Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-11-04
NEW MEXICO.
An Interesting Report Submitted by
Gov. L. Bradford Prince.
Early History of the Country and the EX-
perience of Some Old Zine Travel
Crs- Agricultural and Miner
al Resources-A Plea
for Statehood.
pccIal Dlspatch to the Globe.pemoeEat.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-Gov L. Brad
ford Prince, of New Mexico, arrived in
the city last night, and to-day he sub
mitted his annual report to the secretary
of the interior. The particular subject
upon which Gov. Prince grows enthu-
siastic in his report is the resources Of
New Mexico. He declares that this ter
ritory is endowed with q greater variety
and extent of natural resources and adj
vantages than any other section Of the
country. California is the only state
which he admits in any degree will ap-
proach it. He cites at length the variety
Of minerals, the agricultural products,
the facilities for grazing and stock grow
ing, and the great possibilities for manu-
featuring. He says New Mexico has al
ways been a favored spot, and in this
connection Gov. Prince cites some his
tory, perhaps more or less legendary, but
nevertheless interesting.
"Clavigero relates that centuries ago."
says the governor in his report, "the
Toltecs, leaving their old homes in the
northwest, about the year 800, journeyed
toward Mexico, Sowing the land with
corn cotton and other plants, the seeds
of which they carried with them Cabeza
de BaCa, the first European who ever
trod on New Mexico soil, tells us not only
of cities of permanent dwellings OF great
height, but in his narrative infinitely
describes the products of tie country and
the food Of its inhabitants. So enormous
was the number of buffalo which he
found grazing along the Pecos for dis
lance OF thirty leagues that the traveller
called the people OF that section the Cow
nation
CORN, BEANS AND PUMPKINS.
"All through Texas he had seen no
cultivated grain, but no sooner had he
arrived in New Mexico than he met with
fields Of corn, and they increased in OK
tent continually as he proceeded into the
territory. Soon after he mentions q
place, still east of the Rio Grande, where
he was Toasted on beans and pumpkins
After crossing the Rio Grande he speaks
continually OF the beans, corn and Gala
basas, SO plentiful that the Spaniards
gave thanks to heaven for their album
dance; and also of the shawls or blankets
of cotton which the people wore. Here
he also found amole root used for soap,
and the inhabitants provided with shoes
of leather. OF minerals he speaks of
galena and marquesite, of bell OF cop
per, of turquois and OF emeralds. The
| travellers who came after emphasized
this description of products, and add
somewhat to it, as might be expected
from their greater advantages. Marcos
de MIA, of 1910, tells Of the long gowns
of cotton worn by the people OF Cibola
(the modern Zuni), and OF the cotton
clothing found all along the route which
he followed. He also mentioned that the
chiefs explained to him that at Toton-
teac are little animals which furnish wool
from which clothing is made This is
the first notice that we have Of native
wool in this country. This greatly inter-
ested Marcos, as it was his first intima
| ton OF the existence Of sheep in the
country, and it is of interest to-day as
| tracing to its earliest record the great in
dustry which now gives support to more
OF the inhabitants OF New Mexico tn an
almost any other.
| COTTON GOODS AND TURQUOIs.
cat Tiguex and Cicuye, the two great
towns Of that day, both situated in central
New Mexico, Coranado year later found
all the people clothed in cotton garments,
in some cases supplemented by mantles
of leather. At Cicuye presents of cotton
goods and turquois were made to the
Spaniards, and at Tiguex Coronado de-
nanded from the people q contribution Of
no less than 500 pieces OF cotton stuff for
clothing for his soldiers. So rich was the
soil of the valley of the Rio Grande that
Castaneda says: The soil is so fertile that
it does not need to be worked; when they
SOW, the snow falling covers the seed, and
the corn starts underneath. The harvest
for one year is suf1icientfor seven. When
they begin to SOW the fields are still COW
cred with the corn that has not yet been
gathered" In short, we learn that the
history of New Mexico has always been
one Of agricultural, pastoral, industrial
and mining success; that the time is not
known when its villages were not the
home of prosperous cultivation, its plains
not covered with herds Of cattle, its hill
sides not covered by the wool producing
sheep, its mines not worked for both
metals and precious stones. 1t is an in
spring end suggestive thought, that while
the whole Atlantic coast and Mississippi
valley were the homes of rowing tribes,
and covered with an almost unbroken
forest, New Mexico was raising cotton and
wool for clothing, corn, beans aud melons
for food; was manufacturing good -four
and fine pottery, building great cities Of
terraCed four-storied houses and excavat-
ing her hills in search of her precious
metals jewels. We need not be surprised
that with such q history and with the
natural advantages which made that his
tory possible, we are able to-day to make
the claim which | have put forward, Of
possessing the greatest variety Of resources
of any part of tho great American repub-
lic.'"
LAND TITLES.
The governor calls special attention to
the subject Of land titles in that territory.
The governor briefly reviews the history
VI CONGRESSIONAL aCtloH Ill tlle matter, III
the course of which he says:
Matters were in this very unsatisfac-
tory condition when the late surveyor
general made them worse by endeavoring
TO unsettle the few things that were sup
posed to be determined. Taking up cases
which had been decided twenty five years
ago, when the testimony as heard by the
then surveyor general was satisfactory,
he approved a title, and without notice to