Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1920-12-02
FROM l.. w. JACKSON
Duncan Arizona,
November %. 1920

Mr.. J. A. CONSTANT
Here we are basking in the sun.
shine of Arizona while you folks at
home are probably chilled to death
in snow storm.
We left Estancia about a P. M.
Thursday, November 1S, and drove
till it began to get dark and as the
road was unfamiliar to us we made
camp in the cedars near Corona.
We built a big camp fire, cooked
supper and went to. sleep under the
stars. The air was cold but as there
was no wind we were very com
Portable.
By sunrise next morning we were
on our way again. We found very
good travelling all morning, camping
for dinner at Three Rivers where
we got pure water right out of the
mountains.
In the afternoon we found rough
roads, especially between Carrizozo
and Alamogordo. We expected to
cross the Rio Grande before night,
but the rough roads delayed us to
such an extent that night found US
near the foot Of the Organ noun
tains, twenty-five. miles east Of Las
Cruces. Here we camped among
the greasewood where fuel was rath-
er scarce. We wondered why these
mountains were so named, but when
we had to sleep to the music of the
coyotes that were all around our
camp, (some were brave enough to
come near enough to be SEEM we
decided it should be called some
kind of musical name. Though
we slept well here on the open plain
our pillows were white with frost
next morning and it was a rather
cold experience trying to eat break
fast over a small fire in that cold
morning air.
We broke camp again at sunrise
and soon began to climb the moan
tain. Up to this time the weather
had been ideal-no WHY'D, no mud
or rain--in fact nothing to mar the
pleasure of our journey. But as we
higher up the mountain a
breeze came up from the west that
was no doubt New Mexico trying
with her gentle (?) winds to. give
US last goodbye kiss.
The scenery was beautiful, though
we saw no crops till we got to Ala
where they. irrigate. We
were told that all the region around
Socorro and Alamogordo was cat
tie country. though we saw very
few signs of cattle ranches, but
just below Organ City as we de-
scended the mountain on the west
we overlook, it seemed, enough cows
to cover many acres. of grass. The
road for a mile was simply blocked
with them. There being no road
around them, at the owners sug-
gestion we plowed through them and
finally got by, though they were SO
gentle they cared but little for our
horn, and had to be almost pushed
out of the way.
We camped for dinner near Dem
ing and left that city to our right
as it is just off the highway. We
reached Lordsburg at Ais P. M,
where we stopped only long enough
to get little gas and oil.
We passed SO many tourists head
ed for the Pacific coast when we
reached the Continental Divide about
8 P. M. of the last day out, that
the wanderlust got in our blood and
we wanted to go on to the west
coast.
We arrived at the state line just
as it was getting dark. We found
our light on the bum, so the last
few miles of our journey were the
slowest travelling we had.
We arrived in Duncan to find the
Bomars eating supper at the Mission
Cafe, which is run by Mrs. H. Jack
son. Mr.. Bomar and family, who
left Estancia valley the same day we
did, arrived by train one day ahead
of US.
We saw many interesting things
on the way, the most curious Of