The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1879-07-24


A correspondent Of the San Francisco
Bulletin has written quite an extensive
Communication to that journal ON the az
rituturai and mineral wealth of New Mex
leo and Arizona. The probable effects OF
the several lines of railroads now being
built into these Territories. The article
is to the point and portrays in forcible
manner, the wealth and advantages OF
this country. He says:
In New Mexico the railroad by long odds
runs through the best portions of the Ter
ritOry; IN Arizona, leaving out the mines,
the worst. There isn't much of Arizona,
outside of her mineral wealth, that is.
comparatively and If ever that is devel-
oped to an extent she will have New Mex
leo to thank for it. There can be no ques-
ton of the existence of mineral to a most
remarkable extent in Arizona. The hills
and mountains are full of it and in places
wonderfully rich. Unfortunately. howev-
er, there is an exceedingly limited sup
ply of water. and outside of the mesquite
brush no fuel worth speaking of. With
the completion of the Santa Fe to Arizo-
ma the latter difficulty is entirely remov-
ed; for New Mexico is in many places lit
mired SO cheaply that the question of sup
ply becomes simply one OF TRANSPORTATION.
The Galisteo coal fields, between Santa Fe
and the Rio Grande and through which the
road passes are of enormous extent and
the coal declared by experts to be anthra-
cite, equal to Pennsylvania coal. 1t can
be mined and placed upon the track, to a
profit, for 81 per ton, and at one cent per
ton per mile could be placed at the Arizo-
ma line for 81, 50 per ton. Some c0ncep-
ton of the extent of these fields maybe form
ed from the fact that were 200 tons ship
ped per day for the three hundred and ff-
teen working days of the year, but twelve
and three tenths acres of the six thousand
acres would be exhausted. The San Pc
dro fields, further down the Rio Gran1e,
are very extensive, and the coal of excel
lent quality costing 3,25 per ton on the Ar
izona line. This question of coal on the line
of the Santa Fe becomes of great
est importance, not only from the fact
that there is no coal whatever on the line
of the southern and Texas Pacific. All in
all, New Mexico is incomparably the rich.
est of the territories of the Union. With
a mineral wealth exceeding it, she has a
much greater agricultural area, while in
fruit possibilities she has no rival east o
California. Her copper interests must in
time, become of even greater Importance
to the country than those eff Lake Super.
Tor; for even now, the district mines, near,
and extending over the Arizona line, pay
$50 per ton for charcoal and $40 dollars
per ton for OK team transportation to end
of track, and completes with the Lake Su.
perior district in the great markets of the
East. With railroad facilities and cheaE
fnel the copper products of New Mexico
can pe placed in the Eastern markets al
ten cents per pound-the present price
is sixteen and a half, with greater mar.
gin of profit than now. The agricultural
area of the Rio Grande is fully half mil.
lion of acres. and though it has been set.
tied from one to three centuries, not one
in ten is under cultivation. And such
cultivation! They pillow with a stick, hoe
with sharp-pointed pole, NOW with a
hoe and thresh with goats. All the hogs
are chained up, the dogs run loose, and
cattle are yoked by the horns. In fact
what they call farming is but mere
scratching in the ground, and they 20
through with it precisely as their fore
fathers did three hundred years ago.
There is no development of the mineral
resources worthy the name, and, although,
New Mexico was peopled long before the
Pilgrim Fathers landed in New England,
its great wealth underground has been
undisturbed for century. Everywhere,
almost, are traces Of early, and in some
instances very extensive work upon mines,
done away back in the time Of the Span
rrl,