Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-11-22
A New Mexican Representative
Writes Entertainingly Of a
Trip Through a Fertile
Region,
The Public Schools and the
Territorial School of .
Mines.
Socorro City and the Country That
Backs Up Her Claim of
Future Greatness.

Socorro county is the largest munich
pality in New Mexico. 1t extends from
about the center of the territory to the
Arizona line, having width of 164 miles,
east and west, and its greatest length is
ninety-four miles. Its area is about
13,96S square miles, or S,939,520 acres, of
which about 2,700,00O acres are noun
tainous and the balance fit for agriculture
or pasture. In order that the reader may
realize the truth of this bald statement, it
may be said that this great county is
about thirteen times the size of either
Rhode Island or Delaware; it is three
times larger than Connecticut, nearly half
as big as the great state of Maine, while
Maryland, Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and New Jersey are only
babies in comparison, it being once and
quarter greater than any of them. Such
is the empire to which the NEW MEXICAN
to-day invites attention, with the pur-
pose of portraying briefly few of its
many advantages and resources.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The Rio Grande crosses this county
almost on the line of the principal meri-
dian of New Mexico. The valley is bound
ed on the west by the Socorro, Magdalena
and San Mateo mountains, whose average
elevation is about 5000 feet, with peak
elimination uf over 10000 feet. On the
west the Sierra Oscura, part of the frontal
range of the Rockies, walls in the valley.
The first named ranges are very precipit-
ous ON their eastward faces, and their
rocks are granitio or eruptive in char
acter. The eastern mountains are of
sedlmentary formation and consequently
very absortive of moisture. This is evil
denced by the
NUMBER OF SPRINGS
that break out in the eastern part of the
valley. Whether or not artesian water
may be obtained within this wide valley
is a mooted question; but it is certain
that, with very small expense, ground
water may be developed in wells and
springs far in excess of the needs of pas
turage. Besides this, outside of the area
irrigable from the waters of the Rio
Grande, small farms may be created by
the development of the earth or phreatic
waters, whose produce of grain, grass,
roots and fruit will be more than suff-
cient for the support of the men engaged
in stock raising.
THE BOTTOM LANDS
of this great valley are from 1000 to
nearly 5000 feet above sea level, and the
trough of the Rio Grande in this county
is very wide. Thence west and across the
Magdalena range stretch the San Augustin
plains; into which the Black Range, Datil,
Aogollon and Pinon mountains intrude
their rugged fronts. Beyond which again
and fanking the great Cooney district
rise the snowy San Francisco mountains.
Between the Black Range and the Mogol-
Ions i
GREAT, TIMBER BELT
whose forests continue to the submits of
the bounding mountains; and within this
area runs the continental divide. These
roughly are the great physical features of
this interesting region. The minptia and
details OF its formation are too numerous
to be even glanced at in this paper. The
NEST
vAHIED GEOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
present themselves. Wide alluvied plains
rise into mountains whose breasts swell
with the precious metals, and all forma-
tions from the Archean rocks to the coal
beds of the Tettiary period are ex-
posed. 81
POPULATION.
The population Of this county accord
ing to the last census is $685. persons.
Practically, however, this only includes
tho inhabitants Of the valley OF the Rio
Grande, az little or no account was taken
Of the outlying ranchers and stockmen.
The people generally are progressive and
thrifty and of good moral habits. The