The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-05-27
NEW M Ex1CO.
A Mon,anisn Satisfied With Two weeks Resi-
dence.

Frank Woody, Esq, came to Montana SO
soon after 1t was made that the chronicle Of
Journalism runneth not to the contrary. IL
has been case of mutual satisfaction, except
that somewhat impaired health suggested
to Frank that by getting all his worldly goods
into money, finding some pleasant village
home for his family and taking to the hills
and dalss daily in the care Of band Of stock
in some more temperate cline he might have
more physical enjoyment. He had heard al
Turing tales of New Mexico and to that land
he bent his steps. He left Missoula April ~
and returned here May "a In the meantime
he went ria Denver az far south as Socorro.
on the Rio Grande, little town on the satin
pa, aIlel within 100 miles Of FL Paso. He is
satisfied and returns to remain. Asamineral
country, but little is yet demonstrated in New
Mexico. With q few rare exceptions the
mines are as undeveloped a. they were In
Montana ten years ago. In the Magdalena
and Black Range Mountains, where the great
excitement now is, he was informed that
there Is not shaft sunk thirty feet, although
there are hundreds Of locations. Near So
zorro the Torrance mine is developed with a
700 foot tunnel and yields rich ore, but that Is
the only developed mine in the region.
As an agricultural and grazing country 1t
impressed him unfav0rably. He saw a mar
row strip OF fertile land on the Moro river,
east of Las Vegas and the Rio Grande valley
from Wallace to Las Cruces, distance OF
perhaps $50 miles, contains o strip Of fertile
bottom land that will average about three
miles In width. The arabic lands are confined
exclusively to the river bottoms. There are
some favored spots remote therefrom where
small bands of sheep and cattle are raised,
and stretch Of coudtry between Las Vegas
and the Ration Mountains Is said to be favro-
able for grazing, but the cattle are all OF the
most inferior Texas breed. Scarcely any
horses are raised, but donkeys and goats
abound. There Is no timber except along the
streams, and that is stunted cottonwood.
Nearly all the lands are held anier Spanish
or Mexican grants, and all the farming he
saw done, except by one man, was by Mexi-
cans. They raise wheat, beans and red pep
Der In patches, after the Indian style. The
oats, beef, hay, -four and butter used by the
whites II nearly all shipped from Kansas.and
their fruits and vegetables from California
He does not think there is pound OF butter
made In New Mexico. They have some good
little vineyards and give the grape some at
tention, but pay no attention TO other fruit.
Although vegetables abounded in California,
he saw none on the hotel tables In New Mex
leo. and those offered for sale were brought
from California The greater part OF the
farming is done withe old Mexican plows In
primitive style.
About nine-tenths Of the population are
Mexicans. Eight Of the other ten are from
Kansas and the other two from Missouri,
New York or Pennsylvania. There Is no code
n here, and the common law II In force when
enforced at all. There IL mach outlawrv In
the booming railroad towns, and the best o. :
der In the Territory Is ut Socorro, where there
are about 800 whites who have organised y
aut-class Vigilance Committee. Santa Fs
| has population Of 1000, Of whom LOO are
whites. Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Socor-
| re- contain about the same proportion, but
very many Of tho old Mexican towns along
the Bio Grande have no white residents
| whatever. The railroads are peopling the
| larger cities, but uninproved property Is held
| too high and the towns are largely dependent
upon the development Of the mines.
| The natives are rather squalid and ill-look-
| ing people generally, and are surpassed In
dress by the Pueblo Indiana, Or Astecs, who
| inhabit the country. These all dressin white
and aru really neat, comedy looking people.
/ Judge Warren, formerly Aasociate Justicc
or Montana, Il In Santa re, partner Of the
| Inv arm Of Fiske B Warren, and doing >
good business. 7. n. Mallory, - Old Mon
tana prospccfor. was = socon0. had been II
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