The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-04-14

great many idols in the villages, ana every |
house had q chapel dedicated to some evil |
genius Onate, on taking possession OF the
covntry, entered upon o most successful courses
the most successful of any OF the officials.
Under him many new missions were established
and mines were opened and worked. But the
enslavement of the Indians by the colonists
who compelled them to labor in the Mines was
the cause of the overthrow of the lourshing Span
ish power. The cruelty to which the Indians were
subjected was too much for them to bear. They
made several Intellectual attempts to rid them
selves of their oppressors, and finally in 1859
drove out the Spaniards and recovered the
country as far south as FL Paso del Norte
After several attempts the Spaniards regained
possession of the country in 1893, which they
then held for nearly two centuries. General
Kearney, in 1876, took Santa Fe with United
States force, and soon after conquered the whole
territory from Mexico. 1t was then coded to
the United States and has since been several
times altered in boundary as before stated
The present population is of mixed charac-
ter composed of domesticated nomad Indians,
Mexicans, Spanish and Americans. The
Spanish is the invariabe language. 1t is both
spoken and written. The proceedings of the
Territorial Government in both the Senate and
House are carried on in this tongue, but they
are printed in both Spanish and English. The
capital is Santa Fe. The government officers are
a Governor, Secretary, Purveyor of Public Funds
and Superintendent fIndian Affairs with salaries
ranging from $4,000 to $4,000 per annum. These are
allappointed by the President. The legislative
power is vested in Governor and Assembly
consisting of Council and House of Represen-
tatives The Council has 13 members, chosen
by the people for two years, and the House 26
oil Tod 10 fba
census reports of 1860 the Territory had one col
iege seventeen public schools and two acade-
mics, with total attendance of 515 In 1866,
out of population of 93, 516, there were 81, 233
persons who could not read or write, and there
were no free schools in the whole Territory ex-
cepting those taught by the Sisters of Charity of
the Roman Catholic Church.
The greater portion of New Mexico is noun
famous, and some of the largest mountain
ranges in North America run through the Terri
tory, among which are the Rocky Mountains
and other smaller ranges. The elevation of
Santa Fe the capital town, is 1000 feet, while
the mountains near, whose peaks are covered
with snow rise to the height of IL 900 feet above
the level of the sea. The climate is variable.
Near Santa Fe and in the mountainous district
the winters are severe. In the southern por-
tions the temperature is mild being seldom be-
low the freezing point. In this district the sum-
mers are very hot, the temperature ranging
from 90 to 100 degrees. But the whole Territory
is considered very healthy. The sky is generally
clear and the atmosphere dry. The rainy sea-
son In the southern part is in the months of
July and August. Diseases are few, and pulmo-
nary complaints are hardly known. Rheuma-
tism is more prevalent on account of the habit
of sleeping on the ground.
TIE agricultural parts of the Territory are the
bottom lands near the rivers and small water
courses. The Rio Grande is the principal river,
which rises in the northern part and flows
southerly nearly the whole length of the coun-
try. The valley of this river is the principal
bottom land. 1t varies from one to fifteen miles
in width. 1t has light soil, and by artificial
irrigation the same land can be made to yield
two crops in the year. AS there is but little rain
this artificial irrigation is necessary. 1t is ac-
complished by damming the stream and leading
the water over the valleys by canals and ditches
There is canal for this purpose near El Paso
which is twenty miles in length. Agriculture is
carried on in primitive way, with hoe and
wooden plow make from foraed tree, such as
is used in Syria and Persia. By this means the
surface of the soil only is disturbed but this
seems sufficient for the purpose. There are
no fences, though some fields are protected
by the bitches, along the edges of which
bushes grow thereby making hedge. Accord
ing to the census of 1850 there were then In New
Mexico, not including Arizona, $3.50 farms with
1876, 20l acres of improved lande. The cash value
of the farms then, including implements and
machinery, was 81, 731 ,912, which figure is now
very much larger Stock raising is the most
profitable source of income, it being better
adapted to the country than the cultivation of
1he soil. Immense fiocks of sheep are raised.
as well as a great number of mules. Portions of
the high plains, valleys, and lesser hills are
covered with grass sufficient for the pasturage
of millions of animals and it is not necessary to
protect them in the winter. Horses mules
cattle, and sheep can Craze through the whole
winter season. The only impediment to the
raising OF stock is the incursions of Indians but
these are daily becoming less frequent, and in
some parts they are now unknown In the hilly
region there is much land we'll tmbered with
pine, oak, and cedar.
The mineral resources are great but this
branch of industry is much neglected. Gold
silver copper lead and zinc exist in abundance
The gold mines hav5 been worked for q lonc
time, but have not yielded very heavily on
account of bad management. A gold mining
company has qaartz crushing mill at the Gowr
of Pinos Altos. The quartz worked is taken
from The Pacific lode and yields from $50 tC
$3.50 of gold per ton. The cost of mining ant
delivering the ore az the mill is estimated a
$3.50 per ton, and OF reducing it and separating
the col 7, So. Between 1882 to 1885, when TIT
mining operations were most flourishing, from
$780, 600 TO 100000 were taken from the golt