The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-06-01

| that old Jack Rabbit OF hiS2 Well
that was snail's pace. He drives
Packard now and there is no speed
limit in New Mexico and the roads
are long and good.
! met friend of Docs at the Albu-
querque convention. When he return.
ed to Santa Rita he told the doctor
that l was in New Mexico. So Doc.
began putting in phone calls for me.
He got me at FL Paso and urged that
come up and see his part of the
state. He spent more money telephon-
ing than it would cost to make the
trip so / was ashamed TO say that /
couldn't AFFORD it-and went.
Wen for three days / have been
going some-seeing scenery and peo-
pie and things. II there is anything
in the southwest part Of New Mexico
haven't seen it was because 1 didn't
mention it,
The other day I started for Santa
Rita. DR.. Carrier and Mr.. Sully met
me at Deming. We had a fine ride
10 Santa Rita. The day was ideal.
The roads good. a base ball game
was being pulled of at the other end
Of the trip so we made good time.
We got there in time to see it open.
II was good ball too-better than you
often see outside the big league
games. They've got some mighty good
ball players at Santa Rita and Hurley
men who have played with. the big
leagues.
On the next day we drove to Column
bus. nearly a hundred miles south.
That was some drive-to Columbus
and back again. We took along the
chief of police who looks like New
Mexican sheriff in the movies. He
carries a gun that resembles real busi-
ness. We had two good rifles besides
With this bodyguard and arsenal we
felt well protected. People who travel
about in this country full OF stray
Mexican bandits and Mexican -evolu-
tionists. in embryo go well armed.
The road to Deming is good and tie
road from Deming to Columbus is
fair. For ten miles at stretch the
road is as straight as a string. II is
straight most OF the way-straight
and level. There are few hills-none
to speak of.
This country is great fat plain
like an old lake bed. As fat as q
Kansas prairie. Around on all sides
are hot baked ountains-look like
drab-coiored fire-ciay mountains beau
tifully formed. sharp and clean and
ragged. fresh from the baking kilns-
or the. hades that formed them. Not
a sprig of vegetation covers these
mountain peaks. So far as I know
they are hot yet. They certainly look
1t. l have seen a line OF these hot
baked mountains. ash colored, and hot
appearing all the way down to the
City OF Mexico. These around Dem
ing and Columbus look Mexican
enough TO harbor a revolution any
where.
Farther OF the horizon is made ir-
regular with fantastic mountain peaks
beautifully blue in the hazy distance.
A part of the country We go thru is
a great pasture. along barbed wire
fence, miles and miles long. Below
Deming the country appears to have
been homesteaded and then abandon
ed. II is sparseiy covered with grease
wood and mesquite. The yucca grows
up tree like. An occasional snake
cactus grows TO the height OF ten feet
waving beautiful red blossoms on the
tips of its forbidding branches the
only bright color in the landscape.
As far as the eye can reach you
see nothing green higher than the
cactus. No shade anywhere. This
land has not been baked enough yet
so nature provides only plants that
produce no shade. There isn't enough
shade within fifty miles of Columbus
TO protect n litter OF young jack rab-
bits. Rabbits must burrow in the
ground to protect their young.
As we go south the day grows hot
ter. The land is parched by the sum
mer sun. The view along the prairie
Is distorted by the shimmering waves
of heat The whole scene is tempered
only by the sight of cool appearing
waters in the distant mirages.
Another suggestion of cooler days
had forgotten. You get it from the
crop of beer bottles that line the way
From Deming to Columbus the road
side giistens and giitters with empty
beer bottles discarded by thirsty