The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-07-06
Socorro's Boom.

QUALITIES. Tue OOOIn il quiet, no DluS-
ter mol furry. 80 quiet Is it that even
the local papers but barely hint at It's
existence and extent, and it is as vet
hardly a rumOr in even Other secti ons
of the county to say anything of more
distant points. The boom is there,
however, strong and lusty, and there
is no %gaInsaying the truth that So
corro's future vas never SO bright be-
fore, and the prediction is justified by
the work already begun that her
growth will be the most rapid and
permanent from this time forth of any
place in New Mexico.
The unwOnted activity which at
present appears at the county seat to
surprise the visitor is the result Of the
operations of the Billings shelter COM
pany ard the Atchison. Topeka & Santa
Fe railroad, both Of whom are giving
employment to every idle man to be
found and who are scattering their
money broadcast among the business
men of the town. Neither of the
companies talk, but they are at work.
They keep their right hands so buslly
Employed that this member has no time
to gossip with the left hand. They
make no promises and satisfy no pry-
ing Toms regarding their purposes and
intentions. Thus it is that the residents
have no knowledge of that which is TO
be done except as the work progresses.
The people of Socorro can show Il visit
or that q RAILROAD grade IS being con
structed westward from a point on the
A. T. & 5. +. track a little south of the
depot toward Ethc south end of the
SOcorro mountains. They can show
him that the grade is completed a dis
tance of a couple of miles and that
three surveying parties are engaged in
the work of tracing, locating and set
ting grade stakes beyond this in the
direction of the Magdalenas and Black
iohSVs "hllO IuC sl duSlo W OlIC HullDtI
of two or three hundred men and
teams are pushing ahead as fast as pos
sible. Surmises as to its destination
are numerous, but actual knowledge on
the subject is not public. a few weeks
ago when Mr.. Billings informed the
people of Socorro that lie had decided
to build a smelter here he also vouch-
safrd the information that the Santa
Re folks would run a switch to his
works whose site would be a couple of
miles west of town. That was all that
was known of the matter until one
evening last week when a tram side
tracked at the depot and began jump
ing off men and mule teams and un-
loading scraperS, shovels, etc. After
this every tram arriving brought men,
teams, wagons. and other necessary par
aphernalla for railroad building until
now the town is crowded with fine
large mules drawing transfer wagons
and the line OF the grade marked out
is alive with labOrers. The people be-
gan to wonder that such an array of
labOrers and implements should be
necessary for the construction of a two
or three mile switch but the mystery
is explained by the work running past
the smelter site without apparently
taking note Of 1t and striking off around
the mountain. There are strong evil
dences that the line will be run through
TO Benson to make the connection with
the Guymas line but there is only
clrcumstantial evidence to guide to
such conclusion.
Regarding the Billings smelter infOr-
nation is more definite. Mr.. Billings
and partners are Utah men who have
a thorough understanding of the bust
ness they are about to engage in. They
first purchased the Kelley mine in the
Magdalenas which mine contains an
immense amount OF low grade ore that
S"hiOo w SUI pdooCu IOl lux. lley
then concluded to put up large works
where they could treat not only their
own ores but also the entire produc-
ton of the territory. Their plans are
for a plant of one hundred tons daily
capacity and they are using all possible
diligence in pushing the work. The
side tracks at Socorro are crowded
with cars loaded with material which
are being emptied as fas: as possible
! and beside this large quantities of ma
terial are being purchased of Socorro
Merchants. Four hundred thousand
rick and many adobes have been con-
racted for and one hundred and
wenty doors and windows have been
released in town for use in contem-
fed offices and boarding houses at
ks. The Billings people stand
b the railroad company and it
Le that they will be enabled to
3 OF transportation which
Socorro control OF all the
bres of New Mexico. THIS
{ the effect of bringing addi-