or the Holy Ghost. Four miles of walking through ever-varying scenery of valley and mountain, wheat-fields and pasture lands, and crossing silvery streams on bridges of rough logs laid side by side or stoutly mortised lengthwise, brought us to the house of a miner named Dolan, who, in the interest of other parties, was taking charge of some timber near by for the erection of a mill. He was glad to see us, as visitors were a pleasure in this solitary place, after a week had passed without his seeing a single human creature. In the hill fronting his place was the entrance to the cave of El Espiritu. Very few white people know of its existence, and very few have entered its forbidding portals, for in order to enter one must crawl on all fours for some ten feet and is shrouded in obscurity darker than the shadows of sin. Taking candles and great pine torches, we explored this cavern, with its various halls and chambers, for some three hours. In places on its walls we noted Indian hieroglyphics, and in other places spots where the clay had been taken out possibly to make pottery. In one chamber, tradition says, the savages held their religious services, and Desmond, years before on a former visit, had found a tom-tom, or native drum. The stalactites were in no place very brilliant. We were compelled to crawl in many places and marked our way carefully, as only one of the party had ever been in before, and he only once; so we did not feel particularly safe, and were glad to get back to sunlight once more. From the cave we returned to Dolan's house, and, sharing provisions, made a very substantial meal; then taking our trout-lines we went over to the Espiritu Santo Creek, which here joins the Pecos River. Never before did I gaze upon such surpassing loveliness. Moss and ferns abounded and the wild violet bloomed beneath our feet. Lovely clematis trailed everywhere; wild hops, with their long light cones, were clinging to the dainty bushes; the wild cherry, with its deep-red clusters, relieved the eye, and the cedar gave forth a refreshing odor. The stately spruce, sturdy oaks, and swaying willows all came within the radius of our view, while the mountain stream was foaming over its rocky bed and dashing a fine spray which glistened in the sunlight. After a short stay in this lovely spot, during which we secured upon our hooks some finny supplying some fine trout-fishing, and the mountains round about abound in game. with green, and otherwise decorated with flowers and feathers, while at his feet two diminutive In this valley of Mora we had the fortune to wooden saints knelt in prayer. These were about the size of the angel bearing a cup, and were dressed in robes of brown and red trimmed with yellow; the whole arrangement measuring fully four feet in length. It was suspended upon the wall and was greatly prized by its owner. While staying at this place we visited some promising mica mines. The country glistens everywhere with mica, and when developed will prove valuable. Gold, too, is found in small quantities. From Mora we proceeded to Las Vegas, the nearest station, having made a grand round; and again taking the train went to Santa Fé, which we reached near dark. The conductor on the train, much to our entertainment, told us of two incidents which occurred on his run as among his first experiences. They A MORA POLITICIAN. witness a scene which brought vividly to our mind the tales of old. At the conclusion of a political meeting one of the poets of the land, a blind old minstrel, bent with age and with only a fringe of white hair round his venerable head, touched some plaintive notes upon the guitar and burst into an impromptu song in praise of the señor present, repeating between each measure the air, which was very sweet. The scene had in it a touching spice of the antique days of knighterrantry. At the same house where this occurred I noticed an unusually large figure of what the Mexicans term santas, or saints, and with which every wellregulated Mexican household is supplied. This was a wooden figure of Christ, with a wig of horsehair, bearing on his head a green crown and nailed in the orthodox fashion to the cross, accompanied by the usual scroll and inscription over his head. To the left of him was a small angel with a cup in her hand shaped like an hour-glass and catching the blood as it flowed from his wounds. The angel was about as large as the first joint of the Christ's arm. The Saviour was dressed as a danseuse, in white tarletan trimmed A TEAMSTER OF LAS VEGAS. are so characteristic of this wild country, and at the same time so humorous, I cannot resist the temptation of repeating them. benches ducked down quicker'n a diver. The old fellow never dreamt of drawing a pistol, but his habit of hitching at that strap served him in good stead." The many interests of this new land were curiously presented in the "bus" which bore us from the depot to the town of Santa Fé-about half a mile. A delegate to Congress was with us, and besides this great man there were two railroad magnates sitting opposite, a corpulent representative of that omnipresent class, a mercantile "drummer," some Jewish merchants returning from the "I had only made one run down here," he said, "when, passing one of the sidings, we took on a Simon-pure, double-fisted 'gray,' one of the pioneers; those fellows who had lived a life in advance of civilization, making the way easy for others, but always leaving in time to escape the press and improvements, the foundation for which he has so surely laid. Evidently he had never before seen the interior of a car, for it was some moments before he concluded to seat himself, which he did cautiously and with that quick, nervous, twinkle of the eye which men constantly on the alert for danger exhibit. Let me say here that in this country every man carries a pistol, and generally in his back-pocket. Well, as I had already seen the other passengers' tickets, I took my time about matters and slowly walked up to my man and put my hand, with the usual quick motion, behind me to get my punch; but before I could say "Ticket, sir!' quicker than powder the muzzle of a six-shooter swelled under my eyes, and a hearty voice rang out: 'Put her back, stranger, I've got the drap on ye!' You may laugh, but I shook hands with him over a free ride, anyway. Another time I happened down the road when there was to be a service held in the new depot. Old Hays, a onelegged preacher, had permission to hold meeting there. Hays wore an old-fashioned wooden leg, strapped in place and held firm by a leather around the waist, and this being uncomfortable he was constantly tugging at it. Very few of the hands knew him, but they thought it a good chance to have some fun; and a very rough set they were that filed in that evening and filled the back seats. Of course, some few ladies and railroad officials were present. Planks raised on boxes and some few chairs served as seats, while the preacher stood behind an empty whisky barrel, on which were his lamp and books. From the singing of the first hymn to the close of service an ever-increasing buzz and noise disturbed worship; but old Hays in his quiet way went on oblivious of it all. The forms gone through with, he prepared to dismiss his congregation with the usual benediction. 