Weekly miners' express. (DuBuque, Iowa) 184?-1849, 1849-03-27
GOLD IN NEW MEXICO.


The voice Of scra phi bids thee welcome hthcr,
And lights Of angels sing thee to thy rest
GOLD IN NEW MEXICO.
The following Extract from Doctor Wis
lirenus' memoir of tour to Northern Next
co IN 1916, shows what has been done in the
way of mining, in the neigborhood of Santa
Tc.
A third much neglected branch OF indus
try in New Mexico are the mines. Great
many now deserted mining places in New
Mexico prove that mining was pursued With
greater zeal in the old Spanish times than
at present, which may be accounted Tor IN
various ways, rs the present want Of capt.
NJ, want Of knowledge in mining, but cs-
pecialv the unsettled state of the country
and the avarice of its arbitrary rulers. The
mountainous part Of New Mexico are very
rich in gold, copper, iron, and some silver.
Gold seems to be found TO q large extent in
all the mountains near Santa Fe, south Of it
distance of about 100 miles, as far Us Gron
Quiviru, ard north for about 100 miles up
the river Sangre de Cristo. Throughout
this whole region gold dust has been album
dainty found by the poorer classes of Next
cans. who occupy themselves with the wash
mo Of these metals out Of the mountain
streams. At present the old and the new
| Placer, near Santa Fc, have attracted most
attention, and not only gold washes, but
some gold mines too, are worked there
They are, so for as my knowledge extends,
the only gold mines worked now in New
Mexico. But as have made from Santa
Fe an excursion there for the special pur-
| <,To I CT for
the reader, in relation TO them, to that clap-
ter of my narrative. AS to the annual y
mount Of geld produced in New Mexico.
am unable to give even an estimate. But
as nearly all the gold Of New Mexico is
bought up by the traders, and struggled out
Of the country to the United States, be-
licve that closer calculation Of the gold
produced in New Mexico could be made in
the different mints of the United States,
than in Mexico itself Several rich silver
mines were, in Spanish times, worked at
Aso. a, Cerrillos, and IN the Nambe noun
tains, but none at present Copper is found
in abundance throughout the country, but
principally at las 'Iijcras, Jcmas, Abiquiu,
Guadelupita de Mora, etc. | heard Of but
one copper mine worked at present south of
the Piacert. Iron, though alro abundant}y
found, is entirely overlooked. Coal has
been discovered in different localities, as in
the Ration mountains, near the village Of
Jemez, southwest of Santa Fc, in place
south Of the Placers, etc, Gypsum, COM
mon and selenite, are found in large guam
titles in Mexico; most extensive layers oft
| understood, exist in the mountains rear
Algodones. on the Rio del Norte, and in the
neighborhood of the celebrated ''Salinas.' -
1t is used as common lime for whitewash-
ing. and the crystalline or selenite instead
of window glass. About four days travel
ling probably 100 miles, southeast Of San
ia Fe, on the high table-land between the
Rio del Norte and Pecoe. are some extern
sive salt lakes or ''salinas," from which all
the salt (muriate of Soda used in New Mex
leo is procured. Large caravans 60 there
every year from Santa Fe in the dry sea-
son, and return with as much as they can
transport. They exchange, generally, one
bushel of salt for one of Indian corn, or cell
| it for one and even two dollars bushel,
Not far from these salinas the ruins Of all
old city are found, of the fabulous "la Gran
| Quiyira." The common report in relation
to this place is, that very large and veal
thy city was once here situated. with very
rich mines, the produce Of which was once
or twice year sent to Spain. At one sea-
son, when they were making extraordinary
preparations for transporting the precious
metals, the Indians attacked them; wherc-
upon the miners buried their treasures,
worth so millions, and left the city togetll-
or; but they were all killed except two, who
went to Mexico, giving the particulars o.
the affair and soliciting aid to return. But
the distance being SO great and the Indians
so numerous, nobody would advance, and
the thing was dropped. One Of the two
went to New Orleans, then un!er the do
minion ofSpain, raised 500 men and started
by way of the Sabine, but was never heard
of afterwards. So far the report. Within
the last few years several Americans and
Frenchmen have visited the place; and, al-
though they have not found the treasure,
they certify at least to the aqueduct, about
10 miles in length, to the still standing
walls ofseveral churches, the sculptures of
the Spanish coat Of arms, and to many spa
cious pits, supposed to be silver mines. 1t
was no doubt Spanish mining town, and
it is not unlikely that it was destroyed in
1850, in the general, successful insurrection
of the Indians in New Mexico against the
Spahiards. DR.. Samuel G. Morton, in a
late pamphlet. suggests the probability that
IL was originally an Old lnolan city, INTO
which the Spaniards, as in several other in
stances, had intruded themselves, and sub
sequently abandoned it. Further investi
cation, it is to be hoped, will clear up this
point. #'. 'a.'@| w.
IMPORTANT TO THE PREss.--The New
York Superior Court has decided that news
papers have the right to publish police and
judicial reports, and that any true and fair
report is not libel. This decision also set
ties the question that if the facts connected
in an article are trde: it cannot be the sub