Evening star., 1905-07-30

have done wonders for the coming genera
tion. and that the ratio of filiteracy which
has been so high in New Mexico, Is rapidly
decreasing as the older people die and the
younger ones enter the schools. There has
been great change in the language. Near
ly all Of the young people in the territory
can speak English. while in the cities Span
ish is seldom heard nowadays, whereas only
a few years ago ii was the common Ian
guage of trade. There has been similar
change in the customs of the people and in
their dress. Sombreros getting very
scarce. and the girls wearing hats in
stead of the black shaws which their moth
ers invariably wore over their heads. The
ancient marriage and funeral customs are
being abandoned; the family life of the
natives is gradually being adjusted to the
Yankee plan: modern furniture is being in
troduced into the houses; the Mexican
oven is disappearing and cooking stoves
and ranges taking its place. Boards are
being laid over the dirt floors of the houses
and matched roofs are being replaced by
shingles
A lady told me the other night that at the
graduating exercises at the Catholic con-
vent In this city, which were celebrated
few days ago. not word of Spanish was
spoken, for the first time in the history of
the institution. Until this year nearly one
half of the program has been made up of
essays, recitations and music in the Span
ish language. which is remarkable evidence
of progress and change.
The Mexican hidalgoes-the descendants
or the Spaniards who settled this coun-
try and have controlled II for 800 years and
control it now. have made long. patient.
stubborn fight against modern civilization.
1t has been a struggle of race against race.
generation against generation. but the
greaser has been compelled 10 give way
to the "Gringo" and adopt his customs to
save the future of his children.
The Royal Road.
What the people call the Cannino Real or
royal road, is being constructed along the
mountain sides from Denver to Ell Paso, a
distance Of about 800 miles. 1t will run
from Denver to Santa Fe (462 miles,, via
Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Trinidad, over
the Ration Pass and through the Pecos for
est reserve. following the old Santa Fe
trail good part Of the distance. From
Santa F'e to Ell Paso 1t will follow the val
ley Of the Rio Grande Two years ago the
legislature Of New Mexico passed an act
appropriating 5000 and authorizing the
use of the convicts In the penitentary for
construction work. The Colorado legisla-
ture passed similar act last winter The
work has already been begun, the surveys
have been completed and the road is fin
lshed six miles southwark from Las Vegas
and seven miles northward from Santa Fe
1t Is sixteen feet wide and has maximum
grade of only per cent, SO it will be ad-
mirable for automobiles as well wagons,
and Is likely to be one of the great high
ways of the world
The scenery is magnificent. The road will
cross the Sangre de Cristo range of noun
tains at an elevation of 1900 feet. and de-
scend into the Pecos valley, which is Jne
or the most picturesque in the southwest.
1t crosses a federal forest reserve, which
is densely covered with timber and 1t is
hoped that the federal government will
meet the expense of construction across
the public domain The employment OF
convict labor has proven to be a good thing
u-an ha r,rrbl Z
Is good thing for them to work in The
open air and they enjoy it, while the cost
OF the road will be much less than 1t would
be II built with free labor.
Natural Ice Factory"
In the Gallinas canyon. the Canine
Real, short distance above the Monte
yuma Hotel, at Las Vegas is a phenome-
non In the form of a natural ice factory
where the thermometer will stand at freez-
ing point for weeks at a time, while the
people at the hotel. half mile below will
be sitting on the porches Of the hotel with
out wraps and the ranchmen will be work
ing in shirt sleeves. This Is due to the
fact that the Gallinas canyon never re
Ceives the rays of the sun or the warm
breezes from the plains below. and the
temperature is always fifteen or twenty de-
RreeS lower than on the outside. The can
yon never warns up from one years end
to the other, and In the winter when The
nights are always cold at this altitude
(e,200 feet and the days are always warm
and sunny, those living in the canyon do
not notice the change. The thermometer
may be below zero here when 1t Is 20 or 80
degrees above in Las Vegas. From the
first of December to the first of March the
mercury never goes above the freezing
point within the canyon walls, and ice
forms on the Gallinas river fourteen to
sixteen inches thick.
This phenomenon has been utilized by
which has constructed several
dams across the river and has erected nine
ice houses, with a capacity of 5000 tons
at the ground, and fifteen more along the
line of the Santa Fe road between Dodge
City, Kan, and Needles, Ariz. The fifteen
houses have a capacity of about 60o00
tons. The Santa Fe road Is the largest
customer. taking about 1900 cars of ice each
year. which is used to refrigerate its fruit
vegetable and meat cars. and is consumed
at it's hotels and eating houses and passen-
ger service. The remainder Of the ice is
sold in Las Vegas and in the towns along
the road at from 30 to 90 cents per hundred