The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-09-29
A PLEASANT TRIP.
Samuel BlackfOrd Visited Many Points
Of Interest.-CrOpS Were Good.
Many Visitors Enjoy the
Beautiful Scenery,


Left Lake Charles June 18th. at s
p. m. Arrived at San Antonio at p.
m. Stopped for breakfast, as the
dining car was converted into a Sleep
er to accommodate the weary travellers.
San Antonio is beautiful city, 1000
feet above sea-level. The crops, con-
sisting of cotton and corn were look
ing fine. There was plenty of rain
and it was raining at the time we ar
rived at Sanantonio.
About two hours run from San An
tonic brings one into a very rough
country. Nothing of Importance un-
til you arrive at the city of Del Rio,
bordering on Old Mexico. They are
building a 100000 cotton factory at
that place. The next place of import
ance is the Pecos viaduct. The train
stops on the bridge, and those that
wish to get off and look down on the
river, 1928 feet below, can doso. From
here on the country is very rough
(mountains. mesquite brush, cactus
and jack rabbits) to within few miles
of,El Paso. We arrived in Ell Paso
at 5 a. M, mountain time. Ell Paso is
the coming metropolis of West Texas.
Here you take a street car and cross
the river and enter the quaint. old
Spanish town of Juarez, 400 years old.
| would advise those going to or
through Ell Paso, to visit that place.
1t will pay you very much: but be
careful what you buy over there, or
the revenue officers Will get after you.
| left Ell Paso on the Golden State
Ltd, for the mountains at $40 p. M,
travelled in a north easterly course up
the plains lying between the Organ,
Sanandrea and Sacramento mountains
to the city of Alamagordo. The plain
is sixty miles wide, with a gradual
slope to the south. The soil is very
rich and with water for irrigation,
will grow any produce adapted to that
climate.
Arrived ia Alamo at 5:l5 and found
my folks all we'll and glad to see me.
This city has a population of 5000, is
a railroad division, has car shops
and saw mills, employs about 800 lSi
borers, has a park one mile long by
one half mile wide. The city is wat
cred from the Alamo canyon from a
large spring twelve miles from the
canyon. The water empties into two
large reservoirs, three miles from the
city, which are at an elevation OF 400
feet. Here you change cars for Cloud.
croft, the summer resort and above
the clouds, 5000 feet above sea-level.
The mountain train is in waiting. You
leave Immediately for Cloudcroft.
The train enters Laluse canyon, 1000
feet above sea level and then
climbs 5000 feet in travelling 25 miles
through one of the most picturesque
canyons and gorges. 1t fills the pas
sengers with awe and admiration, to
behold the beautiful things of nature
and the wonderful ingenuity of noun
tain railroad builders. Looking 300
feet below, you behold the same track
that you Travelled oyer few minutes
before, aud the thought that should
the engine die on one of these high
places, is cause enough to fill one with
awe. But there is no danger. There
has never been a wreck on that road.
| Cloudcroft is great summer resort.
There are churches, normal schools,
Shakespearian comedies and every.
thing, down to a bowling alley.
There were 900 visitors there this
simmer.
Russia, fifteen miles from Cloud.
croft, is the logging camp where the
Alamagordo mills get their logs, al
the rate of four train.loads per day,
Pine and fir is the principal lumber
The average price for same, is $3.50
per thousand feet.
1 travelled from Cloudcroft to thu
| Mescalero reservation by carriage, 2
miles north. We saw some beautiful
scenery in passing through the Silver
canyon. Twelve miles from Cloud
croft is the divide. Here we crossed
the summit, $500 feet above sea-leyel
into the Tularosa canyon and on dowr
to the government saw mills. Their
is fine pine timber in this canyon
Here is the head waters of what il
called Tularosa river. The stream il
fed by a vast number of springs; some
very large and very cold.
We arrived ut the agency abOu