Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-12-27
lincoln
'''''7i Wales.
A Great Agricultural,
Pastoral and Min
eral Area.
Wide Stretches of Various
s---Grass-COyered
Plateaux; Lovely Noun
tain Valleys.
An Almost Virgin Field for
the Irrigator-- Good Lo-
cations on the Public
Domain.
A Short Account of the Interesting
A Short Account of the Interesting
History of Gran Quivira and
Its Buried Treasure.

Lincoln county, situated in the south
eastern section of the territory, is part of
the drainage area Of the Pecos river. 1t
is bounded on the north by Guadalupe
and Valencia counties, west by Socorro
and Dona Ana, east by Chaves and Eddy
counties, and on the south by the state of
Texas. Until 1889, when by act of the
legislature, Chaves and Eddy were sepa-
rated from it, it was the largest county in
the territory. It is 156 miles long and
from fiftytoseventy miles wide, with a to-
tai area OF 8, ,495 square miles. The average
elevation is from 1000 to 5000 feet above
sea level and its mountains rise 5000 or
10000 feet high. The Sierra Blanca.
Captain, Nogal, Jicarilla and Sacramento
mountains are well forested. In general
aspect this county consists of wide grass
covered plains, and on the western border
this formati on is broken into ''mal pals"
or bad lands, by reason of the intrusion
of wide lava flow.
MOUNTAINS AND MINERALS. sa
The topography of the western portion
of the county is extremely broken. Erup-
tive rocks of every character extrude
from the sedimentary formations. The
mineral deposits are numerous and extern
sive. Bodies of crystallized gypsum are
found. Large measures of coal, similar
to that found on the Ration plateau, are
known and worked to some extent for
fuel for local use. Valuable and rich
mines of gold, copper and lead are found
in all the mountainous regions, but es-
pecially around White Oaks, Nogal and
Captain mountains. In the we'll watered
and timbered Sacramento mountains ar
gentiferous copper is found. Gold is
found in the Carrizo, Jicarilla, Captain
and Sierra Blanca mountains. During
the last two years, within a radius of
twenty miles of White Oaks mining has
received quite an impetus. In the fall Of
1892 a rich strike was made in the North
Homestake, new body of gold ore being
struck at the 1000 foot level This runs
very high in gold and is considerably
richer than in the upper workings. In
deed, it has been the general experience of
miners in this section that the deeper the
shafts the better the ore. The Old Abe
mine has recently made considerable i'm
provement in its mill by reason of fnd
ing good we'll in White Oaks canon. A
daily supply of $4,000 gallons has been
secured. This allows ample water for its
twenty stamp mill and for all purposes
around the mine. The water is piped
from reservoir distance of 5,400 feet.
The Vera Cruz is another good mine. 1t
has fifteen stamp mill and is working
steadily on fine gold ore. The shaft of
the South Homestake was burned about
year ago. Anew one was at once put in.
The owners did. not expect to str ke any
ore until they reached the level iof their
workings. At the 200 foot level, however,
new body of $40 ore was struck and the
company is now stopping this out. The
hills everywhere in this section seem to
be filled with metal. The Jicarilla noun
tains are also showing many good pros
poets and some good mines.
The central parts Of The county are
we'll watered by running streams, the
principal Of which is the Rio Hondo, a
deep, swift stream draining the Sierra
Blanca and Captain mountains. Besides
this are the Feliz or Felix, Ruidoso, Bo-
nito, Eagle, Upper and Lower Penasco
and Nogal creeks. In the northern por-
tions springs break out on the wide
plateaux and afford water for stock.
The native grasses flourish abundantly
on these plains fed by the slight rains.
II is very difficult to estimate the amount
et.a A. - x,,;rht nc ierioakod frnun tho