NEW MEXICO, ITS GREAT MINERAL WEALTH, Another El Dorado Awaiting Adverturous Capital
"...until the recent discoveries of carbonate near Santa Fe, at what is called
Los Cerrillos... the only [mine] of any size is the Carbonate, which had sunk,
when I left, a thirty-four-foot shaft. Assays running from 5 to 90 ounces [of
silver] at the surface to 20 to 200 at ten feet... The history is very brief.
Snow in Leadville and all over Colorado prevents any mining in winter, and the
result is that the miners either leave the country or [quit mining til warm
weather]... Among Leadville miners were two men named Frank Dimmock and Robert Hart,
who thought they would travel through our Territory on a prospecting tour until
warm weather. They returned to Leadville and then returned to Santa Fe and made
known their discovery. Several gentlemen in Santa Fe joined Dimmock and Hart, and
the result was that a shaft was sunk at what is now called the Carbonate. The
yield has surpassed all expectations..."
The New Mexican; February 17, 1883 - Prison Labor for the
Mines?
"The first thing the legislature should do when it assembles again, should be the
passage of an act providing for the erection of a penitentiary at once. It could
authorize the issuance of bonds to run, say thirty years. These could be predicated,
or sold outright and a sufficient sum realized at once to put the enterprise on
its legs. It is now costing the territory over thirty thousand per year to support
her convicts in outside prisons. Four years' savings would alone build the required i
nstitution. If it were properly and wisely handled, it would soon become
self-sustaining. It might be located at or near Cerrillos and the convicts could
be worked in the mines there, and instead of being a great charge and a bill of
expense to the territory, a profit could be realized from their employment in
this way."
[In August of 1884 a contract was let for the construction on the
outskirts of Santa Fe New Mexico's first state penitentiary.]
The New Mexican; April 21, 1883
"OLD SPANISH SHAFT. Discovery of Old Workings, Stone Hammers and Chisels.
Messrs. Blonger and Whalen, who have the contract of sinking a shaft in the Bottom
Dollar mine, near Cerrillos, made an interesting discovery on Monday last. While
working at a depth of 110 feet they dropped into an old tunnel made by the
Spaniards no less than 200 years ago and out of the debris they took a number of
stone hammers, chisels and picks and found every evidence that this mine belongs
to the same class of sliver producing mines as does the Mina del Tiro property,
which is the most perfect Spanish mine yet discovered in this part of the country.
These stone tools were left in the mine by the Pueblo Indians, and have lain there
since the revolt of 1680, at which time the Indians filled up the mines with rubbish
to hide them and prevent the Spaniards from discovering and working them. The
owners of this mine, who are in Santa Fe, are very much gratified of this evidence
of the former value of the Bottom Dollar property. Messrs. Blonger and Whalen will
resume work to-day and will bring these old chisels and hammers to Santa Fe
to-morrow or the day following."
The New Mexican; June 7, 1909 - advertisement
"FORD MODEL T CARS.
If you are interested in a 5 passenger touring car or a 3 passenger roadster, do
not buy a car until you have inspected our 1909 Models. The wonderful performances
of this car over New Mexican roads should remove all doubt as to which car you
should buy. Santa Fe to Las Vegas 4 hours, 40 minutes, carrying three passengers
and 200 pounds luggage.
Los Cerrillos and return over mountain roads 52 miles on high gear, 2 hours and
3 minutes.
Climbing Fort Marcy and Tesuque Hill on high gear.
Earl Mays, Ford Agency, 102 E. Palace, Santa Fe."
[The "mountain roads" cited for the Los Cerrillos excursion refers
almost certainly to the passage through the Cerrillos Hills via the Arroyo de las
Minas.]
This website is maintained by the Cerrillos
Hills Park Coalition
and is dedicated to the creation, enhancement and stewardship
of an historical, recreational, and cultural open space in
the
Cerrillos Hills, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA
