File:Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean (1855) (14572946839).jpg

Identifier: reportsofexplora02unit_0 (find matches)
Title: Reports of explorations and surveys, to ascertain the most practicable and economical route for a railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean
Year: 1855 (1850s)
Authors: United States. War Dept Henry, Joseph, 1797-1878 Baird, Spencer Fullerton, 1823-1887 United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
Subjects: Pacific railroads Discoveries in geography Natural history Indians of North America
Publisher: Washington : A.O.P. Nicholson, printer (etc.)
Contributing Library: San Francisco Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: California State Library Califa/LSTA Grant

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arrow ravine, which we followed in a northeast direc-tion for a mile and a half, and then passed over a high ridge—a spur of the Wet mountains—covered with oak bushes, to another ravine, on the sides of which we were gladdened by thesight of a herd of cattle and horses feeding, and were soon in the camp of a trader from NewMexico returning from Fort Laramie. From him we learned that the two streams and ravinesare called the Granaros, by the Spaniards. Passing over another sharp ridge, we descended intwo miles to the fine little valley of the Greenhorn, a stream of two feet in width and three or fourinches in depth, which is bow entirely diverted from its natural channel and employed in irrigatingthe lands of the six New Mexican families who reside at and constitute the present population ofthe place. They plant a few acres of corn and of wheat, of beans and of water-melons—in all, anarea equal to that of the farm of a small eastern farmer, who cultivates his own fields. Two hun-
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mx .UOP cnc= 7C CD r~est HUERFANO BUTTE. 35 dred fanegas of wheat and fifty of corn, with the requisite amount of beans and melons, constitutethe largest total crop of this valley. They have a few cattle and horses—the latter very poor.The houses are built of adobe or sun-dried brick, without windows or other openings than a singledoor, in entering which a man of six feet in stature must bow very low. In front of each house isenclosed a small space of ground, twenty yards in width, by poles planted in the earth and lashedto horizontal strips by rawhide thongs. These picketed yards are intended as a protectionagainst Indians—the Utahs having killed some of their cattle last year, destroyed their grain,and stolen their horses. Corrals are attached to the backs of their houses, built in all respectslike the front enclosures. With one exception all the houses of this settlement are joined, and atall man can reach to the roof, on which the whole population, not absent in the fields, asreportsofexplora02unit_0

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