A Sportsman 369 



Thousands of workmen had been employed, and 

 a rivalry had existed for an advantage of each rail- 

 road over the other. Here a meeting had occurred 

 on the level plains, far from any settlements or towns, 

 at a spot destined to be one of importance; not only 

 from the connection of the two railroads now meet- 

 ing, but from the junction of two other railroads 

 from the south, those of the Galveston, Harrisburg 

 and San Antonio and the Texas Pacific. 



A fifth railroad has since been connected at Dem- 

 ing, built by the writer with some associates, pro- 

 ceeding north to Silver City. No spot in the 

 region could have been more advantageously se- 

 lected, having many mountainous peaks within a 

 range of from forty to fifty miles, which seemed in 

 most instances to have been pushed up from the level 

 plains without the accompaniment of foothills. 



Water, so wanting in New Mexico, is found here 

 in bountiful quantity and good quality, but a few 

 feet beneath the surface, and the surrounding soil 

 is superior for cultivation. 



The situation was a very interesting one upon 

 our arrival that sunny morning; not only from the 

 large number of men employed, but from the im- 

 portance of the railroad connection, unequalled be- 

 fore in the annals of railroad building, with the ex- 

 ception of that of the Union Pacific and Central 

 Pacific roads at Promontory in Utah in 1869. Be- 

 fore we reached the town we found a large force 

 engaged in ballasting the newly -laid rails, and many 

 teams passing up and down the track. 



At the connecting point, from fifty to a hundred 

 tents were pitched, with a motley collection of teams, 



