The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1883-07-27

married and had families.
I
The tertio-millennlal celebration al
Santa Fe is not the success that it was
hoped rnd expected to he. The show is
as good as could be expected, but the
grand rush of expected visitors is want.
ing. 1t has been discovered that the
eastern people cannot be induced. by
any ordinary attraction, to undertake a
journey across the arid plains of Kan
sas and down into New Mexico, which
they will persist in believing has all the
heat of hades, in spite of all that may
be told them to the contrary. COmpar-
atively few people from the states have
visited the celebration, and of these so
few have been mining men that the
RANGE is satisfied that the Black range
missed nothing by having no ores OH
exhibition there. Had the tertio at
tempted to run no longer than a week
or ten days it might have been made
a success, but when it was extended to
six weeks, it failed through the weak
ness of its length. The American pop
ulation of New Mexico is too few to
sustain so big a thing, and Mexican as
sistance is not to be depended on.
AtSocorro this week the editor of
the RANGE found but little change in
affairs since the first of the month
when the new boom was first men
toned in these columns. The railroad
is graded to the smelter site and the
cars are running nearly there. The
surveyors were eighteen miles from
town in the direction of the Magda-
lenas, and grading, it was reported
will begin September first. The
charter for this line calls for forty-ive
miles of road aud this distance will
take them to about the center of the
San Augustine plains. 1t is not likely
it will stop there but 1t is more
likely that it will go directly
through to Benson. If it does build to
Benson it is not likely to come nearer
to the range than Engle is now for it
will cross the north end of the plains
striking the San Francisco river at its
nearest point and following it down.
Tins will be an easy route and will
open up a valuable agricultural and q
rich mineral country. The Billing
smelter is pushing the construction
work as fast aslpossible and 1t hopes to
be ready for work by September first.
Some contracts for ore have already
been made and an agent will start out
on the road at an early date to secure
all the workable ores of New Mexico.
1t is reported that they will pay Pueblo
prices for ore anduC is sure that special
freight rates can be secured by this in
stitutiOn. The works will cost $780,.
OO0, estimated. The magnificent sum
of $4,000 is paid for freight on ma
chipery alone. In the matter of busy
men and teams SocOrTO is lively, for
the streets are constantly crowded by
these, but the town has not sufficiently
recovered from its late heightened bust
ness depression to feel the effects of
the life-current. There is more paying
of old debts than there is purchasing
of new goods. This state of affairs Will
soon pass and then life and animation
will reign. When the good times do
finally start the cart Of progress this
time there will be no stoppage Of the
wheels, for the men who are building
the smelter are Inexperienced in their
business to make Il failure of the
scheme, and the smelter if successful
will form the neuples for a solid city.
There is a quiet rumor in Socorro that
Grants smelter will soon be removed
from Denver to that point. 1t is simply
arumor and it is given here for only its
own worth, but it is not IN impossible
tale.
New Rates TO Santa Fe.