The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1889-01-12
OUR COAL FIELDS

John w. Iiarriton, of the firm
of Shicklo, Harrison & Howard
Iron Company, st. Louis, was re-
Gently interviewed by the FL Paso
Times, and ancng the many state
ments he made commendatory of
" hite Oaks, we extract what he
had TO SAY abont White Oaks coal:
&" was greatly surprised at the resourc
es Of the country. 1t is, in by opinion,
after full investigation the best undevelop.
ed country in the U. S. The reason why
II is undeveloped is, no, that its resources
are unknown. but that it is difficult of ac
cess and the parties now located there
have not the capital to develop il. Ihaye
seen report from II. Hartman, Of the L.
). corps OF engineers at Santa Fc, giving
maps and elevations, and nv examina-
ton OF the country leads ne to believe
with hilA that it is by far the best part of
New Mexico for all purposes. whether
mineral or agricultural. 1t is abundantly
supplied with water, timber, coal, iron.
gold, silver aud ether metals "
Bat is there sufficient supply OF coal
and iron at White Oaks TO make that regi
on of Grcat and permanent value to Ell
PAso %
" That question will answer not mere
~ irsm hsarsay testimony, but from my
own personal inspection. There is a
stretch of country of not less than $500
acres, and probably 1900 acres covered
with three strata OF coal, each stratum av
eraglng feet in thickness, making a to-
tai thickness of I2 feet of coal. It's there
fore one of the most important coal depo.
sits in the L. S. There are, it is true. stra.
tn near the surface of the ground which
arc broken and full of shale, clay and III.
IKE. making them valueless. But beneath
them are the strata Il have mentioned
which are of great value. These three
''ratlhcations are found in three mines
known rs the Parker, Gordon and the
Cochran. The coal is excellent. and of
The best quality for cooking especially
that OF the Cochran mine. The mine ha,
sandstone roof and Is valuable mine"
How about iron p
The iron deposits are simply immense
For about emile stretch there is n vxst
deposit V"r feet deep of specular and
magnetic iron. was at Birmingham, Al
ao@ma when the mineral resources of that
locality were being developed, and became
familiar with them. and tell YOU there Is
more valuable deposit and better quail
lty OF iron anc. coal otWhte Oaks than at
Birmingham. With its apparently unlim
lied deposits OF excellent coal, of high
%rade iron ore, of perfect marble that va
RES in color through all shades from white
to black. and takes on beautiful nolish
with ease. of lumber of many kinds and
excellent quality-with all these LEADING
resources besides gold. silver lead, COP.
per and other metals the White Oaks dis
lrict Is bound to be populous and thrifty
aud a most valuable feeder to some civ |
in the west or southwest And | do not
see what city that can be except FL Paso
II |ere young man starting in busi-
nc's, would not look for more promis |
Ing or prof table opening than to start an |
iron plant in El Paso to-day.
From my knowledge of the White
Oaks country do not see how anyone
could give an unfavorable report of it, ex-
ccpt from very superficial examination. |
On first looking at The coal fe dis one gets
AN unfavorablc impression because he
secY only the broken and shaly top forna !