole extent of the MI
eces adds much to its value. No part
of the state offers greater inducements
to the agriculturist. and as a grazing
country il is u~nrivaled. Indeed the
I'LL may NC Sdlo " IhS wiiolc cAtcIl
of country from San Antonio. to the
Nueces. The post is located on the left
bank. above the Preside crossing. neal
a rocky conical hill or mound. 1t is a
beautiful ST tefor a military station.
shaded as it is from the scorching rays
of the summers sun by a dense foliage.
n forest hat renders it cool in
summer shielding it from "northers" in
the winter.
From hoxo I ia,,f C0I r T. Inhp.tor
n Lieut.. w. F. Smith. Typographical
Engineers, n party, with a small
train of wagons. proceeded in advance.
to commence their explorations of the
country. and the opening of a Dad The
recruits having Joined the battalion.
the whole expedition moved to the MI
eces on the 18th. At the point where
the o strikes the river. it flows
through a sandy bottom land, nearly a
half mile in width. covered with large
trees.
We u the Nueces g. at that seas
on. a clear stream. running over a bed
oil white stones and pebbles, and afford
ing a volume of water forty feet in
width. and abouto ne and a half feet
in depth, thought it shows signs of hav-
ing been at times a large river. forcing
its course far above it's present bed
large quantities OF rocks. rounded by
the action of the current.
The grazing on the left bank is good:
distance from the Leona, nine miles.
Below the crossing a short distance.
bituminOus bal IS said to be found in
| great abundance. Passing the Nueces,
the general features of the country be-
gin to change. and it becomes slightly
billy At irregular intervals. the hills
Use on the left to considerable eleva-
ton The rich loamy soil is found only
in the valleys. Limestone rocks make
their appearance on the surface, and
the hills are stony and barren. This
continues about ten miles to Turkey
creek. The valley at the head of this
stream is of large extent and fertile.
and covered with a large growth of
meZquite trees. The banks of the creek
are bordered with post and live oak.
The grazing is fine and abundant. AT
this place. owing to heavy rains. the
command was stopped nine days. The