Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Wed, Nov 17, 1926

Got a good early start this morning. 6:30. Almost to dark to drive with out lights. This range of mountains is practically all sand. It is not a high as either of the others. Nothing but prairie on the level. We see a few cattle grazing now and then, just the same as it has been before. We have seen lots of cotton tail rabbits this morning. Stopped to hunt awhile. Only killed one. These were to wind to get in gunshot of them. So on we go again. 20 miles to our next town Finley, Tex. Nothing to do or see just ride round and round and up and down. This way all the 20 mi. 16 miles from Finley to Ft. Hancock the next one.

Finley was just a little place a filling station and 2 little stores. This 16 miles about the same as the rest. After leaving this town we are just a short distance from the Rio Grande river. All along this river where they can irrigate they raise cotton. We are passing tho the Algodon Plantation of 5,000 acres. This was printed on a big sign board out in the field. Lots of little Mexican houses scattered thro this plantation. They are very low and long. Most of them have 3 doors in front and a tiny window on each side. The roofs are perfectly flat. Each roof has little spouts protruding out, slanting downward from it. This is to drain the water off when it rains.

These house are made from mud bricks. When finished it is plastered over all with this mud, just like we would cement over bricks. These bricks are about 3 inches thick, 8 in. wide and foot in length. Saw lots of these piled up to dry.

Raise hundreds of acre of cotton thro here. It looks like they had a very good crop. Passed thro Hancock. This town has all mud houses or adobes they are called here. most all the people here are Mexicans. We are 60 miles from El Paso. Our next town is Fabens 24 miles. Not all of this 5,000 acres is under cultivation. Some of it is not cleared of brush and shrubs yet. But hey have got irrigation ditches all thro it, on both sides of the road. This is all very level. We can see a high range of mountains on the other side of the river. This range is on the Mexican side. The river is the boundary line. We can tell just where the river flows by the trees. The trees along its banks are larger and more thrifty. The further we go the more land we see under cultivation. Have a large cotton gin of their own. They have acres and acres of cotton on this place. We drove about 2 miles and passed another gin. These gins belong to this same plantation. It has it printed in big letters on the roofs. One place along the road we came with in 80 rd of the river. This is a wide shallow river with a very sandy bottom here. It wound off the other way again. We do not cross this river till we get in New Mexico. El Paso is 40 miles from here, it lies on this river.

We see lots of cotton pickers at work. They have quite a novel way of taking there cotton to the wagon. Instead of having the wagon in the field like in Mo. and Ark. they leave their wagon at the edge of the field or in some cases at the house. Out in the filed you can see 2 or 3 horses grazing with out bridles or reins of any kind. We wondered why they let the horses graze here. Before the afternoon was over we had a chance to find out. After we had watched and wondered about this, Kenneth saw one fellow walk up to a horse, throw his sack of cotton on, hop on his self and drive the horse to the wagon, empty the cotton and return to the field. After we saw this we watched pretty close and found out this was their method. It sure was a very novel sight we thought. These people look very much like Indians.

We have seen hundreds and hundreds of yellow breasted black birds in this district. Our next town in Tornilla Tex. This lies in what is known as the Rio Grande valley. It is called the land O’Cotton. They say they never have a drought and they never have a flood. We don’t wonder at this because they have to irrigate. Of course they think its the best place in the world.

The town of Tornillo is not very large. They have 2 big cotton gins here. It is 9 miles from here to Fabens Tex. Valley all the way now till we get to El Paso. Do not know how wide this valley is. We ate our dinner west of Fabens. On again at 1:00. The towns here are real close thro this valley. Cotton is their main crop all the way. Saw a few fruit orchards. Lots of nice houses thro here. Most all build on the mission plan. Nice big shade trees on both side of the pavement. These are all cotton wood. If one had seen only this part of Texas, they would think Texas was a garden of Eden. We came in to the town of Ylesta. This town was just as much Mexican as its name indicates. This is 12 miles from El Paso.

House and store all the way now into El Paso. Saw lots of signs, Fresh eggs 70 cents a dz. We thot this was some price for eggs. It has been real warm this afternoon. Have enjoyed this drive. Drove on to the camp ground 3:00. El Paso has a pop. of 90,000. It lies at the foot of the Mexican Mts.

We are about two miles from the heart of the city. Did my washing while here this afternoon. Got our mail, had 6 letters so we were all happy. You don’t really know how nice it is to get letters until you have been away from papers and mail of any kind for so long.

This is a splendid campground. They have all the modern convenience here. Only cost 25 cents a night to camp here. Of course if one uses the cook house, shower bath or laundry it cost so much for each. I was not interested in these as we are well fixed for all so cannot state prices. Well little old Book every one has gone to bed but you and I and the old clock says 11:30 so good night. 28 parties on this camp ground tonight.