Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-08-03
BIG COAL DEPOSITS
A Writer in the Mining Record
Tells of the Wonders Of
Captain.
IMMENSE IRON DEPOSITS
Two Prosperous Mining Towns in Lincoln
County That Are Only a Year Old
Eight Coal Mines Have Already
Been Opened.
mining RecOrd,)

S AsSSoAN1
New Mexico mineral possibilities ar
as promising as they are varied. Th
territory possesses riches u%ncountabl
in gold, silver, copper and coal, and no
the least are the coal deposits which ar,
being disclosed year by year
CAPTAIN COAL FIELDS.
The country contiguous to Captain Il
rich in extensive coal beds, disclosed be
low what a year ago was a cattle ranch
All that has been said and writer
about CAPTAIN and it's coal fields ha.
not done the place justice. No mere
description can do it justice. One mus
see the smoke belching forth from sew.
en- or eight stacks, the tons of coal com
ing from the bowels Of the earth every
few moments, the activity of the towr
itself sprung up in a night, and where
labor is at a premium and work plenti.
full, to declare that truly the undertake.
ing was enormous and it's results mar.
velous.
IT CAME OVER NIGHT.
A year ago the. present scene Of this
busy industry was a grassy plain,
whose solitude was broken only by the
lowing of the cattle grazing on its
bountiful supply of gramma. Here also
was the pretty ranch home of s. II.
Gray, and a store and a postofice,
named after the cattle owner. Save
these there was not a h%abitation for
miles around. In twelve months time
a modern town has sprung up, concern
ing whose future none dare predict, so
exhaustless are it's resources.
Captain really consists of two towns,
North and South Captain, one and a
half miles apart.
NORTH CAPTAIN.
North Captain is the coal camp and
home of the miners, also the present
terminus of the Ell Paso & Northeast
ern railway. 1t has about 700 inhabit-
ants, n is like any other coal camp in
it's long rows of red houses and it's cos
mopolitan population. 1t has an excel
lent hospital, fine depot, large mercan-
tile store, and but one saloon. No more
are allowed by the company.
The camp has eight mines, numbered
from n up. Of these, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4. Z
and s are in operation, and yield be-
tween 500 and 600 tons of coal that can
not be excelled in the southwest.
FIVE DISTINCT STRATA.
There are five distinct strata, ranging
from 4 to 6 feet in width, underlying the
district, parallel to each other and ex-
tending no mar can tell how far. Pros
pecting for new and larger veins is kept
up constantly by the company, and it
was rumored several days ago that
while sinking a diamond drill an 11-foot |
vein was encountered at a depth of
1000 feet in Oso canon. The company.
however, has nothing to say, either af-
or denying it.
MALICIOUS REPORTS.
The shady reports sent out from the
camp last winter were solely the work
If several hobo miners, who claimed
hey were not treated well, and took
his means Of getting "even." It is true
iS va oiu PClCl out " d SHUT us
ance, but this was caused by a rolf
n upheaval of rock i~ntercepting the
'ein, which happens very frequently in
very coal district. AS soon as the rock
vas cleared away the vein was encoun-
cred on the other side.
THE MINERS.
There are about 300 miners ia the
amp, employed at 81 cents an hour.
of them are married, many from
1adrid, and they are a conside, ably
etter class than those seen there last
Ill and winter.
SOUTH CAPTAIN.
South Captain, a mile and a hale dis ,
mt, will be the terminus of the rail-
which has been completed. In
orth Captain no n is allowed to do 4
lsiness unless it be directly or indi- \
city connected with the In /
CAPTAIN 1t Is a free-for-all con-.
I'm, first come first served. Already
e new town has over q dozen business
fuses, two hotels, two restaurants and
70 newspapers. r
A BEAUTIFUL TOWNSHIP,
The land for the site was decided to
e Captain Townsite Company, which
another spoke from the central hub
Scranton, Pa, by s. T. Gray, he re-
wing certain interests, however. 1t Is
spot for a town, being fair
!, b, all <t,r o,5 aa,,o.o5 ,rsAt. -. Fly
ISIS. Good water can be had at a dis nc
ice of only twelve feet in some places.
e townsite occupies 800 acres, divid-
into n~inety-two blocks and compris-
2,700 lots. OF these about 100 have
n sold already, but the choicest
mess property remains for some one
a speculative mind to make some