The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-08

possible to drive with n wagon over
1000 feet of this vein. There are fully
one hundred and nifty claims in this dis
trict-gold, lead, iron, copper-which is
horseshoe-like plateau about six by
eight miles.
one Of our scouts, who visited the ia
rillas reported a marvelously rich min
eral district-almost unexplored. He
told of hill of iron, so thickly covered
with high grade hematite ore that
trains of cars could be loaded from
the float" He also saw much of the
precious metals. 1t is here that the fa-
nous Tiffany turquoise mines are To-
Gated
This gives a fair notion of the min
ing things we heard and saw. No one
in the outfit doubts that vast riches
are hidden in these treeless mountains,
and that the coming of a railroad will
be the open sesame" for a hundred
treasures greater than Ali Baba found.
GYPSUM AND SODA.
Heaped over the great plain to the
westward of Tularosa and extending
from near the southern end of the Nal
Pals for a distance of over fifty miles,
in marvellous deposit of practically
pure gypsum, in consistency and color
like fine, granulated sugar. This de-
posit Is from five to twenty-five miles
wide, lies on the original surface of the
ground, and in bllowy waves reaches
a depth of perhaps fifty feet. The pro-
posed railroad will skirt it's edge for
some miles.
To the westward of the gypsum is
said to be a dried-up lake of soda Crys-
tails, and the Government surveys show
salt lake in the same neighbOrhood.
Bear in mind that figures of extent and
statements of geographical outline are
more or less guesswork in this country,
for even the best government maps are
sadly incorrect in many particulars. 1t
Is little more than surface-seen land
that we are dealing with.
LUMBER.
The most expert lumber man we
found in this region is Mr.. j. A. Gumm,
of White oaks. He estimated some
time since, for his own mills. that in
the Captains there are 100000 feet of
white and yellow pine "above 10 inches
square," 100,OOOOOO feet of red spruce,
100000 feet of bull pine fit for mining
use-stulls, props. etc.-and a consider
able quantity of juniper and cedar.
To the surprise of most Of the party
careful investigation showed the tim
Der possibilities of the Sacramento
Mountains, south of the Captains to
be vastly greater. Indeed, it seems
now that the Sacramento section could
supply the timber needs of the entire
southwest for great many years. The
only difficulty is that the arroyas and
rough canons on the western slope of
this range would necessitate special
means for bringing their product to the
plains.
Rough timber sells at 500 per NJ. in
El Paso, flooring at $25. The Captain
and Sacramento lumber could be put
there at a great profit at very much
lower prices. 1t is evident that with
railroad at command, this lumber
would control the El Paso market as
completely as would the Salado coal.
CATTLE AND SHEEP.
Lincoln county, New Mexico, pro-
duced about 100000 pounds of wool
last year. ChaveS and Dona Anna
counties each rank about with Lincoln
in this respect. Most of this wool is
now taken by q wagon haul of 100
miles or more to a railroad and
market.
There are probably 100000 cattle in
the three counties. No cattleman will