'Let us pray,' he said, and slowly put his hand behind him under his coat tails. The sudden silence was wonderful, and as he got on his knees every mother's son on the back A NEW MEXICAN LAD. East, a train news-agent, two men eagerly discussing some mining projects, and lastly a lady, tall and refined-looking, who said she was going to visit her brother, who was dying. We went to the principal hotel and found it a low one-story building, built after the Spanish fashion, with different courts enclosed; and although it was crowded, we succeeded in securing a comfortable room. The town contains several ancient buildings, interesting principally on account of the frailty of the material used in their construction; yet their durability is wonderful, the most notable being that oft-described adobe church and the building adjoining it, both nearly three hundred years old. Among many other things worthy of attention there are several factories, in which native workmen may be seen at the tedious task of manufacturing their far-famed filagree work in gold and silver. This jewelry is of rare beauty and delicacy, and is in great demand. The process is simple, yet interesting. The pure metal is drawn into very fine wires, two wires are twisted together after the manner of twine, rolled between steel rollers, and when flattened into a thin wire with nicked edges the artisan takes it and forms such designs as he may wish or his taste dictate. With a small blow-pipe he then solders it all together in a frame of heavier metal. The designs are very delicate, and some of them as fine as lace-work. From Santa Fé we passed westward by railroad through growing towns and a country producing excellent fruit of all kinds, including grapes, peaches, pears, cherries, and apples. It is all accomplished by irrigation; but as a fruit-producing country it is destined to rival California, both in the size and flavor of its fruit. The land is also excellent pasture, and part of it is peopled by the Pueblo Indians, who are thrifty and hard workers. and hard workers. To a certain extent they are under the supervision of the United States Government, and are liberally supplied with machinery for their agricultural pursuits. Ignorance prevails, and they are, therefore, naturally superstitious. Their theory of the railroad is, that God himself gave man the locomotives, for it is beyond their conception how a man could make one; but they acknowledge human agency in laying the rails, since they have seen it done. They visit neighboring towns to sell produce, and also blankets, for which they are famous. The women do most of the work, but not all, and many of the older women have a voice in council. Their council-chambers are built of adobe, circular in shape, without windows, and with a single small door; here all things of importance are decided. From San Marcial, a rough, new town,-new, even in Western phraseology, we took the stage for a trip of over two hundred miles. Of all invented vehicles, I think there is more discomfort compressed into a stage-coach than in any other mortal conception. Ours carried fifteen passengers. I rode with the driver by the advice of an experienced friend, and was squeezed in between him and another traveler on the box. The four stout mules had a good load, yet over fair roads we made reasonable time and rather enjoyed the mule-nature of the driver's favorite, "Lazy Loafer." For a stretch of forty miles over what is known as the "Journey of Death" there is no water except what is hauled to tanks at each station where we changed mules. At Aliman, after various failures, both by the Government and by private enterprise, water was struck at a depth of one hundred and eighty-four feet; and the lucky digger was rewarded with a grant of five miles square around the well and the right to sell water there. A pretty windmill flaps its wings over the well and keeps a large tank constantly full. For another fifty miles further on the country is not much better; but once across this we reach the Rio Grande Valley, rich in all kinds of fruit. Wheat, too, blesses the cultivator's labors, and the soil also produces the El Paso onion, which for size and delicacy of flavor is without a rival. These onions are pure white, and often as large in diameter as a breakfast-plate. I was here treated to some native wine, which possesses a delicious taste. The vineyard of Thomas Bull, a pioneer, is considered as producing the best wine in that section. I noticed among the peculiarities of the place the mud fences, with cactus of a small spherical variety known in Spanish as pitalla planted along the top much the same as broken glass is used elsewhere to prevent trespassing. This cactus, however, bears a very valuable fruit. Once again in the stage, we rolled toward Silver City, a distance of one hundred miles. On the way we stopped at the Hudson Hot Springs. These springs gush from what seems to be the crater of an extinct volcano, and maintain a temperature of 140°. The flow of water is rapid, and after passing through a house on the hill side, where it is conducted in a wooden trough, it flows on and is used for irrigation. Its qualities are presumed to be highly medicinal. From here to Silver City are many pretty springs, and quartz-mills run by water-power for extracting the silver from the ore. Silver City itself, the centre of a fine mining section, is a thriving town of about twenty-five hundred inhabitants, and unlike other towns of New Mexico, is thoroughly American in every respect. It is bustling and busy, has several prosperous mills, and you can see here the coveted gold dust, the silver bricks, and great pigs of copper without number. This place is the only incorporated town in the Territory, and lies at its extreme boundary. Near here are the old Santa Rito copper mines, which were centuries past worked by convicts in the interest of the Spanish crown. Remains of the stronghold still exist, and the immense pile of copper refuse-ore testifies to the extent and value of the labor. It is a relic eloquent with memories of the mighty power of the Spanish conqueror and the wrongs of conquered victims. These suffering workmen were Indians, and in one of their successful rebellions the patient creatures made as a condition fundamental to their submission the provision that thenceforward the mines were never again to be worked. TWILIGHT. By Z. O. E. Now tender twilight lays a cooling palm, She lies, this Earth. The limpid dew, like balm, |