History and government of New Mexico . A Pack Train murdered people and plundered the settlements almost atwill. When pursued by troops, they generally escapedwithout suffering serious harm. Even though punishednow and then, they were still uncontrolled. 144. Travel and Communication. — Travel, therefore,was nowhere safe. Nor were there any roads except theIndian trails across the plains, through the mountainpasses, and along the rivers, which had been worn intorough highways by the horses, carts, and pack trains 120 THE HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO of the Spaniards. Travel over these roads was slow
History and government of New Mexico . A Pack Train murdered people and plundered the settlements almost atwill. When pursued by troops, they generally escapedwithout suffering serious harm. Even though punishednow and then, they were still uncontrolled. 144. Travel and Communication. — Travel, therefore,was nowhere safe. Nor were there any roads except theIndian trails across the plains, through the mountainpasses, and along the rivers, which had been worn intorough highways by the horses, carts, and pack trains 120 THE HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO of the Spaniards. Travel over these roads was slow anddifficult. Yet the large and generous hospitality whichhad been one of the fine traditions of the people from theearliest days of the colony made the wayfarer in the settle-ments sure of shelter when night came on. Beyond New Mexicos borders the gates were every-where still closed at the beginning of Mexican times,except over the one long trail to Chihuahua. Then MBr. Spanish and Mexican Carts quickly came the Santa Fe Trail from the Missouri River(sees. 124,128) and the Gila and Spanish trails to California(sec. 131). Over the Chihuahua road the Mexican govern-ment established a regular mail service to Santa Fe twicea month. By the forties it came only once a month andvery irregularly at that. Santa Fe and Tome (to-ma),near Belen, were the only post offices in all New Mexico. 145. Commerce and Industry. — The opening of thesenew trails, especially the one to the Missouri River, revo- THE MEXICAN PERIOD 121 lutionized and multiplied the trade of the province manyfold in a single generation. Formerly the one long trailfrom Vera Cruz and Mexico City had been the only sourceof supplies from the outside world. Now American andNew Mexican traders were bringing many thousands ofdollars worth of goods by regular caravan over the shortertrail from the Missouri River every summer. New Mexicono longer faced south, but east. Her front door was notthe Rio Gr
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