The old Abe eagle. (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 189?-189?, 1892-09-22
PAST AND PRESENT.


from the Wilmington Oel) EUery
Eueniag was communicated to that
paper by Chas. H. Gallagher, who has
large interests in this vicinity, and who,
few weeks ago, visited this city:
Leaving Gallup / took the railroad
and visited El Paso, Texas This is
thriving, busting town of about 12,0C0
inhabitants, located on the Rio Grande,
and opposite Juarez in Old Mexico Ell
Paso is the centre of system of rail
roads, the Southern Pacific, Texas
Pacific Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe,
Mexican Central, and 1 think one or
two others, and now the Denver-El Paso
Short Line, which is to connect Denver,
Pueblo, Trinidad, Las Vegas, White
Oaks and Ell Paso in one direct north
and south trunk line is to centre there.
So that if railroad terminals will build
large city Ell Paso ought in the near
future to be one of, il not the largest
city in Texas.
Speaking of this new road reminds me
that, my business calling me to White
Oaks, l took the stage at Carthage and
rode over plains and mountains a dis.
tance Of 20 miles to this growing town.
1t is eurpr sing how the town has grown
within few years. Gold was dis
covered think in 1879 or 1850, in the
mountains around White Oaks; gold
quartz and rich. This Of course would
bring in the inevitable prospector and in
year you found every mountain side
filled with prospectors' stakes and loca-
ton notices. | was here in the winter of
1890, and the place was very dull and
the people hocking to new finds in other
localities; Just about the time | left one
of the owners, John Y. Hewitt, of the
"Old Abe mine, told me that he thought
they had made strike" on the "Old
Abe" mine, and sure enough subsequent
examinations showed that they had. The
result of the strike is that they have
taken out IN less than two years over
S3C0,000 in gold over and above expenses.
OF course the town shows it in its i'm
proved appearance. Solid and pretty
business buildings now adorn its bus
iress street, while handsome and costly
residences grace the many beautiful hill
side residential sites. And the very
thought of railroad coming in inspires
them all with hope, and they feel proud
Of their little mountain hill city.
The country abounds in iron, lead
gypsum, soda, marble and sand stone
and has in itself material enough to make
it the largest and busiest city in the Ter
rItory. The one drawback to the country
is the scarcity of water; still they get it
and have enough for ordinary purposes
as well as to run the five stamp mills
which are here, The gold seems to
abound in the Baxter mountains, as also
III the Jicarillas, distant about ten miles
The soil Is prolific; only the scarcity of
rain is the great drawback, bat in time
this will be romedicd by irrigation, On
the whole, my t,ip has been a pleasant
one, and ! have seen much TO please
interest and instruct.
omitted to state that the engineer
of the Denver FL Paso Short Line told
me todey that they expected TO complete
the new railroad in one year from it's
ommenctment, and further that the
financial arrangements we're being com
pleted, go that in a short time they hoped
TO be able to begin work at three points,
viz: Trinidad Las Vegas and El Paso.'