The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-07-04


simply one of transportation The Gal
isteO coal fields between Santa Fc and
the Rio Grande, and through which the
road passes, are of enormous extent, and
the coal declared by experts to be an
.tllracite, equal to Pennsylvania coal. 1t
can be mined and placed upon the track,
to profit, for one dollar per ton, and at
one per cent per ten mile, could be
placed at the Arizona line for $3.50 per
ton. Some conception of the extent of
these fields may be formed the fact that
were two hundred tons shipped per day
for the three hundred and fifteen working
days of the year, but twelve and three
tenths acres of the six thousand acres
would be exhausted. The San Pedro
fields further down the Rio Grande are
very extensive and the coal of excellent
quality, costing 1928 per ton at the
Arizona line. This question of coal on
the line of the Santa Fe becomes of
greatest importance, not only from its
easy access and cheapness, but from the
fact that there is no coal whatever on
the line of either the Southern or the
Texas Pacific. All in all, New Mexico
is incomparably the richest of the terri
tories of the Union. With a mineral
Colorado, if not indeed exceed
ing il, she has a much greater agricul-
tural area, while in fruit possibilities she
has no rival east of California. Her
copper interest must in time become of
even greater importance TO the county
than those of Lake Superior, for even
now the Clifton district mine, near, and
extending over the Arizona line, pay $50
per ton for charcoal, SO per ton for OK
team transportation to end of track, and
completes with the Lake Superior dis
trict in the great market of the east.
With railroad facilities and cheap
fuel, to the copper products of New
Mexico can be placed in the eastern
markets at ten cents per pOund-the
present price is sixteen and a half-with
greater margin of profit than now. The
agricultural area of the Rio Grand valley
is fully half a million acres, and though
it has been settled from one to three
centuries, not an acre in ten is under
cultivation. And such cultivation
They pillow with u stick, hoe with sharp
pointed pole, NOW with hoe and
thresh with goats. All the hogs are
tie are yoked by the horns. In fact,
what they call farming is but the mere
scratching of the ground, and go through
it precisely as their fOrefathers did three
hundred years ago. There is no devel-
Opment 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 Il
century. Everywhere, almost, are traces
of early, and in some instances every eX-
tensive work upon mines, done away
back in the time cf the Spaniards.
FINE AGRICULTURAL REGION.
While Arizona so sadly lacks water,
New Mexico, until you leave the Rio
Grande westward, is fairly watered and
there are many charming little valleys
for four hundred miles along the line of
the Santa Fe road. l never saw finer
natural agricultural region than from
the New Mexico line west to Tucson.
The San Simon fiat, just this side of the
line, is beautiful stretch of level cOun-
try thirty miles in width and a hundred
or more in length. 1t is sheltered east
and west by high ranges OF mountains,
and were there drop of water the drain
age would be perfect. But there is abso-
lutely no moisture upon ali this magnifi-
cent expanse for eight months in the
year. Still the heavy growth of gramma
grass indicates soil of remarkable native
richness. This, true of the one vallay,
Is equally SO of the others, the ranges
from the Numbers river, in New Mexico,
to the San Pedro in Arizona, one hundred
and fifty miles, there is not one stream of
living water. There is, however, little
question of finding water by digging for
it, and sufficient supply is found almost
everywhere for mining operations other
than placer. No little interest has been
craeated about Fort Bowie, in Arizona,
over the recent rich strikes IN the Los
CabeZes district. In fact, there are doubt
less, rich strikes to be made in any and
all the mountain ranges Of Arizona, and
to 60 into detail would take about "a
weeks time
EFFECT OF THE NEW CONNECTION ON
SAN FRANCISCO.
The completion of the Southern Pa
cific and the Atchison, Topeka and San
Ia Fe, the two constituting new and the
second line across the continent, cannot
but prove a great benefit to San Francis
co, for it gives her another strong grasp
upon the commerce of the coast, and cen
tiers another grand railway highway in
her already splendid system of roads.
East, Kansas City will probably derive
the greatest benefits, comparatively, as
being the principal eastern terminus of
the Santa Fee, she cannot but feel the i'm
petus given all material interests by
direct connection with the Pacific Coast.
With three distinct lines of railway from
Kansas City, and with her present con-
nectiOn with Omaha via the K. c., st.
J. and G. B. r. R., st. LOUIS must gain
much by the completion of the new line.
Chicago becomes the great center-the
first eastern junction with all the lines
extending toward the coast. Via the
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy she
connects with the Union Pacific at
Omaha via the Chicago, Rock Island
and Pacific, the Santa Fe at AtchisOn
and the Union Pacific at Omaha. The
Chicago and Alton has constructed its
main line to Kansas City direct and con-
meets with the Santa Fe there, while the
Chicago and Northwestern connects with
the Union Pacific at Omaha.-San Fran
cisco Evening Bulletin.