New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-30
FORTUNES IN GOLD.
UNGATHERED AND UNENJOYED FOR WANT
IF WATER
VAST PLACER DEPOSITS IN THE TUERTo VALLEY
POSSIBILITY OF SINKING ARTEs1AN
WELLS.
lSnoa 1rDccAsroSAL coRREsPoN

xnOn NJ OCCASIONAL CORRFSPONDEST OF THE TRIBUNE
santa Fe. V. NJ, July 24.-Forty miles southwest
from santa Fc lies the valley o the Tucro surrounded
by mountains except at It's outlet toward the Rio
Grande. The region Is picturesque in the extreme
the landscape artist would revel in lis charms. The
mesaS dotted with pinOn trees viewed from a
distance look like uXuriant orchard. The atmosphere
is clear that mountains ninety miles away are
seen with distnctness that makes one feel that he
could drive to them within few hours. This purity
Of the air cheats the senses Of one who has spent
his life in the humid atmosphere Of the Atlantic
Coast A stranger who sees a habation in the dis
lance make calculation as 10 the time that
it will take him to reach it. and not only is his
vision extended but his hearing IS marvellolsy
qu,ckcned. The writer has lain upon his couch in
Golden a village at the head OF the Tuoro. and at
midnight heard the trains on the santa Fc Railway
as they came 10 stop. the blowing Of the whistle ana
the pua-pun OF the locomotive rs IT came into ana
departed from Wallace, distance OF twenty two miles
as the crow flies. At the head Of the Tueito Valley
rises the Tnerto Mountain with three four peaks
about the same height $500 feet above the sea level
Due north from the Tuerto Mountain, about six miles
distant Is the ortiz group standing isolated from all
others a cluster OF dozen or more peaks 80 pohtH
and crowded together that from whatever point they
are seen they might better be named the Cathedral
Mountains. Due west from the Tucrto ana twenty
miles away Is the Sardia Mountain, unlike any
Of the Others il 1000 feet high and looking
and southery direction.
This territory bounded as above described Is cut
up and crossed by arroyo- which have their sources
in the mountains and common outl'' mo U'o
Rio Grande. These arroyos arr without water mo'V
Of the year and only when the SHOWS are mcu'hg rom
the higher peaks or there comes some sudden SVor"
Of rrc,, violence and rare occurrence can running
water be found throughout the entire length. Kan
comes So seldom that the soil cannot be cultivated
cxccpt bv irrigation and there are no sources oi
water in the mpnntlins from which supply 'ouil
be obtained for any extended farming purposes Inc
native Mexican needs but little water Tor domestic
u.r,. he dos not waste any water III aDl'u"'''
iut water 4, morr precious go him than whlskeY
ar bcor Every gallon that lie can save he n'edS
~, co bi,, more imp,rtant n,cs. There possibly
half a dozen perennial springs within an area OF
roo ,qunrc milc- Lut the supply T. 80 limited mat
MI, water noy, from them, but whatever trI" Is
Lu.b.nd.d with exceeding and made to nour'sh
scauty crop.
rl. ,lllacr Of Golden lie, about $500 feet above
on l,vcl II is said 10 have existed from remote
date uo-sibIv 200 years and also that at one time
If contained 900 Inhabitants but now it has dwindlfd
f., q collection Of ffv or adobe houses scattered
with rocklc. III regard OF streets method or symmetry
IN the distance j. look, like collection Of pgscIl"'
and ii improves hut little upon nearer acquaintance
The reader will wonder what could ever laV" attracted
f. possible 1000 people 10 th, barren. deNolae
,rt,.t Tho ans, or is gold which has tunnel tho
lr,iu, Of she human race from the dawn OF history
and which j, Just - potent 10 that rnd TO-DAY ~
when solomon sent his ship, for 1t arro>' th' most
distant Of the then known seas. Inc goa urF '''7
.,- = distance Of five or six miles up and down the
rcrio Valley and two or thice mf-- IN "ld'h ~"
claimed to be the richest that have eyer been found
oman Inc face II tho carh In hody and Of that
,<tcut Limited Iocaitc, have been found in can
foruia Australia and som" of the territories "i INC
tniiei states 81 equal richness. but -Hch pN"u''''
p.s was confined b gulohc> formed under i"rt"lt"u'
, .ir..m .tau,e, and sic di'y exhaust a. The lu'r'
,-,, has T., aurf.rou, origin 10 the fuero Nonntain
which ir ago past must hav" been III d win the g''
hearing mineral which becoming di>iut'r-t ~ upon
me mrfa.- rre0 carcl Us m" ciern~ni AWAY o"
toward the RIO Grnndc IN this way ana i'r oh-'n
81 time 81 which the human mind can have u" con
rcpt,on :hc mc.a, filed with gid dust have nc'n
| forming until now IN many places il j. hit} ic't
J,c, and ever, painful Of dirt VIII show gold in
/ washing The yer, mui Of the houses in Golden co"
,,iu. cold and after every storm when 'Wc'P-
down the br,nchc, Of thc TucFto Arr'y" ANA mt q,
| no Mexican, with their keen cye- VIII f'ilo" anu
pick up gold the surface which the storm h'' ~
posed.
