Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-09-08
COLFAX COAL LANDS
Largest and BestEquipped Coal Mine
in New Mexico Situated at
Gardiner.
A VERY LARGE PRODUCER
Oolfax County Ranks Next to Bernalillo
and Santa Fe Counties in the Import
ance and Production of It's
Coal Mines.

Next to the coal fields Of Bernalil
and Santa Fe counties, those of Colfa
county give employment to the mos
men. OF the 245 employed in the Colfa
, county coal mines, 240 work at tn
Blossburg mine. There are, howeve
quite number of coal prospects in tn
vicinity of Ration which are worked
desultory manner, and will soon @
late give employment to many men.
In the last year 112 men less were EN-
ployed in the Colfax county coal mine
than in the year before, but the produc
tion of coal was increased from 1887
tons to 313,647 tons, valued at $473,136.
The Blossburg mine is owned and op
Grated by the Ration Coal and Cox
Company, located at the town of Gardi
ner, four and half miles west of Ra
ton,on branch of the Atchison, Topeka
II Santa Fe railroad connecting will
the main line at Dillon. The Blossbur,
is the largest in the territory, and ha
| capacity of 1,5O0 tons per day. 1t il
operated upon the double entry system
Most OF the coal is marketed on tn
| New Mexico and Rio Grande divisions
| of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa F,
| railroad between Ration and Ell Paso
also on the Mexican Central railway
from Ell Paso, Tex, south, and on thu
Southern Pacific from Deming west
The coal is bituminous, and the weir
varies from to feet. The output last
year of the Blossburg mine was 30S, ,31t
tons. The length of the new drift is 2,70(
feet. The mine was operated 300 days
the last fiscal year.
There is 10000 acres of coal land en-
braced in the company, in which there
are several seams of COAL At present
however, only one seam is being worked
by the Blossburg No. and No. 6, both
of which are drift mines on the same
vein, the workings of which are con-
nected. The mines are dry and compar-
atively free from gas.
There are at present seventy-siX bee
hive coke ovens of standard size, thir-
teen feet in diameter used by the COM
pany. There is a peculiar feature in
connection with the ovens, which is
quite an innovation in the west, and
that is the use of hot air flue located
between the ovens which are double
'yrow batteries, and which fiue efah1es
the company to economize and utilize
the waste heat for generating steam
The waste heat Is conducted by means
Of this fiue and smokestacks on the
boiler to the boiler plant midway be-
tween the two batteries of ovens. and
generates a large proportion of the
steam power required for the operation
Of the electric plant.
The mines are equipped with three
electric generators, aggregating 500
horse power, using 500-volt current
The plant is modern in every respect.
Mining is done by a plant of eight
chimes, underwriting the coal feet in
depth and A inches wide, inches hi~h
The time for cutting requires about
four and half minutes.
A1ooliie5 IL OiiI eAC PttAlLA6S III IhC lHihC
is done by three electric locomotives,
which are in very successful operation,
economizing cost of production and ia
cilitating ready increase of output at
any time.
The washing plant, which consists of
two of 400 tons capacity each, Robinson
Wigs coal washers, with all the latest
improved appliances for washing and
handling 800 tons of coal per day, also
the tipple, which was of the latest i'm
proved construction, using automatic
dumping apparatus and other minor
appliances, were burned to the ground
last September.
There is at present about 5000 feet
Of trolley line in use, 5000 feet of which
runs from the mouth of the mine to the
tipple. All partings along the hauling
system inside of the mine are furnished
with electric lights. All the machinery,
large and small, is driven by electric
motors.
The mines are ventilated at present
by one 25-foot diamater Guibal mine
fan, driven by electric motor. The mine
also has 22-foot Guibal fan, which the
company keeps in reserve, so that the
mine will at all times be provided with
ample ventilating capacity.
A large machine shop, with modern
tools, has been erected for the purpose
of manufacturing and repairing all the
machinery in use on the property.
During the last fiscal year the COM
pany erected fifty dwelling houses, a
large hotel and hospital, which, togeth-
er with the 1874 dwelling house already
erected and in use by the company, af-
ford ample accommodations for all en-
ployes. A large store, one and a half
stories high, 75x12O feet, well supplied
with merchandise, is also owned by the
company.
Taken all in all, the property is now
being operated in a thoroughly mod
ern manner, and is the most completely
equipped coal mine in the west.
The Smith mine No. 2 Is situated a
mile north of Ration. It is owned by the
Maxwell Land Grant Company, and is
operated under lease by Albert G. Shaw.
The product of the mine is hauled in
wagons to Ration and retailed to the
domestic trade. The capacity of the
mine is twenty tons day. 1t is venti-
lated by furnace. The coal is btu
minous, taken from 4-foot vein. The
total output last year was 1851 tons,
valued at $6,364.25. The length Of the
drift is 300 feet. Eight men found em-'
ployment at the mine for 290 days last
fiscal year.
The Mesa mine Is located seven miles
east Of Ration, and Is operated by the
Honeyfield brothers. The product is