The silver lance., 1899-06-23
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

Philadelphia Smelling and Refining
Company has also decided to make an
advance of 10 per cent. in wages of all
the lower grades of labor. the advance
in no case to be more than % cents per
day. That is. all men receiving pay up
to $3.50 per day will be advanced 10
per cent and all men receiving more
than $3.50 per day will receive an ad-
vance of % cents per day, the men to
be paid by the hour and privileged to
work eight. ten or twelve hours, as
they may choose but in no event to be
required to work more than eight
hours. except in cases of emergency.
Notices to this effect will be sent to the
works at Pueblo in a few days. At the
Argo works similar notices are to be
given in relation to work by the hour
but there will be no change in the rate
Of wages, as there has never been a
reduction since the smelter was built
twenty years ago, the company paying
the same rate throughout the panic of
1893 when reductions We're made in
all the other smelters. and in nearly
all other branches of business. An in
crease in wages. averaging 10 per cent
and affecting 1875 men. was announced
TO day by the Colorado Philadelphia
Reduction Company. whose plant is at
Colorado City. The increase comes vol
uUtiTllN. tllt IIltD nv tVih~
plant whatever of low wages. The re-
duction plant has been in operation
about three years. and is one of the
most profitab BILE in this part of the coun-
try. 1t treats Cripple Creek ores al
most exclusively.
The oil interests of the United States
are closely watching n movement
which mas been taking shape at Trini-
dad for some time and which is likely
to eliminate in active operations in
wide field adjacent to Trinidad. The
United Oil Company of Denver, which
operates the field at Florence, has
closed several deals in Las Animas
county. and will soon begin an active
season of prospecting. The United
company is said to be backed by the
Standard Oil people. For the last four
or five years the oil subject has been
agitated in the same locality, but not
until the last few months has anything
been done that looked like n develop
ment of the field. Sufficient surface
indications have been discovered to
warrant the sinking of experimental
wells. There are both oil and gas in
dications and work will be commenced
within a fortnight to ascertain whether
either can be obtained in paying guam
titles. The United company has come
down here asking neither bonuses nor
subsidies, and with plenty of money to
carry on the operations. In the past
many tests have been made by men of
insufficient means, and in each case
oil was found. An option on several
thousand acres east of Trinidad has
been secured and as much more has
been actually leased. The lands leased
include $50 acres. known as the
Barela tract and the loo acres ad-
joining belonging to Sherman & Co,
making strip of land twelve miles in
length in the San Francisco and Fri
ioles Valleys and takes in the Frijoles
gulch. Surveyors are now on the
ground and within twenty days ma
chncry will be at hand for use in sink
ing wells. If oil is found it will be
pped to Trinidad and from there dis
trbuted to different parts of the coun-
| try. The geologst who for the COM
pany has been making Investigations
in different parts of the state for four
years. has had an interesting search
| for n basin from which oil could be
taken in paying volume. He located
quantity at Green Horn mountain, but
not sufficient to warrant operations. He
is said to have staked his reputation on
the statement that the tract which tho
United company has practically gob
bled up covers mighty basin which
will yield in great abundance.
A dispatch from Las Vegas says:
| The first reunion of Roosevelt's
Rough Riders Association. beginning
on June 2fth. will be held at this
place. 1t promises to be success.
Business men aId citizens are banded
together in an organization pledged to
make the occasion all that the most
exacting rider could expect. Las
| Vegas figures only as an entertainer
| on this occasion. The reunion details
| are under the auspices of Roosevelt's
Rough Riders Association, which was
organized at Montauk Point upon re-
turn of the regiment from Cuba last
year OF this association Major A. o.
Brodie of Briggs. Arizona. is president
and Lieutenant ]. l.. Carter of Pres
colt, Arizona. is secretary. Captain
w. ii. ii. Llewellyn of Las Cruces.
New Mexico, is chairman of the stand
| ing executive committee. The asso-
| citation has announced that it will
have fifty invited guests, all of more
| or less prominence throughout the
United States. OF course the star
figure in the assemblage of western
riders will be Governor Roosevelt. for
he has virtually promised to be here
The association has sent word that it
will invite Senators Chauncey NJ. De-
pew and Thomas G. Platt of New
York to accompany the governor. The
date of June 24th set for the opening
has reference to the regiments work
at Las Guasimas So determined were
the riders to meet on the anniversary
of their first fight that the fact that
Sunday intervenes in the four days
outlined did not deter them. Las
Vegas will entertain them at church
on the morning of their second day
| here While the committees have
not fully determined as to the char
acter of the entertainment it is as
sured that the New Mexico National
| Guard will meet the Rough Riders in