The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-10-05
CORONA DEPAR TMENT.
FROM NEW MEXICO.
Interesting Letter From Miss
Laura KnOWllOn..

r.
The numerous friends of Miss
Laura Knowlton, whose former home
was near Corona, will be interested, to
learn that the young lady is teaching
In mission school at Cnbero, New
Mexico. She spent the past year in
the Harris hall training school at
Chicago, and expects to return to the
school later. She has taken a posi-
tion as primary teacher in the Indian
school, and in private letter writes
as follows Of her trip and her work
Dear Friend:-Accompanied by two
ladies who also teach in this school we
left Chicago, Aug. Both. After q
long year in the GRO Vded city the trip
was especially enjoy able and very in
teresting. / shall never forget with
what rapture I looked upon the first
real mountains / had ever seen; which
mountains chanced to be the far
famed "Spanish Peeks" or Spanish
Sisters as they are often called.
When first opened my eyes to find
myself on the american DESERT |
was truly speechless. for all the books
l had read and all the stories and
pictures were only half true-only
told half the really wild beauty.
We spent Sunday with friends on
ranch near Trinidad, Colorado. While
here we attended q pioneers picnic
which was interesting and instructive.
Trinidad is q thriving little American
city. It's main street follows the old
SanteFe trail and is crooked as can
be, but, true to American ideas of
.pnsh'', they have q splendid elec-
trtric car line on it. Every corner has
its interesting and romantic legend Of
historic Importance. While on the
ranch we spent hours In what seemed
to me most wonderful orchard; but
the owner told me that fruit and all
other crops were very poor, and that
m army of grasshoppers had ravag-
ed the whole state.
| We spent . week in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, which is much more than
q thriving city, for they have ex-
tensive railroad shops, saw-mlll,
where six hundred men are employed
J and where two hundred and twenty
| Ave thousand feet of lumbar are manu-
factured daily, besides boxes, doors,
window sashes, etc., also Q large
wooden mill where we saw wool clean
ed, woven and made into stylish
clothing, They boast of splendid
hos pital and . growing university.
The climate here is splendid for con-
sumptiye invalids.
Cubero is seventy Eve miles west OF
Albuquerque In Marsailes Co. It is
situated In valley Of the San Quateo
Range. whose highest point Is Mt.
Tailor, which mountain forms our
very interesting back yard. The vii
lage has about four hundred inhaDit-
ants, I'll Mexicans. We are the only
Americans here with the exception OF
one young lady who acts as governess
for our village merchant. By look
ing just so we can sec the train
through q tiny gap in the range.
This u our only glimpse OF the out
4 side world. Do you wonder that we
And IL hard to believe that we are
still In our own America and that
these people in oil their sin, ignorance,
immortality and superstition are truly
/ American citizens?
Il The mission house and school rooms
are quite comfortable and we enjoy
our work. Day by dav we see evident
marks Of advancement, which encour-
age us TO work on.
The c2imate is delightful, though at
such On altitude we must carefully
avoid over exertion. The sun 10 hot
lot midday aud the nights very cold
Time and space does not permit my
telling Of our work, its needs and aim
or advancement, but we will gladly
answer questions or give information
Regarding our work, or the customs
Of the people.
! Yours very trulr,
LAURA B. KNOWLTON.