Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Tue, Nov 16, 1926

Wind is blowing a gale this morning. Started at 6:45. We got gasoline and oil, gas 20 cents. The sun is just coming up. We can see the mountains away off in the distance ahead of us. 34 miles to the next town of Kent Tex.

Had to stop and clean a spark plug. Then on we rambled again. We drove 20 miles before we reached these mountains. These are called the Davis Mts. Our road winds in between and around these. There is a little filling station we had our first hard pull since coming into them. This mountain are very barrens. Very little grass grows on any of them. A few cattle grazing here and there along the highway. We passed thro Kent. It has only a few stores, 1 hotel and a filling station. The road is paved all the way. Our road now winds round and round the foot hills. Came up over a grade and here in the hollow was a little pond of water with a flock of wild ducks swimming around as nice as you please. So we just stopped. Grover took the gun and shot 2 so we’ll have duck for supper. Drove on out of the hills and mountains onto a level stretch. We stopped along the road and ate our dinner. 11:45.

Have drive along this level stretch for 18 miles. We can see the other range of mountains away in the distance. These are the Victoria Mts. Started on 12:35. Drove on and on.

Came to a place where the grass was very short and very little shrubs here we got our first glimpse of the prairie dogs. They are about as large as a kitten. They have gray fur. Will set up and look around like a gray squirrel. They bark like a puppy.

Kenneth tried to shoot one but could not get close enough. They were too wild. So we drove on and on. Came into the town of Vanhorn. This lay right at the foot of the mountains. The distance in the Mts. are very deceiving. When you see them along ways off, there is a dense blue haze surrounding them. These mountains do not have anything growing on them. Most all just solid Rock. Stopped here for gasoline .24 cents. Drove on out thro these mountains. This range is lots steeper than the other range was. Had one bad under bridge drive. This was a one way road under the railway. For warning it had a sign which read “Drive slow, you may meet a fool.” Did not meet any. 33 miles from Vanhorn to Sierre Blanca Tex. We have left this range of mountains now. We are driving out on another level stretch. From here we can see the next range 20 miles away. These are the Sierre Blanc Mountains. Along the road grows a weed of some kind. We do not know its name. It grows in a round flat clump. The wind is blowing so strong, it blows these out of the ground. Some of them blow down the road like wheels rolling along.

Some times the dust is so bad we have to slow down because we can’t see far ahead. The further we go the worse it is getting. Found out later that these mts. were mostly sand. That is why we could see so much dust. We are so dusty and dirty decided to pull into camp at this town. Found out this town was a real hold up Butter 60 cents, milk .30 a quart. We did not buy either. 7 parties here tonight besides our selves. The wind has gone down some. We have passed cars from 18 different states to©day. This town lie at the foot of the Sierre Blanc mountains.