Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-04-17
Red River City, the New Eel Dorado
Toward Which the Miners and
Prospectors of the West Are
Now Turning Their Faces.
A BONANZA OF OLD SPANISH DAYS
A Description of the Different Routes
by Which this Mecca of the Mining
Investor May be Reached
Only One Day from Trim
idad or Springer.

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stones in region which combines thu
lovely and the lofty, the bold and the beau
tiful, the placid and the picturesq ue--thii
is the new Ell Dorado of Red River. Taos
county, northern New Mexico. It is Q
scene which in silent but eloquent speech
| stirs the blood of the treasure hunter as
with strong wine, and pictures to the
homeseeker harvest full of golden prom.
ise, proclaiming that here the dust of Dives
will turn to gold upon the frayed garments
of Lazarus-that the poor miner of today
is the millionaire Of tomorrow, that in.
vestment means increase, that the capi
talist is Croesus, that business is bullion.
There are several different routes to Red
River. The traveller can 60 by Trinidad,
Colo, and Oatskill, N. NJ, by Ration, N. NJ,
by Springer, N. M, or by Antonito, Colo.
The Trinidad Catskill route ia by the
Denver & Gulf railroad and the La
Belle and Red River stage line-the dis.
tance being about rs miles, about equally
divided between railroad and stage, the
Gulf train leaving Trinidad at 6 6o'clock
a. M, and the stage reaching Red River
City at p. m. Of the same day.
At this time there is too much snow on
the ground to admit of much prospect
ing, but month from now will see
mighty rush to the treasure houses OF
this splendid mineral region, about to
experience the novelty of boom.
The Springer route is over the Santa
Fe road to Springer and thence by the
Moreno valley daily stage and mail line
which running via Oimarron and Eliza
bethtown, makes the trip to Red River
City in one day. The distance being 66
miles.
The Antonito stage starting from the
town by the same name on the Rio
Grande railroad also reaches Red River
in one day, the distance being 70 miles.
The Red River region adjoins the Eliza
bethtown, Moreno, Badly, Hematite, La
Belle, Cabresto and Amlzett gold fields,
and the district as now organized defines
it's boundaries as the s'mountain ranges
which form a water shed between those
streams which flow into the Red River,
and those which flow oppositely," thus
including the entire Red River basin
from the mountain top, and comprising
an area of 25 miles long and J5 miles
wide. In many sections of the district
the old Spanish peon workings are found,
and the cong questedor records in the city
of Santa Fe, establish the fact that on one
expedition alone $2,0OO,0O0 worth Of
bullion was brought back from some-
where in the present Red River region.
During the latter sixties more or less
successful search for copper ores was
made in this section, and in the fall of
1894 active gold prospecting commenced,
which by the following spring had de.
veloped into full assurance of large de-
posits of the yellow metal, an assurance
which every days work since that time
has emphasized and perfected. At the
present time there are at least 1000 peo-
pie in the camp, and every day the trail
from Elizabethtown, and from thence TO
the Santa Fe railroad at Springer, is
being traversed by from Is to 20 outfits
seeking egress and independence of
wealth. Buildings are going up by the
SCORE, and the mellow cadence of Red
River, once the sole producer of echoes
IN the beautiful Eldorado, is superseded
BY the harsher and more businesslike
IN usic of the hammer and saw.
The late business ventures are two new
saloons and two more under headway, two
general stores, three short order restau-
rants, a bakery, two newspapers and
dance hall. Foundations for 100 resi-
dences are already LAID, occasioned by the
fact that anyone may stake out lot and
own it through compliance with the Law,
to wit: That four logs be laid the first
month, four more the next, and the cabin
or more pretensious house be finished
the third month. This, with the payment
of the RECORDERS fee, gives clear title to
the property.
This the enthusiasts say with other
wonderful advantages will give them
population within three months of 5000
people.
The ore in this district is ri,h and be.
ing Of refractory nature, will necessitate
the erection OF smelters. The famous
Black Copper mine is six miles from
camp and both Elizabethtown and Red
River City claim it as belonging to their
district. This is the occasion Of consid-
erable rivalry between the two places,
both Of them neck and neck In present
and future prospects. The snow is too
deep here as yet to admit OF work being
done by prospectors and hence the
saloons and faro and roulette tables are
reaping q harvest and the streets through
out the day are thronged with miners, af-
fording rare field for the study Of char
acter ID its diversified forms.