The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-12-27
LOS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO.
Letter ircm Mr.. L. v. Palmer. Formerly
of Belfast Township.


Dccemb bor II, 1905 While my
time is not tai "A up | will pen
you few lines Tor the benefit of
yourself and readers.
Last summer | spent IN Kan.
sas, and, on the 10th Of August
started with eight other fellows
to northwest Oklahoma, for
flock of z 900 sheep We travelled
overland in two covered wagons,
and it took us two weeks to make
the trip down, passing through
most of the principal towns, one
of which was Garden City, aud
,hat Is the garden If the South
west. 1t is situated IN the Ar
kansas valley, an irrigated valley,
on the Arkansas river. just
across the river south Is the Sand
Hills which are about ten miles
wide. We passed one ranch
which is thirty miles square.
The land is fit for nothing but
pasture, and poor at that; and the
southwest part of Kansas Is tit
for nothing but pasture, as they
don't get enough rain to keep
crops from burning up. From
Garden Clty,w drove south west
and our next town was Ulysses,
Grant county. We arrived there
about noon. While there we saw
some sights which | did not ex-
pect to see IN a civilized country.
We met the County Judge who
smoked a Meerschaum pipe and
was barefooted. He looked as
though he always went that way,
He filed up his pipe, took match,
scratched 1t on the sole of his foot
and lit his pipe and puffed away
as though he was dressed IN
broadcloth. He is said to be
worth $4,000 IN cold cash. From
there we went TO Richfield, town
of about fifty people. They said
that town was large one in the
early days when that country was
first settling up, but that whole
county has now not more than
$50 of population.
We then went on southwest
into Colorado, pitched our tent
out on the prairie, and was there
two days and half. Then we
started southeast to Oklahoma,
stayed there two days, received
our sheep and started back north
on trail. The country is full of
sage brush, soap weed and rattle
snakes. The last named you can
find almost any place.
At night you could hear the
coyotes barking, and occasionally
they would attack our sheep.
Then there was trouble, for the
sheep would make stampede
for the tent, on which we had a
lantern hanging out to keep the
: coyotes away, for they will not
: come close to light. We saw
: some antelopes, one badger, and
, thousands of prairie dogs. When
we would find a lake-which we
would find occasionally-we
would find plenty of ducks.
J We landed back at Stockton,
! Kansas, on the 31st OF October'
: After staying there two days,
7 went to New Mexico, and have
been as far southas Albuquerque,
f which is principally kept up by a
? moving population, or health
) seekers. 1t Is one of the largest
J towns in New Mexico.
2 From there | went to Santa Fe,
! the capital of the territory, and
. an old town which is largely
/ made up of Mexican dobies
{ There is but very little land IN
a the territory that | have seen that
. one could farm to any advantage
i but it is a great place for fruit.
e While in Santa Fe, which was
f the latter part of November, !
+ saw peaches, plums, and apples
f on the trees, and they looked very
: tempting
e From Santa Fe | went to Los
i Vegas which IS busy little town
I - F,..~