The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-28

trio power FOR operating the railway in the
Pine canon, driving the machinery OF re-
duction works. lighting and operating the
mines. The dams viii back the water
in reservoirs ten miles long and from a
quarter TO half a mile IN width. a dOu-
bic use OF the water is contemplated.
While the mountains come down 10 tie
river on the Cochiti side. there is a Zide
level valley on the Santa Fe side. <Shen
the water has been used for pOE>r Il Will
be drawn of through bitches to this plain
and used for the irrigation Of thousands
OF acres Of fertile land The mining and
reduction works will bring TO the Cochiti
district many people. and there will be
an immediate market for all Of the prod
uce that may be raised in the vicinity.
The feasible approach TO the district is
from the Santa Fe side, and a railroad
from this city to the Pine viii be the nrst
step in this enterprise. The canon has
been examined by engineers. There is
said TO be nothing in the way OF the
railroad construction up the Pine from
the river to Bland. And when the road is
built the estimate is that the ore can be
hauled out from the mines to the reduc-
tiOn works prOfitably for the transpOrta-
ton company at from $50 to s. a ton.
With railways reduction works ia opera
tion on such plan. and
with the utilization of electric
power thus derived from the
storage OF water in the White Rock can
on, II appears that the lowest grade ores
can be turned out with profit. The whole
proposition is a fascinating one.
Hundreds of locations have been made
and several hundred people have estab-
lished themselves at Bland and neigh
boring town called Allerton 10 wait for
the railway and the reduction works.
Some silver Is found, bnt the main prod
uct is gold, and il is as gold bearing that
the Lodges or blankets claim attention.
Half dozen mines are down to a depth
of 100 feet, and selected ore is being
shipped from them. A thousand tons a
day is considered a not excessive esti-
mate OF what may be handled when the
promised facilities are in operation. The
saving in transportation on half a mill
ion tons of this ore will be many times
the cost of building the railroad.
Like so many other New Mexican enter
prises and plans of development. Cochiti
has suffered from the incubus of an old
grant claim. 1t has been scarcely a month
since a decision of the land court par
TALLY removed that wet blanket The law
provides that confirmation Of grants shall
not affect gold and silver mines. Still
the existence of such a claim has been.
until now, a check on the railroad, reduc-
ton and irrigation projects.
Ten years ago Joel p. Whitney and other
wealthy Bostonians bought the Cochiu
grant. Nothing was known then of the ex-
istence of these immense collaborating
lodges. The capitalists invested for the
springs and grazing. They thought they
were getting a good title TO between 100000
and 100000 acres. This title went back 200
years to a Spanish grant of some planting
land near the Rio Grande river. But, by
confusion of opinion as to where a GER
tain Indian village, long since abandoned,
was located, the grant had been spread"
as the expression Is. Whitney and his as
sociates bought upon the supposition that
this pueblo was miles north of the place
where the government testimony and GER
tain archives located at the time the grant
was made. The court took the govern
ments view of the controversy, and
found that the grant was good only for
5000 or 1900 acres, and confirmed 1t for
that amount. This decision was received
with great rejoicing by the miners. They
built huge bon-hres, banged away with
anvils and listened to enthusiastic speech
es. They entered into compact and agreed
to see that there was no claim jumping
when the boom sets in. From the land
court there is the right of appeal to the
United States supreme court. Notice OF
such appeal has been given, and until
! final settlement is effected the camp will
probably not demonstrate its full import
ance. There seems, however, to be no
question about the existence of the ore in
immense quantities, and of value to pay
handsomely when nearby transportation
and reduction are provided.