Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-03-25
DONA ANA COUNTY WEALTH
Ex-Speaker W. II. II. Llewellyn Pre-
diets Prosperous Year for Las
Cruces and Surrounding COun-
try-Agricultural Condi-
tions Improving.
NOUN TAINS FULL OF PRECIOUS METALS
Mining Camps of the Jarilla, Organ
and San Andreas Mountains At
tracing the Attention of
Practical Miners.
MOUNTAINS FULL OF PRECIOUS METALS

Hon, W. H. FL. Llewellyn, ex speaker of
the house of representatives, came up
from his Las Cruces home yesterday,
feeling very much encouraged over the
business outlook for southern New Mex
loo, and in conversation with NEW MEX
loan representative gave few of the
many reasons he had for anticipating
year in the Mesilla valley and
country tributary thereto.
AGRICULTURAL CONDITIONS.
The work on the diverting dam near
old Fort Selden is progressing rapidly,
and it is expected the work will be fin
ished in time to turn water into the COM
munity bitches early in the season. This
will forever settle the question of water
for irrigating purposes in the valley and
insures full crops for the farmers. 1t is
not yet determined when work on the
Elephant Butte reservoir will be com
menced, but the citizens are anxious that
it will be in the very near future.
Fruit orchards and alfalfa fields are in
fine condition. But little damage has
been done to the bearing trees by late
frosts, as large percentage of the trees
have not yet bloomed. Alfalfa, of which
three crops year are cut, sells for $40
per ton and finds ready market.
THE CANNING INDUSTRY.
The only canning factory in the terri
tory is located at Las Cruces, owned and
operated by Mr.. I. Roualt. This factory
will begin it's fourth season the coming
summer and will largely increase its out
put, in order to supply the increasing
demand for Las Cruces canned vegetables
and fruits. Last year three car loads OF
canned tomatoes we're furnished Gross
Blackwell & Co., by Mr.. Roualt, and he
could easily have disposed of as many
more. The acreage planted to tomatoes
this season will be much larger than
heretofore, and as this vegetable brings
large returns to the growers, tomato
money will be an important factor ir
the business circles of Las Cruces this
fall.
MINING INDUSTRY.
At present the mining camps IN the
Jarilla, Organ and San Andreas mountains
are attracting much attention from min
ing men and investors. The Salinas
Peak camp in the San Andreas mountains
has had some mill tests made on gold
which show return of SIG per ton. A
large number of people from eastern
Dona Ana county are interested in this
camp.
The Jarilia mountains are a detached
range standing in the desert between
the Organ and Sacramento mountains
and in them are thousands of carloads o.
the finest iron in the world for smelling
purposes, projecting above the surface
of the ground, running 60 per cent excess
and in some instances this ore carries
So and 81 of gold to the ton, one quite
we'll developed vein 20 feet in widtf
averaging $40 per ton in gold. Tit
drawback to mining. operations in thu
Jarilla mountains is the scarcity of fue
and water, making the working of low
grade ores Improbable. Should the lin,
of railroad from Ell Paso to Tularosa ane
White Oaks pass along the western BIAS,
of the mountains, these vast bodies O
iron, copper, gold and silver ores will b.
brought within reach of a proftabl,
market, and one of the best mining re
gions in the southwest will TEEN will
activity. The truth is, Dona Ana count,
is great, undeveloped empire, rich il
gold, silver. copper and most of the in
-dustrlal minerals.
1t is the opinion of mining men of ex
perience and judgment that the mining
interests of Dona Ana county, having
passed through the experimental stages
will from now on settle down upon
legitimate basis, and the large bodies o
low grade ore will be taken hold of an.
treated by proper machinery and meth
dds and made paying properties. Ii
other words, the day of miracles in min
ing having passed, the deposits of ore il
Dona Ana county will be taken up, devel
oped, tested and placed upon safe, sur
paying foundation.
All of the above mining districts ar
tributary to Las Cruces, and reached from
that town, and no section of the countr,
contains more honorable, openhearted
generous set of mining men and miners
men who will meet new corners with
warm welcome and lend their assistanc
to any movement that promises to hell
develope the mining interests.