Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1893-07-18
Hanelnr In tho Bnlnnce.

oDedlence 10 n law.
Hanging In the Balance.
The future Of this part Of the Terrific
ry is now hanging in the balance. The
action Of congress or the failure OF that
body to act within the next few months
on the silver question will determine
what the future OF this section is to be.
II a free coinage bill should be passed
there would no longer be any doubt
about the future prosperity Of south
western New Mexico. Neither miners
nor business men need to be told what
the effect would be with such a law in
operation. Without such a law the sill
yer mines must remain closed down and
the demand for such products as are
raised in New Mexico now will be much
less than it is now and prices will fall
correspondingly as the demand falls off.
To continue to raise products which
cannot be shipped to points outside Of
the Territory where there is a demand
for them would simply be wasting time
and money.
Fruit growing has been very proita-
BILE in the Territory up to the present
but with a constantly increasing supply
and a decreasing demand there can be
but one outcome and it is plain that
some other industry will have to be en-
gagged in. If our home market becomes
limited we must look for other markets
aud raise products which will bear trans
portstion and still be profitable. or
such products, for the raising Of which
the soil and climate of New Mexico ap-
pears to be suited, the sugar beet and
~canaigre seem to be the best adapted to
this section. Canaigre will grow any
where that soil can be found deep
enough TO cover the roots and where the
land a be irrigated the sugar beet
thrives. To be sure it cannot be expect
ed that as good wages can be made in
the cultivation Of either the sugar beet
or canaigre here as are paid to miners
to work in the mines, but If there is to
be no work in the mines, the miners will
have to seek employment elsewhere. If
they are unable to find employment in
the mines at three dollars a day or less,
they will be obliged to find some other
occupation, even if they get no more for
their work than enough to keep them in
existence. The thousands Of miners
who have been thrown out of employ
ment within the past three weeks in the
silver, mining regions Of the west will not
be able to get employment in the mines
unless there shall be some favorable sill
yer legislation and they will either be
obliged to leave the country or engage in
some other occupation il the mines re-
man closed down. Perhaps they might
not take kindly to raising sugar beets or
canaigre at the wages which could be
paid but unless there shall be some
change in the situation the question will
not be what wages shall be paid but
whether there shall be any wages paid.
The seriousness Of the situation has
not dawned upon many Of the residents
Of this section of country yet but the
time is not far distant when the masses
will be struck forcibly with the situa-
ton Of affairs. Communities which are
but slightly dependent on the mining in
dustry will not be affected to such a de-
gree as the mining towns and mining
camps, but tho entire southwest will be
affected 10 a greater or less degree and
new occupations will have TO be found
for those thrown out OF employment or
there will have to be a reduction in the
population.
The Deming Headlight has been en-
gagged in building a railroad into Mexico
for about six years. The Headlight has
been shining all this time but the toot
Of the locomotive has not yet been heard
on the new road.
The board OF directors Of the Terrific
rial Fair Association has decided to hold
the fair on the 10Th, Doth, Dist and 22nd