The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-09-18
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
LAS VEGAS, N. M, Sept IA, 1888.
Your correspondent ended his explora-
tons of the western country last season
at the pretty southern border of Colorado,
after having pretty thoroughly canvassed
the resources. characteristics and pros-
poets of that state. Agreeable to promise,
have returned to the field, and, taking
up the work where I left it. have started
on tour of investigation through the
adjoining territory of New Mexico. The
last point of importance in passing out
of Colorado into New Mexico. on the
Atchison. Topeka g. Santa Fe railroad, is
Trinidad, which. though in Colorado, is
essentially New Mexican town and sup
ported BY Mexican trade. 1t lies just at
the foot of the mountains, and the famous
Spanish peaks are in full view. The first
settlement here was in 1861, bat the town
got no start until 1865. There are now
between three and four thousand inhabit-
ants, large percentage of whom are
Mexicans, though the leading men are
from the states. The trade done here is
largely with sheep growers. whose occu-
patton is the principal industry of this
region. Leaving Trinidad the train enters
the mountains, going up the Ration Pass
to the tunnel, which is sixteen miles dis,
tant. This tunnel is 1000 feet long. and
is 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 medium quality Of bituminous
coal is delivered at eighty cents per ton
on the cars. The scenery along here il
very grand, riyaling in some places the
canon of the Arkansas and the Garden oil
the Gods
The eastern boundary line of the terri
tory of New Mexico is 345 miles long ant
the western 800 miles. The average
breadth of the territory is. 1856 miles and
its area 121, 201 square miles, or 1865,
$40 It's surface is composed of valleys
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 SAINTS
Fe; while the western range, known as
the Sierra Madre, extends to. the southern
limit, forming connection with thu
Sierra Madre of old Mexico Many OF TIL
peaks of the eastern range are above II :
900 feet high and crowned with perpetus
snow. The great inter-mountain plateau
have an elevation of from 5000 to 500
feet, and the valleys, of which the Ri
Grande is the most important. are from
$500 to 5000 feet above the sea. Nearl
two thirds of the territory lies east of thu
Sierra Madre range. and the southeastern
portion, or istaked plains, is high, level
and comparatively unproductive. Soutf
of the eastern range, between the Peco
and Rio Grande rivers, is series of val
leys, comprising the most valuable por
ton Of the territory from an agriculture
standpoint. The most important river il
New Mexico is the Rio Grande del Norte
which rises in Colorado and flows soutI
between the two ranges of mountains
and the second river.in sizeis the Pecos
which rises in the eastern range, With
the territory, and, flowing south joins tn
Rio Grande in Texas. So much for tn
geography and topography of the terri
tory l have gathered at the outset, largel
from Mr. Chas. S. Gleed's little work o
the subject.
In 1880 the territory of New Mexic
contained about 100, 900 MexIcans, 25, 90
Indians. and $1,000 Americans Sine
the Atchison, Topeka 81 Santa Fe roa
completed its connection with the Soutl
ern Pacific the American population hs
increased rapidly and very likely it nov
comprises fully one-third of the total
One of the chief drawbacks to emigration
is the uncertainty concerning private Ian
grants. The Spanish kings and the gov
ernors of New Mexico used to cede
their favorites, for purposes of colonies
ton and for gain, large tracts of land no
known as private land grants. When th
United States took New Mexico by cor
quest it was agreed by the treaty signe
is 1848 to sustain all these property right
The law of congress of August 4, 1856
extended the territorial and civil jurisdit
by the treaty of 1858, whereby the trea
of Gaudeloupe Hidalgo became operativ
through the Gadsden purchase. Befol
perfect title can be secured the gra
must be confirmed by congress. Up
tile present time forty-six grants in Ne
Mexico have been confirmed. How mai
grants there are that have not been col
6rmed and not presented is not know
1t is due to all that something should
done by congress at once towards estaI
fishing q commission which would ha
authority to examine into the origin
papers, and having all the powers al
jurisdiction of a territorial court, wou
be able to determine, with q great degr
Of certainty, the difference between
fraudulent and perfect grant 1t Isl
open secret in New Mexico that lar
number of the grants which have be
confirmed, are and were fraudulent
every particular. PHoNo.