The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-12-16
Primitive water Carts on Mexican Dor der.

| eastern states. Windmills are every
where-"big electric fans to keep the
cattle COOL" a waggish cowboy once ex-
| planned to a London tenderfoot.
FL Paso ("The Pass'), great border
mart of west Texas, is set on the
edge Of rich stretch Of the Rio
Grande valley. 1t stands at the point
of intersection between two Old high
ways, the first channels of traffic estab-
lished by white men In America. 1t Is
the only large city from "San Antoine"
to Los Angeles, ride of 1900 dry,
dusty miles. 1t is well served by both
American and Mexican railways, and
its merchants buy and sell goods for
hundreds Of miles below the Rio
Grande. Despite the arid country
about it and its occasional binding
dust-storms, its climate is exception
ally good owing to high elevation.
The largest irrigation reservoir any
where Is the great Elephant Butte
dam, which stores more water than the
wOrld-famous Assuan dam on the Nile.
This big dam, built in the Rio Grande
above Ell Paso, at point in New Mex
leo, holds water enough, we are told,
ito cover Massachusetts to depth OF
six inches"
Juarez, FL Paso's sister city across
the Rio Grande, like most Mexican bor-
der towns, Is known chiefly because
of its pitched battles and it's bizarre
methods of entertaining sporty Amerh
can visitors A wooden bridge spans
the river here, and FL Paso street cars
loop over into Mexico-when the loop
ing is safe.
Across an Arid Wilderness.
From the point at Monument No. l
where the boundary line crawls ont of
the Rio Grande Cat the southeastern
corner Of New Mexico), it strikes west
Into wilderness of singularly dry
and empty aspect. For 40 miles along
this march the traveller must carry
his own water. Near Columbus a
few small trees appear.
To the west lie the rough, hostile
| foothills of the Dog mountains; near
here, In the San Luis range, the line
reaches a point 6,600 feet above the
sen, marking the continental divide.
Through San Luis pass runs the old
emigrant trail.
Slightly west Of the one hundred and
eighth meridian the line turns at right
angles and runs south for few miles,
thence west again.
In the San Bernardino valley the
line strikes the first running water
after quitting the Rio Grande-192
miles to the east. In the whole TOO
mile stretch from the Rio Grande to
the Pacific this line crosses only five
permanent running streams, and the
average rainfall throughout its length
is only eight inches. Save the ham,
let's Of Columbus and Hachita, the
New. Mexico section of the border is
almost uninhabited.
Hurdling this line in pursuit Of &C.
ronimo and his Apaches was for years
favorite outdoor army sport in these
parts; but nowadays most ambitious
residents are mining copper, roping
and branding cattle or fussing with ir-
rigation bitches.
Not long ago coyotes were chasing
horned toads over an empty desert
where Douglas, Ariz., now stands, with
libraries, country clubs, theaters, pub.
lie baths, street cars and hotel that
might have been lifted bodily out Of
Cleveland or Kansas City. Just over
the line from Douglas lies drab, dusty
Aqua PrIeta, with its sleepy poems and
sad-eyed burros.
Bistes In a Canyon.
West of Douglas, eight miles north
Of Naco, on the line, and quite hidden
In the barren Mule mountains, lies tn.
quaint upside-down, busy, hustling Bis
bee. Its main street runs up deer
canyon, many Of its houses clingins
like pigeon cotes to steep hillsides.
OF our whole border, the Californis
J section is perhaps best known t.
. Americans because of denser popula
ton, excellent motor trails and prox
unity to cities like San Diego, Los An
geles, FL Centre and the below-the-ses
border town Of Calexico, opposite Mex
icali. The incredibly fertile Imperia
valley of California sweeps north from
Calexico to the Salton ses. more thar
200 feet below the sea level
II From Calexico the line runs ives
} past Signal mountain. up the JacumbI
/ pass over the Lasunas past the his
. toric border town Of Campo, through
the towns Of Tecate and Tia ,Juans
famous for races and gambling CO
I sfnos). and thence to the Pacific. . fsv
/ miles below San Diego.