Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-07-15
THE BLAKE RANCH.

NEWSPAPER MAN DELIGHTED
WITH THE COUNTRY or THE
UPPER sAPELLo.
Great u~ndevelopsd Mineral Wealth in
The Mighty Green Hills.
Mr.. Editor: Have you eve visited
Fern Leaf ranch, NOR generally
known ~ Blake's Resort? II not,
then have you missed one OF the
pleasures Of Q life time. 1t Is sltuat-
ed In the upper Sapello valley, just
below the junction Of Johns Fork
md the main fork Of the Sapello, and
J few miles distant from the east side
Of the Las Vegas range, whence
these streams have their origin. 1t is
Also about two miles above Beulah
postofhce and about 30 miles north
west from Las Vegas. II Is reached
from this city by an excellent road
winding through valleys rich with
cattle and with the present prospect
Of an abundant harvest. After pass.
Ing such well known places as J. Y.
Lujan's, Theo. Hainlen's and y. l..
Barker's, one finds himself at Blake's
in q narrow but verdant valley, at a
height OF some 5000 feet above sea
level, with mountains towering fully
1.600 feet higher ON either hand.
while within 80 feet OF the front door
dashes by the Eap0llo, q bold noun
tain stream which never runs
dry. because fed by innumerable and
never varying mountain springs.
Col. r. A. Blake Is q model host.
Il you want to talk, he will discuss
with you politics. history or religion.
II you want to listen, he win regale
Ing "reminiscences from his personal
experience In the civil war, or In In
dian hghting upon the border OF Iowa
md IN tho monntains at .Aew M~~iess,
But ehouid~you desire to read, the col
onel betakes himself to his own af-
fairs. and gives you the beneft OF
your own company 80 long Al you
may desire It. Within three steps
Of the side entrance to the house,
there bursts from the mountain side
Z spring Of medicinal water, cold as
ice and unvarying In flow. pleasant
to the taste but most effective In
liver and kidney troubles. The air
u magnificent. the scenery unsurpass-
ed; the whispering Of the winds In i
the pines Is delicious. and the singing
Of the Sapello ~ II dashes over falls
and down cascades In It's rush for
lower levels Of the valley, Is q song
Of which the ear never grows weary. |
For the over-worked In body or mind.
this writer knows Of no place giving
moro restful days and sleepful nights
than this same Fern Leaf ranch.
Here, vegetable life Ii most lux
urlous. The mountain sides and the
intervening valley are 80 thick-set
With pine, spruce and aspen that one
0nds II dihhcule to make
way through them even on
foot; while the little river Ia
bordered, and often beyond the wa
ter's edge, by the Russian black will
low. the abundant foliage OF which
hides from view the tumb-
ling but placid stream. Flowers are
In number and astonish-
ingly varied In variety of species
and In multiplicity Of shades Of col
o.. One Is surprised Il find many a
floral favorite, never before seen ex-
cept In costly green house or care
FULLY cared for garden. Animal life
10 not so ~riotous. except in the insect
department. Il Is. however. through
The latter that this section has be-
world famous. by reason OF the
Investigations OF Professor and Mrs.
d. A. Cockerell, recently OF the
New Mexico Normal University. and
u DR.. Henry skinner. Of Philadel
,hia, secretary OF the American Bio
ogical Society. all Of whom found in
he upper Sapcllo valley a number
new species in this interesting !
department. Of animal life. In fact. |
D.. Skinner, after spending several
weeks 1t the Fern Leaf Ranch. return.
ID east and published a small work !
n insect Life in the Beulah, N. NJ.
District"
But this same section bids fair 10 !
'ecome more famous from ! practical
standpoint Two miles west from
3Iake's near the fountain springs OF !
he 6apelIo. . remarkable mineral !