Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-12-19
SIERRA COUNTY.
A Section Rich in Gold, Silver, Copper,
Zinc, Lead, Iron, Coal and Stone.

Sierra county enjoys the enviable and
unique distinction of being out of debt.
Its warrants are maintained at par, its re-
sources varied, it's people energetic and
hopeful and it's outlook for the future
bright. 1t is situated in the south CEN
trail part of the territory, and has popu-
lation OF about 5000. Its area is 1876
square miles. The county lies principally
in the Rio Grande water shed, which
river traverses it's entire length, taking
up in its course hundreds of lesser bodies
of water, which will serve as an import
ant factor in making agriculture and horti-
culture the leading industries of this sec.
ton. Mining, which is at present the
leading industry, is followed successfully
In many sections Of this county, notably
at Apache, Negro, Kingston, Black Range,
Animas, Hillsboro, North and South
Perchas, Lake Valley and Cuchillo.
Three great mountain ranges parallel
the Rio Grande through Sierra county,
heavily covered with forests, while the
intervening valleys, wide, fertile and we'll
watered, offer unusual inducements to
the agriculturist. Add to this mild eli
mate in which the thermometer rarely
falls to 20 degrees below freezing point
and never touches zero-a climate in
which it is possible to carry on outdoor
work all the year round, and you have a
section favored indeed.
Kingston is the center of rich silver
district, which is only in the initial stages
of development. There are half dozen
mines in this district that have yielded
in the short time that they have been
worked, 100000 each, and this un-
der the present low price of silver.
The ores are brittle, sulphide, chloride
and chloro- bromide, and found in con-
nection with iron, copper, zinc and ga
lena.
Hillsboro is the county seat and this
district is gold-bearing. The surface ores
are free milling in character and the
quartz is heavily impregnated with copper
and iron pyrites. Silver runs about five
ounces to one of gold in this quartz. Out
of about fifteen good mines in operation
the Ell Orc, Wicks, Garfield and Home
stake are the leaders, having produced
over 500, 1000 each.
Hillsboro was founded in 1878, but the
town did not amount to much until about
ten years later, at which time consider
able capital was put into mining and an
era of prosperity and development there
by inaugurated.
The town has one OF the best court
houses in the west, good schools, churches,
hotels and several smelling PLANTS, into
which the district pours over a hundred
tons of ore daily.
Lake Valley is another silver camp
which produces the highest grade silver
ore to be found in the territory. Its mines
have already yielded about s10,0O0,O00.
Chloride, Grafton and Hermosa are
prosperous camps and all have half
dozen or more rich mines in operation.
On the Armendaris grant there are i'm
mense coal fields, specimens of which
have been pronounced by United States
chemists to be of excellent quality. The
Santa Fe railroad touches this coal Sec
ton and an investment would undoubt-
eddy yield handsome returns.
In the matter of agriculture there are
about 5 900 acres under cultivation, but it
is estimated that 10000 acres would bear
crops, fthere were farmers to plant them.
As before stated water facilities are excel.
lent.
Colonies of from ten to twenty families,
With small capital, say from 81 900 to $2,-
600 each, could make excellent locations
in this county. The land is cheap, the
titles good and there 10 . sharp demand
at al times for agricultural products.