Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-03-18
TIE RAILROAD QUESTION,

puppets W III ltllpN SUN
As to what the Rock Island will do is
one OF those things which no fellow down
here, can find out. The general belief,
however, is that it will push on down
from Liberal, kas., to FL Paso, and that
it will 20 through White Oaks.
The Nugget suggests, however, that we
have been devoting too much attention to
the FL Paso road, and have neglected other
promising fields too long. For instance:
the Santa te Southern railroad, which al
though recently organized, is really the
old Texas, Santa Fe d Northern railroad
reorganized, ought to be extended south
from Santa Fe to Nogal. 1t will certain
ly be extended south to Cerrlllos, where
they have very extensive fields of magniti-
cent coal, this spring. This will increase
their business and will be paying extern
sion.
From Cerrillos to Nogal the country is
open, but heavily stocked with cattle.
which will yield some revenue. On each
side of the road will be the Oscuro noun
tains on the west, and the Gallinas, Jica-
rillas and White Oaks mountains on the
east.
In the Gallina mountains fine timber
for commercial purposes can be had,
while tie timber is abundant. In addi-
ton to this it is mining district OF no
mean pretensions. Quite number OF
mines in that district have been exploited
sufficiently to disclose large bodies OF
high grade smelling ore OF copper, lead
and silver. The only genuine lead car
Donate ore ever discovered in Lincoln
g, ~, tho Cali 10 t,,in no
district. The Jicarilla district will yield
timber and gold ore, but no smelling ore.
OF White Oaks it is unnecessary to
speak, its resources and developed wealth
are we'll known. Suffice it to say they
have three gold mills in successful opera
ton, producing bullion in paying quanti-
ties while its coal mines are equal to
those of Cerrillos.
At Nogal, the Santa Fe Southern would
tap the most extensive mineral field in
the west. Nogal and Bonito districts are
composed of the same mineral belt,
Nogal being on the north end OF the
mountains and Bonito to the south. The
two districts cover all area of about thirty
miles long, by fifteen miles wide, almost
every yard OF which is mineral ground.
1t is no exaggeration to say that hundreds
of good prospects have been discovered
and opened in these two camps, while
there are at least one dozen mines which
have been developed sufficiently to show
that with railroad facilities they would
yield very large returns.
We have smelling ore in the greatest
abundance-ores which will assay from
$40 to So 500 per ton in silver and from
rs to so per cent lead. In addition to
these we have the largest gold mines in
the world, the celebrated Parsons mine, Il
two-thitds interest in which has just
been sold for $50 ,000 is 600 feet wide, all
pay ore, while there are others ranging
from four, five, sixty and 100 feet in
width. This sounds wild and improba-
BILE, but it is really sober truth.
Water and fuel is abundant, while TIM
Der of the best grade for mining purposes
can be had on the Bonito in apparently
inexhaustable quantity.
Now then, let the Santa Fe Southern
be extended to this great mining camp,
and what would prevent Santa Fe with
its railroad communication north, south,
east and west, and with its cheap fuel
from Cerrillos, from becoming q great
except the laCR OF eueIKy Ant? vlNGt ing
on the part of its citizens
Will the New MEXICAN look over this
proposition and bring the matter to the
attention OF its people ?-Nogal Nugget.
The New MEXICAN is pleased to see its
southern friends awakening in this mat.
ter. 1t is not only possible but highly
probable that, if the proper efforts were
made, the people in whose interests the
above was written, would not have to
wait long before receiving some very en-
couraging news from this end of the line.
The hackers OF the Santa Fee Southern
have an abundance of capital, and they
stand high in eastern financial circles
but they are business men, and have no
money to build extensions unless the
people largely to be benefited thereby can
first make fair showing of business that
would come to the new road. If the
Santa Fe Southern is extended to Ger
rillos and San Pedro this summer it will
be because OF the fact that the people of
those two live camps will make a reason
able showing of new business for the
road. To this end data are now being
gathered, and the prospects are cheerful.
Between Cerrillos and White Oaks is
long stretch of sparsely settled country
which could scarcely be expected to con-
tribute much at the start to the prosperity
of line of road running through it, though
there are many points in its favor.
tits fine grazing section, with numerous
lakes, springs and streams, broad valleys
and fertile canadas, which would not
long remain unoccupied by the farmer
and fruit grower were it accessible byrail,
and besides construction work would cost
comparatively little. But whatever show
ing of actual business that is to come to
such road must necessarily be made by
the people of White Oaks, Nogal and
Bonito, and just here the question arises,
will they undertake it? Eel Paso, too,
might be enlisted in this behalf, for after
all that city would reap the bulk of the
industrial benefits to accrue from bringing
its already extensive smelling interests in
direct connection with such phenomenally
rich fuel, Aux and mineral producing CEN
ters az Cerrillos, White Oaks and Nogal. |
Santa Fe would prosper by the extension
If this road south, but it would not be in |
he line suggested by the Nogal editor
Is smelling center. That feature would
,ome directly to Ell Paso, and, indirectly
o Cerrillos, Nogal, White Oaks and
3onito.
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