Golden era. (Lincoln, N.M.) 1884-188?, 1885-01-29
OUTLOOK OF THE BONITo.
A Mining Camp With Picturesque
Location and Bright Future.

To no section of Lincoln county
does the coming season bring greater
promise than the upper Bonito. This
stream rising at the foot of Nogal
peak flows directly through the
mountains for at least ten miles,
forming valley, fenced in as it is
by rocky barriers Of unsurpassing
beauty and granduer and whose
productiyeness outrankS the valley
Of the Nile, and whose magnificent
scenery rivals the vale of Cashmere.
The valley dips gently from the foot
of the lofty peaks on either side to
the centre, where runs the laughing
river and is dotted here and there
with groves of lofty pines. The
side canons, as we'll as the less
abrupt mountain sides, are also gen.
orally we'll tirnbercl, which is des-
tined, at no distant day, to make it
the lumber region of the county.
The land along the entire valley is
taken up by small ranchmen Or
miners, who either turn their atten-
tion to raising grain and vegetables
or to raising cattle and very fire.
quently both, for nearly every far
mer has small herd of cattle rang
ing on the hills where the grass is
always very abundant and nutricious.
No soil in the world will produce
larger vegetables. Three pound
potatoes, four pound onions and
thirty pound heads of cabbage are
not uncommon productions here. A
turnip was raised here during the
past season that weighed fifteen
pounds, in fact vegetables grow en-
tirely beyond the crodulity of the
states farmer.
Rich as the valley may be in all
that goes to sustain life and add to
the comfort Of man, the real wealth
Of this magnificent region lies in the
heart of its grand old mountains,
where nothing but the dauntless
energy of a determined will, with
pick and drill and tircless hand can
unbar the doors and open up to the
world the rich treasures so well
guarded since time was.
Much systematic work has already
been done. Quite enough to show
that, with judieious Investment Of
capital to which is brought fair
amount of mining experience and
good sense, this can soon be made
the best silver producing district
east of the Eio Grandc.
To illustrate this, let us look at
two or three claims which are in the
mostadvanced stages of development.
and we will begin with the China
man lode. This property was bought
two years ago by a Kansas company.
of which J. NJ. Armstrong, of Brul-
ington, is president, and l.. N.
Stacher and w. G.. Grabcndike re-
spectively treasurer and secretary,
with headquarters at Ottawa. The
development at the time of purchase
was a shaft 80 feet deep on the vein,
which showed about a three-foo
breast of fair grade galena ore, com
bined with sulphurets and carbonatcs.
The com pany at once let a con-
tract to G.. A. Feaste and others to
sink the shaft to depth of 200 feet,
which was prosecuted with a reas-
enable amount of diligence. At
depth of 45 feet the vein began to
pinch until it narrowed down to less
than foot, but the mineral made
corresponding increase in grade.
Beyond the G0-foot level but little
change was noted until the shaft had
reached depth of 1S5 feet, when
the vein began to widen very mate
rally and soon assumed its true form,
being firmly in place between gran
itc walls and five feet wide of solid
mineral, argentiforous in character,
and running s1S to the ton.
During the past season the com
pany have been engaged in running
a tunnel to cut the lead about u
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