The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1910-04-21

oef8fUuxo 8uppfy VIII 9erVe 20 1fT1
gate only q very sman part Of the
valley yet there h reaso to believe
that IL II sufficient to add materially
10 the agricultural production Of dhe
region This source should be de-
velored but its development should
be carried out very carefully and with
IN understanding of the rigid limita-
lions which are involved. 1t is believ-
ed taat irrigation of small p]ats
in connection with dry farms and
ranches will BE- feasible over a large
| part of the valley.
Character OF the Water.
Assays made in the field show that
the water beneath the extensive west
| slope is relatively yer pure except
| near the Mesa Jumane where 1t is
im~pregnated with sufpnates derived
from a quick bed of gypsarn that out
crops there: but the shallow ground
water in the lower central area con
tains large quantities of calorides and
sulphates. Between the large western
area of pure water N the muca
smaller area of saline water is a belt
about three miles wide, in which the
| ground water is intermediate in qua
lily. In the central area, better water
is found at greater depth but the sam
| pies assayed were all very much more
mineraliZed than the pure water of
the west slope. The analyses OF the
several samples of soil that were col
lected in the central area are not
| yet completed, but the assays of the
water underlying this part of the val
icy give results That are u~lfavorable
for its use in irrigation mt IL is there
fore necessary to advise settlers in
the valley against expanding money
for wells and pumping plants in the
localities where the first ground wa
ter encountered is ~preceptibly saline.
During the present year 4 Geolo-
gical Survey will publish a report on
the region. which will discuss the
geology, the water resources and the
possibilities of irrigation.
The increasing interest in the min
eral products of the western states,
especially those lying in or west of
what cnay be broadly termed the
Rocky Mountain region is reflected in
tle large measure of attention given
to that region by the geological sur
vey. which for several years has is
sued, under the title Contributions
to Economic Geology" annual val
umes devoted largely to the mineral
resources of that part of the country.
The latest volI-ne of this series
(Bufletin $500 contained a number of
valuable papers,, discussing gold, sill
Yer, cement and iron in Colorado:
gold n silver, copper and asphalt
tite in Nevada: gold and silver in Or
egon: lead, zinc and iron in New
Mexico: Wolfranite and marble in
Arizona; and other lesser deposits.
Colorado.
In Colorado an investigation was
made of the mining camps of Gunni-
son county, where the lineup, Toni
chi. Gold Brick Quartz Creek and
other districts were examined. None
of the camps are very prosperous tho
more or less development is under
way.
The Taylor Peak. and White pine iron
deposits of Colorado are not yet of
great commercial importance. though
they may become more valuable when
transportation facilities are improved
and richer iron beds elsewhere are
worked out. The Taylor Creek de-
posits are more valuable, but the less
accessible. Both are in or close to
the border of GunniSon county. The
Taylor Peal ores are chiefly magne-
lite; the White Pine ores are limoni-
tic bog ores and requirement. de-
posits.
Owing to the lack of timber in Col
orado. satisfactory and accessible ce-
ment material in that state should be
particularly valuable for building
purposes. An investigation made by
the survey shows that they exist at
several points in northern Colorado.
The limestone to be used is in the
formation known to biologists as MO
brara, which outcrops in a narrow
oelt along the eastern face of the
Rocky mountains in Boulder and Lari-
mic counties.
Nevada.
The revival of interest in Nevada
gold and silver mines brought about
by the discoveries of Goldfield aas led
to the development of other districts
two of which are discussed in the
bulletin. The town of Homsiiver,
which lies in Esznerelda county &c
miles southwest of Goldfeld, is de-
scribed as a promising camp. though
when it was visited only N mine
had been developed far enough to
ship ore. One of two neighboring
mines that were worked forty years
ago but were abandoned on account
Of transportation difficulties nave
now been reopened.
Round Mountain, another camp de
scribed, lies forty-hye miles north of
Tonopah. Only mine vas exam
ined In detail, and this vas found to
carry oxidized ore averaging ten dol
lars 70 6ffoan dolIars In the ton The