Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-04
In the Black Range Are Some Of the
Richest Mineral Districts of
the Territory.
A RAILROAD TO Be BUILT
The Great Silver Mines At Lake Valley and
At Kingston Are Idle Awaiting Better
Transportation Facilities Sec
ond Cripple Greek.


interests of every section of New Mex
leo. Pursuant to this policy, it to-day
has the satisfaction of placing before its
readers comprehensive and trustworthy
information, gathered from original
sources expressly for it's use, touching
the great and reSourceful Black Range
mineral belt Of southwestern New Mex
leo.
BLACK RANGE MINERAL BELT.
The Black Range is the local name for
the range known on the maps as the
Mimbres chain of mountains, and is sit
uated partly in western Socorro county
and also forms part of the western
boundary of Sierra county extending
from north to south entirely through
the last named county in one unbroken
chain from San Augustine Plains on the
north to Cooks Peak on the south. 1t
takes it's name from the color given it
by the immense forests of pine and
viewed from distance, give it the SOM
Der appearance suggestive of the word
black. The range extends from north to
south a distance of 120 miles, it's water
shed or crest marking the line of the
continental divide of the Rocky noun
tains. The altitude of the crest averages
about $500 feet above sea level.
TOPOGRAPHY OF COUNTRY.
At the base of the Black Range an
undulating section of low hills and me-
sa or table lands, gradually rising from
the Rio Grande on the east, until fur
ther back the country assumes noun
famous aspect, apexing at an altitude
of $500 feet, gradually dips westward
toward the Gila river. From both the
east and the west the country is easily
accessible, being opened from base to
crest by broad canons, through whose
ter that unite with the Rio Grande on
the east and the Gila on the west. Good
wagon ways have already been built in
many of these canons, and others can
readily be constructed at comparatively
small cost, as they may be required by
the development of the resources of the
region. The varied and substantial re-
sources of the country strongly and per-
suasively invite the construction of a
railroad from some convenient point on
the main line of the Santa Fe system
to tap its wealth of mineral and timber.
The indications now are that this i'm
portant step in the procession of devel-
opment and progress will soon be taken.
ATTENTION YEARS
AGO.
mineral resources of the Black Range
as early as 1873 by the discovery of rich
placer lands around Hillsboro, in the
southern part, but on account of the
danger from the murderous Apache In
dams people were 10th to invade what
was then the domain of these savages
and not until the discovery of the world
famed Lake Valley silver mines six
teen miles south of Hillsboro, in 1880,
did people begin to penetrate the region
in numbers sufficient to afford mutual
protection while engaged in prospecting
and opening up the country. From the
important development made at Lake
Valley, and the vast amount of money
produced from the mines there during
the ensuing four years, it was logically
assumed that as great mineral wealth
could be found in the unexplored sur
rounding country as Lake Valley had
shown, and consequently the adventur-
Gus prospector, in defiance of the lurk
ing perils of the unknown mountains
began his vigorous and systematic
quest with the result that the great
camp of Kingston, eighteen miles north
of Lake Valley, was soon opened to the
world. This district presented two
fold marvel in the cheapness with which
it's mines were worked, and the vast
amount of profit realized. It's product
consisted chiefly of high-grade silver
ores.
HERMOSA DISTRICT OPENED.
From Kingston the prospector moved
on north, opening up the Hermosa dis
trict, famous for it's lead-silver ores,
found in quantity and cheaply mined.
To-day this district stands without a
peer in the mining regions of New Mex
l., ct &c oF WIZ
ate ores, carrying silver, contained in
the great limestone deposits within its
boundaries. Thence north twenty-six
miles the intrepid prospector penetrat-
ed to the south boundary of the Apache
mining district, with its vast undevel-
oped treasures of gold, silver, copper
lead, iron and zinc and thence on to the
Black Range mining district, which
joins the Apache district on the south
The conditions prevailing at the two
last named districts are so nearly SIM
liar that they may properly be consid-
cred together. Both cover an area OF
about two miles square. Within these
limits, at some future time, Judging
from the promises of surface indica-
tions and the slight amount of develop
ment work that has been done under
many disadvantages, will come greater
annual profits than all the other min
ing districts Of the territory are at pres
ent yielding per year. The mineral pos
sibilities of this particular section, no
considering the rest Of the region lyint
to the south, which has been more ex
tensively developed, are beyond com
prehension. All that is required to brint
these conditions into active life is de
velopment Until capital can be brough