Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1902-04-26
MAXWELL CITY TOEMBUDO
An Account OF a Railroad Survey
Made Over a feasible Route in
the Year 1893.
r. A. JONES, THE SURVEYOR.

Taos Valley hallway company was re-.
Gently incorporated to build railroad
from Maxwell city to Taos by way Of
Elizabcthtovn and that railway pro
iect to build from Fort Garland. Colo.
RADIO. to the Rio Grandc valley by way
Of Embudo ana Taos is being discussed
the following account of the survey
over the proposed route, made in 1898
by Prof f A. Jones at present direct
or of the New Mexico School of Mines
at socorro, will be Of great interest
"Perhays no route in New Mexico of.
fcrs sucn scenic charms or more onrap.
lures the adm'yer Of nature. than
does the trail leading from Maxwell
city westward mp the Cimmarron can
yon TO El2abvthtOwn. over the giddy
heights of the Taos pass. through the
ancient puoblos of Taos and thence To
the valley of the Rio Grande.
II vas on the ! It.. DAY of September
1893. that the writer with sturdy
corps of engineers. turned the object
glass OF his transit westward and gave
the pcrcmptory order to advance. The
blue outline of mountains about sew
cnty miles distant. marked the great
est elevation Of the rockies In New
McNicO
I'm the center Of grandeur old
Badly lifted its head TO the clouds at
the towering height of 1i176 feet.
From Maxwell city To the quiet town
OF Cimnrron stretches vast plain,
through which flows the Vermeio and
wends It's turtuous way towards the
town of Springer. This plain IL also
traverscd b. bitches. being improve.
ments OF the Maxwell Land Grant com
pany I he ranges In this section OF
the country are the best for grazing
that can be found in New Mexico.
Farther west toward the town OF Gin.
AKRON two other streams flow toward
the southeast. they are the Cerososc
ana the Ponil. not so large as the Yer
mcjo.
About three miles east of the little
town OF CimarrOn our line Of survey
crossed the famous Santa Pc trail run
ming from the Ration pass TO Fort Tn.
ion. on the line of this historic trail
there SIN remained In evidence broken
pieces Of wagon. the old rut now worn
10 deep gully. the disintegrated jaw
bone of some faithful OK all of which
reminded ms of the hardships OF the
past
I'm setting up my transit by this re
nowned trail | was almost overcome
with emotion. when ! thought OF my
father who had made the survey OF
tran quarter of "a centpry before.
from Fort LcaYenworth to Fort Union.
for the purpose 90 checking the dis.
tancc Of freight hauled tor the govern.
meut
The town ~ Cimarron Is situated
just below the mouth Of the canyon
which gave il It's namo. This point Is
regarded as very favorable place for
the location Of a ameltcr To the west
anu northwest are virgin beds "a coal
untouched by the hand of commerce
Also the coal Dc as OF BlOssburg and
Dawson are near nj hand. which would
furnish .Hel FOR gmcltIng purposes at
nominal bricc Cjmarrou is the only
gateway through which the wealth of
wcHtcrn ColflN county in its timber
and mining production can pass.
"Whea a railway tapping the vast
resources Of mineral from thu mines In
the adjacent camps Of Badly. Eliza.
BEETHOVEN. .dereno and Red River
Cimarron woulu soon take rank with
the largest cities of the territory. In
passing up the Cimarron canyon one Is
awed with the gandeur OF nature
Here tall trees rushing water and pal
isades of columnar basalt. rising per
pendicularly over Il thousand feet
greet the apprcciativc eye.
About ten miles mp from the mouth
III the canyon the country opens out in
what is known as Ponil park. This Is
truly delightful spot of growing grass
and waving pines, Should railroad
ever he built through this section.
which there will be before many years
Ponii park viii be- an important point
IN the shipping of ore and lumber. All
of the wealth from the mines on the
east side OF Badly mountains will be
loaded here.
"On this side OF the mountain Is the
fam GUS Aztec minc which has produc-
ed in free milling gold upward Of 81.
coo 600
"rhe canyon ~ ronl park turns
somewhat more 10 the southwest
though the grade Is lighter and the val.
ley broader
In entering the Moreno valley the
pass rs very narrow with FCTpCndicu- !
lar walls of porphyry hundreds Of feet
ia height
This is by far the bost place to build
n dam for the storage OF water of any
place ~ the west. The Moreno valley
M one time was vast lake about
twenty miles north and south hv ave
miles east and west
Through the lapse Of ages the wat
er has worn through the porphyry aud
granite NJ this narrow entrance and |
drained the lake
in this valley are. perhaps. the /.
richest and most extensive deposits OF
placer gold in the United States The |
moor Of the entire yailcy Is literally |
strewn with nuggets and gold dust 4
The truth OF this statement is verified |
in every case where bed rock has been |
reached. About six miles 20 the north |
OF the gateway of tne Moreno valley is |
The picturesque camp of Elizabethtown
This town lies IN the Jap between two
mountains Badly mountain on the |
east and the Taos mountains on the