Year: 1868




ton Of many Of our friends was di


rected last Spring; and as some o


those were desirous of emigratin,


here, for their benefit I viii give it a


see it.


After fraveling west from Ft. Cum


mings fifteen or sixteen miles, over


dry, parched plain-no water-th,
plain covered only with mosquitoes


brush, and sparee growth Of buncl


grass-we come in sight of a few small
scrubby willows and cottOnwOods
scatteFed along a marrow valley nea
the base of some bleak, barren hills


WehRd, on coming near them, a small
stream of running water, eight or ter
inches deap, and from ten to fifteeI
feet wide. Above the road you NOTES
anarrow strip Of land, with corn grow.
ing on it. Near the crossing you find
comparatively substantial looking
one story stone house, of the Mexican
style. This is the residence and ranch
of Col. Porter. It is surrounded by q
few Mexican huts or abodes. This is
the Rio Membres and its valley. The
general appearance of the whole is not
prepossessing, but the reverse; and ii
strikes one very forcibly that tbs pretty
near the end.


The population consists Of ten or
twelve white men, one white woman,
Mrs. Porter, and forty or fifty Mex
icans-assorted


On examination of the soil, I find,
although it contains considerable al
kali, that it produces better crops than
any we have yet seen in New Mexico.
A specimen of wheat grown here,
shown me by Col. Porter, was good.
The crop Of corn now growing is a
very fair one and we.alsO find veget-
ables, such as onions, tomatoes, cab
bage, melons and cucumbers, but no
pOtatOes-they will not grow here.


The valley comprises, probably,
200 or 300 acres of tiIlable land, the
most of which is claimed by Col. POr-
ter. Outside of his claim there is but
little land of any value,-in fact the
whole entire valley does not contain
enough tillable land to make one good
Nebraska farm; as only such land as
can be successfully irrigated is worth
anything, as land to irrigate should
have equal drainage, for if a portion
of it is fiat it will, as they here term
it, ''sOur'' the land or fire" the crops
before the other portion of it is sufi-
ciently watered.


The stream of water is now at its
heighth, beg just at the end of the
rainy season. During dry seasons,
and in fact the greater portions of al
most every year, it ceases to run, the
water standing along it in pools and
at all times the whole stream sinks
into the sand few miles below here.


There is a spring near the ranch, but
the water, like that from the creek, all
tastes of the alkali. There is no tim
Der except on the mOuntains-twenty-
five miles from here-eXcept a little
suitable only for fuel-distant from
four to six miles-which is procured
by sending an armed escort with the
teams to protect them from the Indi-
ans. There is tolerably good grazing
here, and hay is procured by cutting
this short bunch-grass, either with a
hoe or with q short crooked knife.
The grass is so short and light it can
not be cut either by a scythe or ma
chine. The Mexicans cut it by hand
in this way at fifty cents per hundred.
There is little or no demand for stock
here. Oxen, such as are worth in the
States $3.50 per yoke, will not here
bring $50; and Texas or Mexican
four or five year old steers are not
worth over from SIS to $50 per head
though at present no sale for any kind.
Stock cannot be kept here with any
degree of safety whatever, on account
of Indians. Armed herders have to
be kent with them constantly, and all
to extend the settlements
from here farther up the creek have
proved a failure for the same reasons.


The location here is not healthy.
diseases prevail to a consid-
erable extent; and the fever and ague
shakes the inhabitants all very liber-
ally. Apart from this, as location
at which to keep a ranch, it may be
a good one, being on the
main southern route to Arizona and
California, and twenty miles from
this stream, either way, to water, and
about equi distant between Ft. Cum
mings and Bayard and there is about
enough travel on this route to con-
sumo all the grain can be raised here.


A few miles above here-a spring Of
water bursts out, boiling hot. We
saw a chicken sufficiently scalded by
merely dipping it IN.


We find some mines in the noun
tains presenting strong inducements
for investment, and the very kind of
location we are seeking, but the want
of auy protection, and not being suf-
ficiently strong to protect ourselves
nreyents our locating. The policy of
the Government in being so sparing
IF her troops is having the effect to
seriously discourage emigration here.
There are good paying mines Of gold,
silver and copper in this country, but
the risk is so great that the expense of
prospecting or working them is too
large for men of moderate means, and
these are the kind Of men who first
develop q country. Give this class of
men ample protection, and in a short
time the emigration here win make
the country able to take care Of itself.


Yours, ]. s. MINICK.


The opening prices Of green teas by
1,+r, adxTioos from China are reDOFted to