Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-08-18
THE RICH HONDO DISTRICT.
The Beautiful Taos Country and Its
Mineral Deposits.
A Good Description Of the Rich Ores and
Valuable Mines in Taos County.

Special Correspondence of the New Mexican.
TAOS, N. NJ, Aug. Is, 1S91.-I earnest
ly advise people going to Taos, say from
Santa Fe, to 60 via Tres Piedras. The
new road from there, but twenty-nint
miles long, is very good one, and the
50 which it costs more from Santa Fe tc
reach this place, are very we'll invested,
TAOS VALLEY
is no doubt beautiful spot, and
the view from the place where
Grandview addition to Taos is now, is
unsurpassable. Wheat fields stretch as
far as the eye can reach, and still it may
be estimated that but one-third OF the
splendid soil covering all of the valley is
now under cultivation. What a chance
for thrifty, pushing farmers Water to
irrigate is there in plenty, and never fail
ing, for the Rio Lucero, Rio Pueblo, Rio
Seco, Rio Taos and Rio Grande de Taos,
fed by snow and everlasting mountain
springs are running through it in every
direction. l will not say that the pres
ent cultivators of the soil and the people
of Taos are not an industrious, 60 ahead,
set, for found them so to be and also
found them very accommodating and
hospitable, but there is room for many
more. | have nowhere in the terri
tory found more English speaking Span
ish-Americans than right here in this
valley.
AS for the
RIO HoNDo MINES,
about fifteen miles northeast from Taos
and in regard to which at present Arroyo
Seco, postoffice, nine miles distant, is the
objective point for business transactions, l
gave you in my last letter general re-
view. If you intend to visit the district
90 from Seco to the headquarters of the
Copper Age Mining & Smelling COM
pany, where Mr.. and Mrs. A. Helphen-
stine will take care Of you not only in an
accommodating but really enjoyable man.
ner. Then you are in the center of the
district.
GOLD HAS BEEN FOUND
in creek beds and dry arroyos
on the west side of the noun
tains long before the arrival of Americans
mines have also been worked by Span
iards and by Americans after them, or
since 1853. Up the Rio Hondo, from the
mouth of the canon, there are two dis
tinct characters of ores. South and east
from Helphenstine's place. on the south
fork Of Rio Hondo, which emptes into the
main creek about one and one-half miles |
above Frazier's saw mill-are carbonate
mines averaging from 80 to 80 per cent of |
lead, so to go ounces of silver and from
$l8 to $40 in gold, with three-foot veins
increasing in value as depth is attained
Four mines are in full operation here and |
quite number of claims worked.
About two miles up from Helphen-
stine's, where the Rio Hondo divides into
northern and eastern branch, are on
the east fork VIM. Frazer's Nazareth |
Lode, Wigmam and Silver King mines.
The first of these has been worked most |
and extensively. The character of these |
mines as we'll as OF all others which are
located above All elevation of over 10000 |
feet is the same. Ore veins occur in |
schist, are from ten to twelve feet wide |
with we'll defined foot and hanging walls,
have a strike from southwest to north
east, dip of about 35 degrees and pay |
streak from one and half to two feet |
Below the Nazareth, Mr. Frazier has some
arastras; ores are brought down on pack |
animals. East of the four mentioned |
mines, toward Pueblo peak are numerous
other locations and