The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-10-08

In the hot cloudless desert where this plant grows
one may find considerable supply of pure by
cutting off the top and making bowl-shaped cavity
In the pulp.
the heart goes out to the poor Regulars
who had to chase the scoundrelly murder
ers for days, weeks and months over these
burning. arid. treeless, CRASHES wastes.
They certainly earned their S13 month
every minute of the day. An occasional
Indian is seen at the statiOns-squat, low
brOwed. dark as walnut juice, eyes close
shut, squirting and sinister. He looks a
fitting companion for the rattlesnakes.
horned tOads, and ella monsters. which in
habit the country, and likely to relish q
home amid the thorny cacti, the steel
bladed Spanish bayonet, and the corrosive
weeds. Occasionally there is an old squaw
looking as if badly carved out of some
rough dry wood. She has on her back a
load of gnarled mesquite roots, which she
has dug up for wood. Her face is even
harder, more repellent and sinister than
those of the old bucks. She looks as if
she would enjoy tOrturing n prisoner-cut-
ting off bits of his flesh with q dull knife,
while he roasted by slow fire. They say
they have babies, and lots of them. But
/ did not see any, and find it difficult to
understand how a baby could be born in
that lone lorn land, or these creatures
could ever have been young sportive kids.
DUNE MEN MAhlNG A GOOD LIVING.
Yet at every few miles are stations, with.
neat frame buildings, well painted, with
the inevitable China-berry trees, making
a brave attempt at some shade. There
are ample cattle pens around, showing
that there must be something in the coun-
try to support very considerable animal
life, and the men who appear at the sta
tons are vigorous, alert and capable young
men, who are evidently engaged in some,
thing which brings them enough for proper
support. They are well dressed for their
life out there. Their clothes. while coarse
and strong, are well fitting and in good
order, nothing of the slouchiness, patches
and rags of the men of even mnch more
favored regions further east. Those who
from time to time board the train at the
stations are persons who feel confidence
in themselves. and are proud of their coun-
try. They will admit that it is n little dry
and that vegetation is not abundant, but
all the same at is a glorious country" and
they would not live in any other. Some of
them are cattle ranchers, and have min
ing interests. Others are engaged in rails
ing hay and grain for the mining camps,
on some favored GASES where irrigation is
possible. Some are operating and supern-
tending mines. Some are merchants and
travelling men selling machinery and min
ing supplies. All are well-dressed and pros
ptlouS- anu an are over
Arizona or New Mexico, whichever they
may be from. There is no talk of going
back East when they have made their
piles. No whining about climate, soil.
people, or political conditions. Everything
is all right or they are making it So and
they have cast their lot there. / did not
hear a man speak about going East ex-
cept on some visit forced by business. If
that climate can not grow much else, it
certainly developes men. 1t is worth while
going out there from the atmosphere of
petty, sordid self-secking in Washington.
where mems minds are budgets of small
selfishness as to personal comforts and
little ambitions. 1t is like going into the
fresh open air from an over-heated, close
hall, to meet these men. whose minds
broaden from their limitless horizon, and
catch inspiration of strength from their
eternal mountain peaks. They are selfish,
but i'll a grand way-to accomplish some
thing great, and build up their country.
OF course they are enthusiastic for State
hood.
oUTsPoKEN CALIFoRNIANs.
Californians begin to board the train
and whenever you fnd Californian, you
have q vigorous, frank, unconquerable
trumpeter that the choicest place on Gods
footstool is California, and everything that
man wants or can wish for is found there
better, finer and easier obtained than any
place else upon which the sun shines. This
seems to be in the air of California, and
they are all infected with it. One can not
mention anything, from n sirloin steak to
lyric poetry, but the Californians assert
vehemently that it is better in California
than any place else in the world. There
| are better fruits and more of them, more
luscious tasting and freer from cores and
seeds. There is the tallest timber, richest
fo f,,l
en-, more honorable, brave upright men,
handsomer babies, sweeter girls, fatter cat.
tie, iner-wooled sheep, better wheat and
corn, louder thunder, sharper lightning,
brighter stars and fuller moon in Cali
fornia than can possibly be found by the
sun anywhere else as the earth revolves
under his rays.
Which reminds me of an old story.
ANY timber out in Californian was
asked one of the evangelists of the States
greatness.
'Timber?" was the scornful answer;
you do not know what timber is any
where else than in California Out in the
part Of the State in which live there are