Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-12-28
NEW MEXICO
COAL WEALTH
Almost Nine Billion Tons Of the
Black Diamonds Are Avail
able in Territory.
PROSPECTING EXTENT
Best and Most Authoritative Descrip.
tion Of Deposits From the Pen Of
10. {. Sheridan.

The best and most authoritative de-
scription of New Mexico coal deposits
ever written, is that by 10 E. Sheridan,
| United States coal mine inspector for
New Mexico, and contained in Govern
or Otero's report for 1903. The article
covers over 100 closely printed pages
and the New Mexican produces from it
the following general description and
will follow it with a detailed descrip-
ton of the producing coal mines of the
Territory.
Great strides have been made in the
progress of the coal mining industry
in the Territory-far greater advance
than is indicated in the mere percent
age of gain in production. In the Col
fax County field, at the Dawson mines,
and at the Willow Creek mines, there
have been completed and put in sue
cessful operation two of the largest,
best equipped, substantial, and most
economical plants of machinery to be
found in the United States. At the
Gallup mines in Mckinley County, a
similar, very efficient, and economical
plant has been installed; at the Una
del Cato mines, in Santa Fe County,
and at the Carthage mines in Socorro
County, extensive development has
been made and efficient machinery
has been installed. All this means
that capitalists and coal-mine operat-
ors foresee and recognize the import
ance of the coal industry of New Mex
leo in the near future, and are prepar-
ing to bring the production up to suf
ficient tonnage to supply the demand
which will ensue.
i he coal mine industry in New Mex
leo is assuming a prominent place
among the most profitable of the var
led resources of the Territory AS pre-
dicted in the last annual report of the
United States mine Inspector, the pro
duction of coal has increased largely
during the past fiscal year, aud the de-
inand has exceeded the supply. not
withstanding the fact that the rail-
roads of the west and southwest,
which are among the largest consum-
ers, have substituted oil, from the
wells of California and Texas, for fuel
| upon G,UUV mlIGS VI TdllIOdu.
In Mckinley County the producing
capacity of the mines is far in excess
of the demand. 1t is in this county
that the completion of fuel oil is most
felt. The cheap fuel oil of California
has been substituted for coal upon the
Santa Fe Pacific Railroad from San
Francisco, California, to Seligman.
1 A.su IS <>Tr
and also upon the branch from Los
Angeles, to Barstow. California, 141
miles of road, and upon other coast
lines where New Mexico coal was usel
and oil is also used in many industries
and for domestic purposes in mary To-
calities of California where coal was
formerly used. And yet with this for
midable competitor in the field Of con-
sumers the production Of coal from
Mckinley County only show a de-
crease of 3.8 per cent. This indicates
that the developmentof ofhome resources
has created demand which at present
compensates for the lost markets to
the railroads and in California, and
which will in the near future furnish
home market for large proportion OF
New MeXico's coal production.
The development of the vast mining
resources of Arizona AM Old Mexico
Is largely dependent upon the cheap
coal of New Mexico, and during tie
past year this was fully demonstrated
by the mining and smelling cOmpan-
les of Old Mexico and Arizona keeping
aI foII Ie,
for the purpose of tracing empty rail.
road cars in which to ship coal from
the Territory to the mines and smelt-
ers mentioned above.
In all the counties except Colfax
County there has been slightly de-
creased production. but this is due
solely to lack of transportation facili-
ties and scarcity of miners. In the
matter of transportation, the equip
ment of the railroads will soon be in
creased to sufficient capacity to sup
ply the demand, and in addition to
this, new railroads are being built
some of these roads, like the Santa
Fe Central, opening up valuable coal
fields hitherto neglected and undevel-
oped on account of lack of transporta-
ton facilities, but which are now GER
tain to be valuable producing fields.
Scarcity of miners, too. was factor
in restricting the production at several
of the coal mines in the Territory.
: This dearth of miners was due, to
some extent, to the reluctance Of min
ers, especially those with families, tn
go to new camps where conditions are
unsettled and many comforts of older
established camps are apt to be lack
ing. But all this has now changed.
the new camps being improvements In
: many ways upon the older camps. The
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