Las Vegas free press. (East Las Vegas, N.M.) 1891-1???, 1892-08-10

1t is mainly a gold camp, and de-
spite the disadvantages it labors under
has a fine output, and with the ad
vent of this road will undoubtedly
become the heaviest producing camp
of that metal in the west. 1t has
also good coal mines near by, and its
black marble quarries will furnish a
large tonnage to the road. This
marble has been tested in several
places and pronounced equal to the
best Italian. No better recommen-
dation could be given than the Kan
sas City firm give who examined it
and Immediately sent in an order for
a stone 5x3 feet and a foot thick, but
the order could not be filled as there
are no facilities for quarrying. The
place will furnish a large business to
the road by reason of the increase in
population it will receive as soon as
the road reaches it.
Just south of White Oaks are the
Captain, Sierra Blanca and Sacra-
mento mountains. The tract they
occupy is about 75x4O miles, and is
as fine country as can be found any
where, and with its diversified pro.
auctions will support a population
equal to the same area anywhere in
the eastern states. The valleys all
through these mountains are the
very finest for agricultural purposes,
being finely watered and as good land
as in the territory, while the noun
tains furnish fine grazing for stock,
besides being covered with fine pine,
cedar and spruce timber. These
mountains are also full of mineral
and will furnish lots of business for
a railroad. In the upper part of this
tract are the Salado coal fields, of 20
square miles, of excellent steam and
coking coal, the veins being from
four to nine feet thick.
The advent of the railroad will
soon build up large towns in this part
Of the country that will furnish a
great business for the road.
Below these mountains, at La Luz,
there are hundreds of acres Of fine
variegated marble, samples of which,
polished, M. Ropes has in his office.
There is an almost endless
variety of these marbles, each
variety being from to 20 feet thick,
and the vein or ledge total thick
ness of over 200 feet. They range
in color from white and light blue
to very dark brown, and take fine
polish.
West of Tularosa and La Luz are
400 square miles of gypsum sands on
the line of the road, that can be put
on the cars at a cost of 81 per car.
Gypsum has been found to be very
valuable to put on alkali land, as it
neutrallzes the alkali. These sands
will be found to be IN great demand
ere many years, to use in the territory
as fertilizers.
Further south are the dry lake
beds that are impregnated with salts
of soda and nitrates. These will
undoubtedly furnish one of the most
valuable industries developed by the
road. The United States uses over
4OO,OOO,OOO pounds of soda per year,
of which more than nineteen his is
imported. 1t is extensively used in
the manufacture of glass, of which it
is about ] 5 per cent. The fields of
this soda are inexhaustiblc and will
give an immense tonnage to the
road.
In the San Andreas mountains are
immense bodies of galena ore, con-
tanning 80 to so per cent of lead and
a small amount of silver. The Or
gan district also Will be tributary to
this road. 1t is rich in all the met
als-gold, silver, copper and lead,
East of the Organs are the Jarilla
mountains, good silver producers.
Mr.. Ropes says in the White noun
tains he has been shown galena veins
from ~ to 80 feet thick, and veins
of iron ore from 10 to 20 feet thick,
containing 90 to 20 per cent of fine
iron, but all at present valueless on