South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-09-21

Las VEoAs. N. H., Scrt.. 10.

plOTaiOus Oh the w cSterO country last
season ut the southern border of Col.
orado, after having pretty thoroughly
canvassed the resources, character
istics, and prosf ects of that State
Agreeable TO promise, have return
cd to the field, aud. taking up the
work where left it, have started on a
tour OF investigation tkro' the adjo;n.
ing Territory OF New Mexico. The
last point OF importance in passing out
of Colorado into New Mexico. on the
Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe Rail
road. is Trinidad, which, though i'm
Colorado, lis essentially New Mexi.
can town and supported by Mexican
trade. 1t lies just at the foot Of the
mountains, and the famous Spanish
peaks are in full view. The first set
Element here was in 1861. but the
town got no start until 1865. There
arc now between three and four thou
sand inhabitants, large percentage
of whom are Mexicans, though the
leading business men arc from the
States. The trade done here Is large,
" with shcep.growers. whose occupa-
ton is the principal industry OF this
region. Leaving Trinidad the train
enters the mountains, going up the
Ration Pass to the tunnel, which is six
teen miles distant This tunnel is g.
600 feet long, and ia the gateway to
New Mexico, travelling by rail
You are in Colorado when you enter
it and in New Mexico when you come
out. On both sides of the road here
coal mines in abundance are seen,
from which Il medium quality of bit
luminous coal is delivered at eighty
cents per ton on the cars. The scene
~ along here is very grand, riveiing
in some places the canon of the Ar
kansas and the Garden of the Gods.
The eastern boundary line OF the
Territory of New Mexico is 3l5 miles
long and the western 800 miles. The
average breadth of the Territory s
335 miles and its area 12l, 201 square
miles, or II SOS, GAO acres. Its surface
is composed of valleys,plains and lofty
mountains. Entering from Colorado,
the Rocky Mountains are found in
two distinct ranges: the eastern range,
highest and most rugged of the two,
extends only to the vicinity of Santa
Fe; while the western range, known
at the Sierra Madre, extends to the
southern limit. forming connection
with the Sierra Madre of old Mexico
Many of the peaks of the eastern range
are above eleven thousand feet high
and crowned with perpetual snow
The great inter-mountain plateaus
have an elevation Of from five to eight
thousand feet, and the valleys, OF
which the Rio Grande ia the most Irn
portaut, are from three to five thou.
sand feet above the sea. Nearly two.
thirds of the Territory lies east Of the
Sierra Madrc range, and the southeas
tern portion, or 'staked plains, is high,
level, and comparatively unproduc
tive. South of the eastern range, be-.
tween the Pecos and Rio Grande Ri
vers, is a series OF valleys, comprising
the most valuable portion OF the Ter.
ritOry from an agricultural stat dpoint.
The most important river in New
Mexico is the Rio Grande del Nortc,
which rises in Colorado and flows
south between the two ranges Of noun.
tains; and the second river in size il
the PeCos, which rises in the eastern
range, within the Territory, and, flow
ing south, joins the Rio Grande in
Texas. SO much for the geography
and topography of the Territory ]
have gathered at the outset, largely
from Mr.. Chas. s. Glccd's little work
on the subject.
In 1880 the Territory OF New Mexi.
co contained about loo, 900 Mexicans,
twenty-five thousand Indians, and 25,-
600 Americans. Since the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fc road completed
its connection with the Southern Pa
citic the American population has in i.
creased rapidly and very likely it now
comprises fully one third of the total.
One Of the chief drawbacks to cmipra.
ton is the uncertainty concerning pri
vate land grants. The Spanish kings
and the governors of Now Mexico
used to cedeto their iavorites. for pur.
poses OF colonization and for gain,
large tracts of land now known as
private land grants When the Uni.
ted States took New Mexico by con-
quest IT was agreed by the treaty sign
ed IN 18is to sustain all these proper.
" rights. The law of Congress of
August 4, 1854, extended the terri
toriaI and civil Jurisdiction over the
additional territory acquired by the
treaty Of 1853. whereby the treaty of
Guaicioupc llidalgo became opera.
tive through the Gadsdcn purchase.
Before perfect title can be secured
the grant must he confirmed by Con,
gross. Up to the present time forty,
SIX grants in New Mexico have been
confirmed. How many grants there
are that have not been confirmed and
not presented is not known. 1t is
/ due 10 all that something sbCul1 bo