Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-06-19
THE JORNADA WELL.
JOHN MARTINS LONG STRUGGLE TO
FIND WATER ON THE ARID PLAIN.


of to the east?" said an old-time New
Mexican to a New York tourist. lac
two were occupying the same seat In
the Atchison train rolling southwark
over the Tornado del Muerto and had
struck up friendly acquaintance to.
gether. THAT is Martins well. The
Mexicans called it Aleman, the word
for German in their tongue. Martin
was German who came to New Mex
leo in early days when the Jcrnada had
the worst name Of any Travelled re-
gion in the Territory, and deserved it.
The trail from Santa Fe to Ell Paso
crossed 1t, and the trip over this plain
meant a seventy-mile stretch without
water except the chance Of
finding pool in the time
OF the summer rains. At all
other seasons the plain was arid.
Travellers undertaking to cross 1t gave
their horses all the water they wanted
at starting, drank all they could them
selves, filled their water bottles, said
their prayers then If they ever did,
and rode upon the plain with their
lives In their hands. There could be
no delay with safety, for, with the best
luck, thirst was expressing them when
at last the trail came down among the
cottonwOods that border the Rio
Grande and man and beast could drink
their fill from the muddy current.
Bands of Apaches swept the plain and
lay ambush for travellers by the river
bank at either end Of the Tornado
trail, and 1t Is little wonder that the
crossing Of 1t should be dreaded and
that 1t should receive the name it
bears, the Journey Of Death
Martin was an original character,
with lots Of push and sand. After
crossing the tornado a number of
times with wagon trains he made up
his mind that water could be found by
digging at a point about midway across
it, and made his arrangements to sink
well there. He began with the rainy
season, and with force of dlggers and
blasters set to work In earnest. The
Tornado rests on a foundation Of hard
volcanic rock, and after digging down
a short distance he had to use powder
all the rest of the time. 1t was a slow,
expensive and dangerous piece of BUSH
ness. The men had to receive high
wages to risk their lives in such
place, all supplies had to be brought
fifty miles from Mesilla, and every
spoonful of water used was hauled in
barrels from pools left by the rains in
hollows of the prairie. But Martin
kept the work going through the rainy
season and after until, one by one, the
pools dried up, and 1t became very
difficult to provide his crew with wa
ter. Still no sign of water could be
found in the we'll as the men worked
slowly downward through the rock.
"The end came one day when Martin
rode in from Mesilla and looked down
into the hole where the men were drill
ing in the solid rock.
/" Work till noon, boys he called
Gown to them. When you come up to
dinner bring your tools with you. We
pack our wagons and start for Mesilla
this afternoon
"'Shall we load up the holes we're
putting In and try one more blast?
asked the foreman.
>, we'll waste one more round
of powder on the thing answered Mar
tin, and turning his back, walked away
to think over by himself what a fool
he had been to invest everything he
had in an undertaking that all his
friends had told him was bound to fail.
1.-THE men filled and tamped the
holes, and at noon came up out of the
well, the last man staying behind long
enough to light the fuses. The blast
went off while they were seating them
selves at dinner. The meal eaten,
while some Of the men helped to bring
In and harness the mules, and others
began to pack the wagons, one man
sauntered over to the well hole and
looked down to see what the last blast
had done. He yelled as II Indians
we're in sight, and the men came run
ming to see what he had found. The
we'll was half full Of water and the
water was still rising. The last blast
had opened the rock down to the wa
ter vein, and Martins fortune was
made.
"All the great wagon traffic and the
stages over the Tornado had to pay him
toll, and his well was mine of wealth
to him. The charge per horse or OK
for watering was rs cents, and with
the long wagon trains constantly
crossing the desert, the profits counted
up fast. One class Of travellers, the
Apaches, never paid toll to Martin.
They would come to the we'll, usually
by night, water their horses, and ride
away, never molesting the people in