Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1902-07-04

Old Time Sketches.
HEAD OF NAVIGATION.

~ tHc uNeTHke olu tIucI W tuil
section, II may be news 70 learl
that at one time. Shakespeare II
Grant county, New Mexico. was tn,
head OF navigation on the San 81
mon river. In 1880 81, d newspA
per published in 81. Louis. Mo.
carrying a Shskspere date line, ant
designated as the Miner, startlet
the natives OF that particular SEQ
tion by ito appearance. II trea.et
OF many things, and II tended great
ly TO enllghten the residents Of thaI
favored section by wonderful pros
entation of the unbounded mineral
wealth Of the surrounding country
and OF Shakspere in particular
The paper appeared weekly. and
WAS distributed graiituously. i,
was an advertisement OF the N. NJ.
n 7. company. one OF j. Il. Prices
star route combinations. a jerkwat-
or stage line. the u. s. mail over
the southern route. Az the govern
ment paid the freight. and j. b.
Price was the freighter, it 10 need
less TO remark that great quantities
OF Miners were scattered along the
route. The editor at this end OF
the line was a genius in msnufact-
uring mining news, and TO hear
him tell it, the great Comstock Of
Nevada, the Rand in South Africa,
aud other well known mining soc-
lions OF the universe, were but
stringers as compared to the won-
dertul possibilities in n mining way,
OF the ledgers In and around Shake
pere. Who the editor WAS, WAS
never definitely known, although
Major Douahoe. an enthusiastic
southern gentleman, was strongly
suspected. The mnjor owned, or
rather had located ut different times
several thousands of acres OF what
he WAS pleased to term In his poet
10 way, 'rhs Great Bonanza Clus.
ter" and one of his holdiDgs in
particular, a great barren dyke Of
porphyry, no had singled out aud
designated a. the "Grand Central
Gem" He worked his numerous
holdings by the popular sermoter
process which required neither fuel
nor water, aud peculiarity OF
which was TINT there was always
available dump room. None OF
the emajor's bonanza properties ' ere
eyer sold, but no blame could At
tack to the major for the failures,
NJ he did his level best 10 bring
them INTO prominence.
The Miner, as a newspaper, WAS
strictly up to date, the front page
being embellished with a pictur.
esgue representation OF steamboats,
lied up 10 the levee which were be-
ing loaded with silver bullion from
number OF big four horse trucks
constantly arriving, while IN the
distance were big stamp mills,
'melters aud all the other necessary
paraphernalia Of npr,sperous min
Dg camp. Several railroad trains
were seen pulling out in different
directions, all loaded to the limit
with silver bars, which we're stack.
ID up like cord wood It was an
scene, u pipe dream, II
Gou prefer the expression. AZ II ne
,er had any exlstsnce IN reality,
)ut II perved to answer it's purpose
Is 1t drew many sdvsnturers and
'ome few capitalists to the new
lolconda; II also served to sdver-
ise the National Mail aud Trans
'ortation company. which was the
primary object in view.
As It cost the military editor
'othi0g to travel. he once took .
rip back to the states. with = Va.
ise filled with gilt edge mining |
took, which Le proposed to dis
'oss OF to his southern friends.
ie reached Nashville. Tenn, aud
pened up his campaign, thinking
hat 10 his home town be would
,eet with a measurable degrss of
uccsss. The Major WAS some
hat VI philauIhroplst, and Le