Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-01-16
The Southwest Frontier.

The farther removed portion of all
that Is left as the frontier of the
great new southwest wich still re-
mains practically uninhabited by
white people. will be coming In slow
iy and joining the balance of the
civilized and progressive world dur
Ing the next few years. Within the
past ten years many changes have
been made in the conditions of the
widest part of the southwest. In
dian deviltry has been reduced to
the minimum and outlawry by other
fugitiyes is not SO prevalent as a few
years ago. Exploration of the coun-
try can be conducted now with lit
tie danger to life.
Agriculture and stockgrowing will
be among the principal industries of
the new century. If not chief. Placer
mining will progress as better appli-
ances are devised for saving the finer
particlars of gold. In various Sec
tions lode mining will spring up
There has been but little prospect
Ing for leads as the Indians have not
been friendly to such enterprise
Prospectors have run the gauntlet
but have generally been caught and
deported out of the country with ad-
monitions to stay out. Enough has
been learned to excite interest and it
Is only matter Of year or so until
the prospectors will be pressing for
admission into the mineral sections.
Indians have frequently brought out
hot ST a
and combination ores possessing near
ly or all of the four metals popularity
mined, gold. silver, copper and lead.
The Indians have always carefully
guarded all information they possess
regarding minerals and their loca-
tion.but they will not be able to do
this much longer. They are getting
crowded with the fringes of what we
choose to term civilization
The building of broad gauge road
south from Durango will be the first
step in the direction of opening up
considerable portion of the
country which is left as the south.
west frontier. and this will most
likely be accomplished during the
year 1902. Branches or feeders for
the main line of railway will be built
within a few years, and then the
frontier will be left where the lands
of the Yaqui Indians begin. The
frontier soon will he driven TO the
borders of Old Mexico, and there it
may remain for the bsldi.ce OF The
century, but probably not so long
Within five yeacs no doubt there Will
be towns and cities along the San
Juan river and the Colorado, on down
to the Gulf of California, and some of
them will be very populous as the
resources of the country will wal
rant rapid building and general pro-
gress. The climate will be founi
to be very desirable, save certain
periods when the heat is in
tense during summer months.
Only those who have been through
portions of the country and made
study of its resources, diversified
as they are, have any idea of the
possibilities of rapid progress when
railway is once in operation there.
Durango will welcome the bringing
nearer to her trade the people who
have already pressed up to the from
tier line. The Navajo indians, in
spite of the fact that they have al
lowed their herds to run down TO.
nearly forty years, never grading
or improving their stock, have con-
tinued in the stock business without
effort. The poor animals have gone
ahead and managed the best they
could without assistance from their
owners. Were the country not Pc
culiarly well adapted for stockgrow-
ing the Indians would have nothing
but their dogs. When more progress
sive people become engaged there
new and important volume will be
added in the production of the indus
try.
Watch the frontier southwest dur
ing the next five years. You NAV
want to go there to make a home.