The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1881-01-29
The American Jerusalem.
The Old City of Santa Fe--Among the
Mines and Miners Of New Mexico.
SANTA FE, N. NJ, Nov. 10, 1880.


Mines and Miners Of New Mexico.
SANTA FE, N. NJ, Nov. 10, 1880.
EDITOR CHIEF:
Quebec nay have her wallis to give her
an appearance Of antiquity, but for real
dried-up, shriveled, yellowish old age
this ancient city of Santa Fe takes the
palm. When the traveller reaches New
Mexico it seems like getting into new
world, or perhaps better, an old one.
Every where he sees the native Mexican
with his swarthy skin, ragged clothes
and listless manner. Two to one he is
hanging around the depot, or if he is at
work he is cutting his wheat with a
crude sickle, or using q queer shaped
plow of old Noah's patent, for mind you,
the Mexican is two hundred years be-
hind our Eastern farmers and knows no
more about modern machinery than q
whale. When one arrives at the ancient
city Of Santa Fe he finds himself in the
oddest and oldest town in America. From
a distance the city bears a striking re-
semblance to collection of lime kilns,
for all the houses are of adobe q mixture
of mud and straw, sun dried), and the
only frame building in town is the
depot. At the hotel one does not need
the use Of III elevator, but is taken
around on the outside Of the building,
and enters his room from the narrow,
filthy street.
| Santa Fe is the oldest town III America.
In 1912, before Plymouth, Rock was
made famous, and wien New York was
but a swamp, Coronado found here
| populous town and how many genera
tolIs it had then existed, is one Of those
things mo fellow can find out" But l
find to-day that the town is fast losing
its ancient appearance. Every where
Americans are jostling the lazy Mexican,
and Yankee enterprise is cropping out
| with such rapidity that before many
| years all the remnants Of antiquity will
| he lost.
There are just at the present time hum
dre'is of enterprising young men pushing
into New Mexico, from all portions of
the East, eagerly intent on making their
| fortunes among the mines Of this newly
| developed country. The great wealth of
New Mexico is i'll her mines-in the
mountains Of silver aud gold that only
| need the touch of enterprise and indus
| toiled the old Spaniards for the shining
ore over two hundred years ago, and the
adventurers that are now pouring into
the Territory will carry on this "labor
| of love" in right good earnest. New
| mining discoveries are being made al
most daily, and New Mexico promises to
become q great prospecting camp for
the next five years, with results that
| will astonish the world. Baron Won
Humboldt said: "New Mexico cOntnins
the wealth Of the world" and it is now
| steadily being developed. Evidences of
mines worked in ancient times by the
Spaniards are found in many portions of
the country, and work has been renewed
| on them. The Jesuit priests prospected
in every direction and reported plenty of
gold and silver all through the noun
tains and now find as their successors,
the most enterprising of young mem
men who disfainful1y refuse to fetter
| themselves by conseDting to remain in
the overcrowded East, upon small .ala-
ries, but preferred to strike out. It is
| the men who have the sand in their
| craw" who come out here, and l have
yet to see single instance where they
are not doing well, and ninety ont of
hundred of them will be above want in
few years.
am not foolish enough to say that all
man has to do is to come here and pick
up wealth, it is not to be had here with
ont work any more than elsewhere, but
do aver, from long experience, that
man who is willing to exchange the So
called Injuries Of life in the East for the
fresh air and delightful climate of these
mountains, can be assured of fortune.
In this new Territory millions Of dollars
i'll gold and silver are waiting for the
prospectors. New mining districts are
being rapidly developed, which are rob-
bing the laurcls from LcadviIle.
! Perhaps the richest section lately dis
covered is the now famous White Oaks
district, and already it numbers among
its possessions the richest gold mine in
the world. The story of the discovery
Of this mine reads so much like romance
that must give it onr readers.
On the praries of Kansas lived sturdy
yeoman, by the name Of Dolan. Being
| an energetic man he left his wife to run
| the farm and he put out for New Mexico,
| where he had heard sucll fabulous stories
| of wealth and prosperity. For weeks
his wife did not hear from him, and last
August We found our hero and his pard
almost dead broke, and their enthusiasm
rapidly waning. He thought Of his lit
tie wife and children, and dreaded to
write to them that he had had no luck.
About this time they met Mexican
who claimed to have found large mug
get of gold, i'll Lincoln county, in the
neig ghborhood of the present White Oaks !;
and they wearily turned their attention
that way and commented work on n
placer, when another "strapped" miner,
named Wilson, came along and put in
his little with Dolan and his pard, and
taking some grub started ont prospect
ing. While eating his dinner, Wilson
i amused himself by chipping OFT the edges
of rock upon which he was resting.
and great was his surprise to find "color."
His first conclusion was that there must
be ontcroppings near, and abont twenty
yards from there be found the enchanted
spot, and located the now famous mine.
He at once returned to camp, and re-
porting his find offered it for sale. All
that Dolan and his pard had were three
&, silver dollars and few dollars worth of
gold washings. Wilson refused this, but
Dolan finally offered to throw in his
pistol, and the trade was made.
I The purchasers commenced work with
a vim, and when they had put down the
hole eight feet, five assays were made
giving the astonishing average Of s40,-
900 per ton. Dolan was happy; he was
a millionaire; and you can imagine how
long it took him to write full particulars
Of the joyous news to his little wife
and to-day he is wortl, millions.
i The account of this discovery is but
the history of hundred others. This