Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1882-09-16
A NV IExIoAN LETTER.
s11ysR Cry. Mn San,

EDITOR INTELLIaf fNcER:-I pro-
pose to furnish A1, Grsicle for your
paper sionally' as there are many
of the old residents Of Lafayette
county living here. | thought il
would be interesting to some of your
readers 10 learn something about
them aud the country. When came.
10 this country eight years ego the
rugged aud mountsinous aspect i'm.
pressed me very unfavorably. Thirty
five miles west of Silver City enly
one little ranch (Mr. Meica,n's) ex.
isted; not q settlement was ON the
Upper Cysta. My family was the
first that moved in the valley. In two
or three years the WI ole beautiful
bottom lxuds were taken up, aud now
cattle are 10 be eeen upon y thousand
plaIns.
AS cattle raising aud grazing
country i: is far superior to Missouri
or any Of the states; no feeding re-
quired at any season ot the year. But
the great wealth Of the country COLI
sists in its mines of gold. silver aud
copper. A great sale Of copper mines
has just taken place. The Porter aud
Crawford and MetcalG mines near
Chieftaia Brigaud, has just taken place
for three millions OF dollars. zoo. .00O
dollars was paid in cash, aud SO, ,0OO
dollars to be paid every month until
the whole is paid. THIS purchase in.
cludes the Losenshey Longiellow
mines. Mr.. Robert MetcaIff gets 3OO..
600 dol ars; Mr.. James r. Metcaif1
who moved from your county about
ten years ago. gets 105 600 dollare
Charles Shannon 10000 dollars; Ed
Polt, his cousin, 20, 600 dollars; Bey lei
Shannon between 2 and 8 thousand
dollars, connected with these minel
and close by them Charley Shannon
owns half interest in q mine will
Gen. BehH Hughes, of Denver. They
have just bonded this mine for 600,
600 dollars SO , Ou zee Charley viii
be soon up in the hundred thousands
, This is pretty good for Lafayett,
. county boy, is il not -? l have u,
doubt but this news will give muci
pleasure to the numerous friends o.
Mr.. Shannon in old Lafayette. So 70,
} see that there are possibilities o
, getting rich in this country a littI
sooner than In Missouri The eur,
road to independence aud wealth i
, cattle raising. Any young maj
J coming out from Missouri with
hundred helfer calve, would get ricl
In q few years. Prospecting is to-
uncertain; where ono gets rich
thousand fail.
Silver City is rapidly increasing fl
, population. wealth and prosperity
} Eight years ago the nearest railroa,
. point was 700 miles off. now it is q
| Denver. 80 miles off and 200 me-
. are at work grading the road bed L
t Silver City. aud before March mex
> the whistle of the locomotive will b
/ heard echoing from the lofty heis sht
. OF Nenas Atlas. Silver City was
: poor looking place eight years age
l nearly all the houses being dolby; no,
/, there are many substantial aud ele
t gsut brick buildings, stores with iro
, fronts and large plate glass window
A hotel is just being finished with al
the modern appliances aud improve
!. ments of the northern hotels and man
v other buildings are being erected
t The fact 10 the city is putting Oh tn
e airs of commercial emporium. Til
u constant arrival of long trains q
Y wagons from Deming, the uulosdln
9 aud relOading goods for the numerou
d mineral camps make q great deal {
Il hustle and activity in tho city. Ther
9 are two house in Silver City, eithe
|, Of which soils more goods ia 4 roe
Q than every house in Lexington iu
# month. AT another time l will writ
q you about the agricultural produ,
. tions of the country and its cspaci,
l. in thia line of industry. If any OF Il,
y osd friends of l. ,fayetts will pt
n questions to lie III reference to th
r country | will answer them wit
I pleasure.
II JAMES SHAcKETroRn