Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1908 — Lee Richards in New Mexico. [ARTICLE]

Lee Richards in New Mexico.

Albuquerque, N. M., Sept. 21, 1908. Dear Editor: I was requested to write you a small letter about this territory. My first experience of the west began at LaJunta, Colo. I could look, for a distance of a hundred miles and see the Spanish peak. It looked about 10 miles to me. Arriving at Trinidad, Colo., I looked a distance of about 18 miles and on the left could see what is called Fisher’s Peak. It stands out in relief like a castle. By looking at it from the city a person would Judge it to be about 50 feet square, but one is surprised at the top to find it is some hundreds of acres square instead of fifty feet.

Motor cycles can not reach the top, as when they get about one-third of the way up the machines fail to work. On looking to the right you can see Simpsons’ Rest. Simpson and his family are buried there. They were the first settlers of that vicinity. From there I ascend the Raton Mountains. The top is about 7,688 feet in altitude. "When descending the mountain from there one beholds such fine gifeen valleys, inhabited by Indians and Mexicans. Then you keep on descending the mountains for about 1.75 miles. Then you ascend the noted Glorletta Divide, with an altitude of 7.537 fee'. It is noted for its great canyons. Then I arrived in the capitol of New Mexico. While I was there I paw an old church made out of mud, whidh is called adobe. It is supposed to be in the neighborhood of 500 years old. The church is still used to hold services. Leaving the old city I arrived in my present home, which is in Albuquerque. Here I remained three weeks with friends. But now I am in a house of my own —a ranch about 10 miles from Albuquerque. There are canyons back of the house. The names are Bear Canyon and. Wild Cat Canyon and Panther Canyon. I am on the cow boys ranch, of about 30,000 cattle and sheep. The beauty of this country is you can get up any morning and see the sun. I can look on either side of me and see the Santa Fe mountains, also the San Pedro and the Arizona mountains and the Albuquerque mountains.

LEE RICHARDS,

Albuquerque, N. Mex.