Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1891-10-17
IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENT.
supt. Risque Talks of the Plans Of
the Oerrillos Coal & Iron
Company.
History OF q Valuable Property-.A Strong
OrganizatiOn-Will Build
Railway Line.

Concerning the great coal and minera
deposits in Santa Fe county and plans fo
their immediate development, the St
Louis Globe Democrat says:
The purchase OF extensive new Goa
fields in New Mexico by syndicate Of
wealthy st. Louis gentlemen, called the
Cerrlllos Coal & Iron company, as men.
toned in last Sundays Globe Democrat,
has, as was then foreshadowed, been
consummated. Mr.. F. w. kisque re-
turned from New Mexico yesterday and
made his report to the st. Louis syndi-
cate. Two or three of the gentlemen OF
the syndicate were in conference when
the Globe-Democrat reporter visited the
office of the Kansas & Texas Coal COM
pany yesterday afternoon. Mr.. Risque
formerly resided in New Mexico, and his
father, some forty-tive years ago was in.
terested in this property. The property
is known as the Ortiz mine grant, and
covers almost $4,000 acres. 1t contains
gold, silver, copper and iron deposits and
anthracite and bituminous COAL 1t is
located about twenty-six miles southwest
of Santa Fe. The present deal includes
the coal fields of the grant, which cover
about q, 900 acres, and which were sep
arated from the original Ortiz grant about
eight years ago, making separate and
distinct company. II has been owned,
however, until recently by the same
parties that owned the Ortiz grant as
whole. The Ortiz mine grant has most
romantic history. 1t was granted to a
celebrated general of the Mexican army
considerably over 100 years ago by the
crown of Spain for distinguished services
as one of the royal representatives in
the Western Hemisphere. The grant
was then settled by two large towns,
which then contained a population Of
several thousand inhabitants each. A
garrison of Mexican cavalry was main
tanned on the grant to protect the settlers
from the hostile Indians that occupied
the country farther north. The mines
were worked by the Mexicans for upward
of fifty years with great success, and the
precious metals taken were sent to the
City of Mexico under armed escort. This
was examined by the geologists
of the government soon after the acquisi-
ton of the territory by the United States,
and several reports by government geolo-
gists sent out there for that purpose can
be found in United States reports of re-
sources of the country after the treaty of
Hidalgo Guadalupe, and has always
teen understood to be one of the richest
as a whole, in the United
States. 1t was at one time sold in Paris
% French syndicate tor $4,000, 1000.
This occurred just after the civil war, but
he sale was broken up by vicious litiga-
ion, injunctions, etc., of Irresponsible
nen for the purpose of personal gain.
The history Of the ownership by Ameri-
,ans dates back to the year 1857, during
he presidency of James Buchanan. The
ransfsr was brought about by the Hon.
T. A. Rencher, of North Caroline, who
vas appointed governor of New Mexico
" President Buchanan. Governor Rench
II served as governor of New Mexico until
he outbreak of the war, when the con-
ederates marched up from Texas and
aptured the country. 1t WAS afterwards
etaken by Gen. Candy. During Gov
rnor Rencher's incumbency at Santa Fe
10 conceived the idea OF purchasing the
property of the Ortiz mine grant. He
ourneyed to Washington, d. g., on leave
# absence, where he formed syndicate
o purchase the grant. A trip from Santa
1e to Washington at that time consumed
months time. In this syndicate about
he year 1858 all the prominent politicians
# that day were to greater or less extent
In fact many Of the govern
nent officials and large majority OF the
snators and representatives in congress
we're stockholders. This fact was after