Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-16
RATION THE
INDUSTRIAL
Splendid Development Of Inex.
haustible Coal Areas Now
Going On.
What the Railroads Are Doing. St.
Louis, Rocky Mountain a Pacific
Pushing Work. Big improvements TO
be Carried Out by Santa Fs. Two
Coal Roads Under Construction

Raton's hope Of Industrial promi-
nence seems to be we'll founded. The
coal areas that surround her closely
on every side are Of enormous extent
and susceptible Of infinite develop.
ment. The coal is Of good quality. is
easily mined and occurs in wide veins,
unbroken by shale or slate.
One of the best signs of industrial
development is the manner in which
the coal mines are now being enlarged
and the operation expanded. The pur.
chase of the coal rights of the Max
well Land Grant by the ST. Louis,
Rocky Mountain & Pacific company
has given a decided and much needed
impetus to the coal industry. Off
cials of the Maxwell company, who are
operating the mines for the eastern
corporation, told ME that a thousand
men were now employed in the mines
and that additional men were being
added as fast as they could be secured.
Good wages are paid and the men are
comfortably housed, we'll fed and well
treated.
Many new coke ovens are building.
The coke industry is rapidly assum-
ing much larger proportions.
Within a short distance Of the city
of Ration lie vast deposits of iron of
the finest quality. With abundant
quantities of iron and coal at her
doors. Ration is favorably situated TO
become the greatest manufacturing
town of New Mexico To this con
summation so devoutly desired by the
people Of the thriving city The develon-
mont of the railway industries will
Contribute powerfully.
II is, perhaps. unfortunate that Ra.
ton, So s1perblv situated so favorahlv
located as regards her resources. Is
not easily reached by railroads The
grand mountains that surround tha
town WIZ, doubtless. he Joy 20 the
eve forever but the railroads tc enter
the town, must mat o~or or md them
they cannot get around ther = Is
asYisyfa vto Ratnn and her present
and prospective ir'nar ance and a ROSY
promise for her future that the rail
road facilities of the city are to 10
greatly increased. There is no room
for doubt on this score The st, Louis
Rocky Mountain & Pacific will build
to Ration 1t is. indeed, probable that
the main line of the road wiz not an
proach the city nearer than sever
miles. but a spur is to de built to the
city from the nearest point and reg
ular and frequent passenger and
freight service will be maintained.
Furthermore the main offices of the
railway are to be established at Ration
Also it appears most likely that eX
tensive shops will be established here
It is believed that better results car
be obtained by establishing the shops
a short distance away from the mair
road. Good workmen can be brought
more easily to good town like Ration
they can be maintained more cheapl!
and the yards and shops can be more
advantageously utilized away from thu
rush and turmoil of the traffic Of VIA
will indubitably be busy line
Plans have already been drawn fol
the new railway office building IL
Ration. 1t will be large, handsome
and substantial structure, admirabl.
adapted to its purpose. The surve!
Of the new road is being rapid!
pushed. Actual construction worl
will begin in short time and b.
rapidly pushed to completion. Th'
railway has been entirely financed AM
there remains no lingering doubt tina
lit will be built at once.
Two short lines of railroad that al
feet Ration are already building One i
that OF the Ration & Eastern, which i
building from the city six miles cas-
TO promising coal field in Sugarit
canyon. The other will run from
point near the city to the Blossbur
mines. Both will be coal roads, bu
as thev vii, result materially in tn
further development Of the coal field.
they will add much to the bushes
of the CITY. A new mine--the Bri
liant--has been opened up in this SCI
ton. II is one of the best an
promises to be one of the most pr,
lific in the region. The coal Is OF 81
perior coking and steaming grade an
occurs in wide veins. The new owl
ers Of the fields operated by the Ratio
Coal & Coke company have located
number of other promising mines an
If the prkSent plans of the organizatio
ere carried out, the workers in ii
wide field will within a year or tw
he numbered by the thousands, rath'
than by the hundreds.
The Santa Fe company is not bein
left behind in the race for prefermel
now going on in and about The Ga'
City Plans have beer matrred f
the excavating of tunnel under r
ton mountain some distance low
down than the nresent one The III
on both sides of the mountain will
: rebuilt and double tracked. The ne
tunnel will result, not only in a shol
4 or grade, but the rebuilding of q
line from the mouths of the tunn
will secure a considerably reduc
grade into the city.
| learn, also, that the Santa Fe c
poets to enlarge in substantial me
sure its machine shops at Ration. II