For POO wears or moro tho native has looked upon
! ,,i. ul,rcr ground a, ms bank which meyer IA
! f. honor hi drafts on demand. From 'n elevated
p..ut on Ia. side Of the mountain ON" can count q
uou.,ud hole of the .2c ~ thu ordinary well i''
t.r IN th. Ia tern state, 0rom three 10 four feet
| In diameter. measuring from fifteen 10 HAN i'' I
t,tl, and ccucrl rs reaching 10 cdroCk Ihca hoF'
-n,s the work Of the pr'-cut and p'~t g'ne;nn'n>.
| IN, gold that Wa~ brought 10 The c0t't from SANTA
a.. ~ the traders 30 year, ago came from th'
! region. 49,
The character II the deposit differ, according 10 the
distance from Il, source ~ tho Iucrip Mountain N'A'
th. mountain the gold j, coar-er. sometime in mug
gets weighing several ounce. bat ordinarily 100 FiA
! "A mustard ,sffl IA" bi'I SolN y '''
| further and even I'VE miles from i' H''.''"' -
rrbc ward Of dirt g." yield a- good iti"ru a.
/ ''' .,,,,',it, az dirt nom the ..ouufliu base.
but "a, a General rule th" best paf ing Nc* h'\ we I'"
r,, nj, hat generally To- bed ro- b.ior, beginning
! ,o wash. IN" gravel AZ me '''''" pa - w.,
better than that nearer On" ,u.i"" 'n3t n 'Yn at'
! IN reject t.c lsor"r It t. impossible 10 lorIl AZ!
app,6Nnatc c,tln.ntc ~ the dssr -di" van" %. ,"'
pr.rou, metal her distributed, NOW ''"n- .' i,''
! f, ts.,rd IN 4 thousand places. NcNlnn~ are To
! tay .rattcrcd all over the tract with tncl 'Hu" "P
plnuc.,. getting their Aync. ,"n" "l tn,m Ht e.
lrrcuiI, Ia bed rock. while other N al tt"H>'N'@ 81
old hole, dug from NM 10 hundred l'';n AZ" e,,
Il j. commonly reported Their tImi ,lHtr h"sI', d,
have been found which vcr" North "-'VVJ '1'n. ~,
! nicr ha, ~',u uugf"'~ lirf'i lua" NV .r ~
! bnt suoh dhdS are exceedingly rare. inc 4N','Sc A.
% ., particles 'or col'r'' 80 tH'N M ,V ni -
puiul 81 dirt. II f. ard ara ''"'F" ,','' ~" T,,
! lima. painful can bc taken any where ~ r'"I to'
mi lcr 10 bed rock that viii not $40" '"lof' N,,
tho last wcra the writer wa wandering Over ,nr
! and came upon two M"Ni'Iuo NIo "'i- ""h.nE an
, Old -lan about forty feet deep which thr{ 't'd wa"
abandoned more than th!ri years a." ~" wa" t ,''
/ fholr procccdngs for conc um"t ~ TOOK thcH 'u'u
nalf AL hour To- get paniu Of diri from the S"Gni
Of tpr shaft and wash IT ont Ia Htt' p"dHIr "l n'9
! waiter which they made by bringing wafer rom nm
distance Arcr seeing two or tnr"" pan washer ~.
and int the Weld apparently UNIFORM AZ r'i', ~
The uc,i painful bciu- washed thu A. "'u'u u'
II ~ tncn and hc dld paving - cent, ,thGr "w D
49,. mat. of IL. NalucD. II COntJln"l u\ u''"dl '"ul
1876 particle, Of gold showing that II wa, NOT H'u' uP
! - uiirs,t,. and the weight Wa exactly one penny
! weight. equal Ia ~ In Ndluc. .,.,,, az nor
The Weld Of placer ground Is u-uaY 'hi'hl'o a. I
,tiltr ward and IN" accepted estimate Nv H'llv,t
I'm lien Of exact mca -urrmcnt /, 40 pans 10 thc Clhc
Yard fpon thl, basis Of calculation the ground a3NV
a.. .cri,.s, v-as having $40 dollars per cubic IarI
when such result, are possible the reader mlSm Hi'r
t an ,bc.. miner. were becoming wealthy, but ,i'h
! IL moi the act The truth j. that but few ~ thcn:
cc from the ground daily more lhan LeciJhlo IT,,
,,,,c. and those of them who have t'aHe anu az
wa, mont prefer that o the hiri>hlp9 ~ goIU
digging IN" mean, employed by ln'm tHu tH ar az
,nrv cr,d. and probably Tn" same a. HS'u Al ir -,
r,nnirg. !, url and shovel. shallow wooden DOW
hiding when hcapci about half peck anu PuHG" rc
/ 80 ,,,.cr are thc necessary aGJuitlN. y "''' =,
shown water is the most ihcu ficlor 10 oo,ti'l ar. h
| ---- ". hmm hsrLAnIrh L nCCOmLl,u wv