Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-04-22
Letter from Rev. H. A. clifford.

In the Democrat Of April WAS short
article relative to Rev. 81. A. Clifford,
former pastor of the Methodist church
In South Paris, now of Brunswick, who
10 In Albuquerque, N. NJ. Mr.. Clifford
went to New Mexico hoping to regain
his voice, and 10 slowly Improving. II
vii! be OF interest to our readers to read
the following letter which Mr.. Clifford
writes to the Democrat:
1t has been my happy lot to serve 81
pastor In the beautiful village of South
Paris, so perhaps- a few friends may feel
an interest In some account Of long
journey to the State OF Sunshine. left
Brunswick Jan. 10, and passed one night
in Boston, noble city ever dear to US
Once was q student there and learned
few Of the crooked streets. The city
has many advantages and will be i'm.
proved when 1t has less rum to sell.
All day the train moved rapidly across
Massachusetts, until we reached Albany.
There was little snow to be seen along
the route. From Albany I got sleeper
for Kalamazoo, Mich, where we arrived
at nine O'Clock Sunday morning. After
cordial greetings from my sister, Mrs.
Mary c. Stetson, and family, soon
Joined 10 worship at Methodist church.
The pastor bad an earnest word for the
great Centenary Movement, which in.
dictated the unity Of great nation and
a large denomination. As usual l made
visit to Kalamazoo College, where DR..
Herbert Stetson Is president. His early
home was Greene, Maine.
Tuesday afternoon / had three hours
IN Chicago and then rode all night to
Kansas City. Here had one happy day
with loved relatives who went from
Maine. rode all day across the great
prairie state of Kansas, where We could
see unsheltered cattle eating grass
through the snow or feeding at stack
of hay. Wonderful state Is Kansas, but
not for me, "Dere Mablew 1t was a
pleasure to see Red Cross girls with nice
supplies of food for soldiers and no
cigarettes. Some of us do not use TO-
bacco.
1t was the 10th Of January and as it
grew dark at Hutchinson, Kansas, I saw
a paper that said Nebraska was the
thirty sixth state to ratify national pro-
hibition. That was good news to carry
with US In the night as our train sped
away to. Colorado, but we had sad con.
trast In our car. A soldier, who against
Kansas law had bottle of whiskey,
abused our colored porter. At ten
O'Clock looked out from my berth to
see sheriff take him from the train.
He needed finer purpose.
From Colorado to Albuquerque we
had great ride among the mountains
and winding along all day in the great
valley of the Rio Grande River. Part of
the way it took three engines to haul
our train of nine cars. The river rises
in Colorado and crosses New Mexico to
reach the gulf after run of 1000 miles.
Every day now / see the river from my
cottage door.
New Mexico was made state in 1912.
The first iron rail was laid Nov. 80, 1879,
and now there are over 5000 miles of
railroads. In the early days We can get
wild tales of dangers on the old Santa
coach carried guns. The state is four
times the size of Maine and is rich In
cattle, gold, silver, copper, zinc, lead,
iron, coal and forests. The population
is nearly half million and there is room
for several millions. Many Mexicans
and Indians live In the state and are
very interesting. One day I saw an In
dian with three small Indian women and
all were wearing bright red shawls.
Albuquerque is city Of $1,000 with
all the modern conveniences, yet we see
many adobe buildings and those of the
Pueblo architecture. Glorious noun
tains are only ten miles from the city.
The sun shines most of the year, so
many come to seek health. Home Is
2,4OO miles away and yet this new life
In q great state has many charms. They
sing the same hymns and songs here as
In New England. Last Sunday the choir
sang Give Ear Unto My Prayer, and
we had a fine solo, How Lovely Are
Thy Dwellings.
We need to smile, so the pastor told
of darby who said: "God made the
earth and rested; be made man and
rested; be made woman and since then
neither God nor man has had any rest!'
We can be happy here, for
zone ship goes East and another goes West,
By the selfsame wind that blows.
IT'S the set o. the ssil and not the gale
That determines the way they CO."
Many use Spanish here, so We say
mil gracias IA thousand tbanks) II you
write to me at No. 26, Methodist San,
Albuquerque, New Mexico.
HOWARD A. CLIFFORD.