Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-04-21

for 5000 and virtually controls the
water in the district. The ditch dis
charges about 1000, 900 gallons every
twenty-four hours. and is over forty
miles in length. and is known as the
Lynch ditch.
"Elizabethtown district and the Red
River district have many mines and
prospects; the value of these districts
does not lie wholly in their placer de-
posts. but in the lodges and veins from
whence these placers came.
"A short distance southwest of Eliza
BEETHOVEN stands a mountain of iron, a
solid mass Of hematite of superior
quality and carrying several dollars in
gold to the ton.
Across the range. about ten miles
west of Elizabethtown, is the Amizett
mining district, which shows many
mines of high grade ores, rich in cop
per, gold, silver and lead.
From the gateway of the Moreno
valley, our projected line of railway
reached south and west. crossing the
main range at an elevation at exactly
5000 feet. at a point known as the
Taos pass.
Before proceeding further it would
tt u iuttItSt, DtI udDS. " ltldlt DlltnN
a bit OF gruesome history. Our camp
for many days, when surveying to get
across the range, was on the east side
OF the pass at the foo of the mountain.
Here were standing an old cabin
and an outbuilding which afforded par
tial protection. 1t was learned that
this building was kept by a man named
Kennedy, who pretended to keep a
lodging house. After about two years
in the lodging house business it was
noticed that no person was ever after
ward seen or heard of after taking a
nights lodging with the landlord. 1t
was also noticed that Kennedy was
very attentive to gardening and dig
ging about in his little truck patch.
Suspicious were aroused by persons
acquainted with the surroundings, and
a vigilante committee waited on Mr..
Kennedy early one morning. He was
found afterwards by others hanging
from the limb of a pine. The garden
was his charnel yard; the writer pull
ed out a femur bone, where it had been
exposed by a wash in the garden soil.
There Is scarcely a doubt that this
gruesome relic of the survey, was a
bone was one Of the unfortunate vic
tins. DIR. ]. J.. Shuler, of Ration. has
this bone.
The grade in going down the noun
tain on the Taos side Is gradual and
easy.
The Taos valley Is the most beauti-
full part of New Mexico. The soil Is
fertile. producing wheat, rye, corn, al
falfa. vegetables and fruits of all kinds.
This vauey was formerly the Egypt of
New Mexico; it was the Mecca to which
the whole southwest ~journeyed, as
Benjamin of old to buy corn in years
of drouth and famine.
1T Is not at all surprising that the
Pueblo Indians located in this beautiful
valley. Every stream on this sioe of
the range Is sparkling with abundance
of water.
THE old town of Taos is practically
today as it was centuries ago; to see
the inhabitants toiling in the gardens
and fields, carries us back to the time
of Moses, as did the children toll upon
the plains Of Shinar.
Some very old ruins presumably
Pueblos, are to be seen to the right
when nearing the main town. There
are no legends as by whom these ruins
were inhabited.
"An interesting feature is one of the
old churches of the Pueblo Indians at
Taos. 1t appears that these Indians
rebelled against the United States gov
eminent once and but only once, in the
earlier part of the SOS, and took re-
fuge in the old church.. Whereupon
Gen. Sterling Price bombarded them
with cannon from q distant point, until
the Indians hoisted a flag Of truce from
the top of the old church. The effect
of that bombardment was in evidence
at the time of the survey in 1898; the
holes made by the shells were never
repaired.
The writer shall never regret the
time when the corps or surveyors en-
tered the suburbs of the town. They
were met by all the prominent people
of Taos. with music. song and general
welcome. We were Toasted and toast
ed, given receptions OF entertainments
every night while there. This act OF
appreciation in welcoming us into
their homes and places Of amusements
was entirely due to the native people
of Taos, for there was but m Ameri
can family living there at that time
1t is in n Of the cemeteries of Taos
where lies all that is mortal of Ameri
cas- greatest hunter, trapper, scout and
guide, Kit Carson.
From Taos the line of survey ran
In a southwesterly course down the
boxed canyon of the Taos river to the
Rio Grande. g..
"a line of railway built over this
route will open up the garden spots
and store houses OF New Mexico!
choicest possessions.
THE entire line could be constructed
at comparatively small cost. and on
grade not to exceed two and one-hal
per cent.