The Black Range

THE ISSUE OF FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1883

The Front Page

“Mrs. Langtry has returned to England and her loving husband. The idiotic American people are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next crank or lewd woman to pour out their cash to them. In no other land could Oscar Wild or Mrs. Langtry have earned expenses traveling about exhibiting themselves, while here they each made a fortune.”

“An attempt is being made at Deming to have a wagon road constructed from that point to Kingston.”

“The Magdalena smelter is running steadily on Juanita ore. The ore carries only six ounces of silver per ton but it is easily mined and fluxed.”

“Anybody knowing of the whereabouts of a prospector named Evan I. Owens, will confer a favor upon his parents in Maryland by sending word to the Kingston Tribune.”

“The Socorro Sun has changed from a weekly to a daily. Tho proprietor, Mr. Real is laboring hard to make the changed form a financial success, and the Range hopes he will succeed.”

“J. D. McDonald and John McCalla both of Pueblo, Springs, of this county, had a shooting affray on the 20th ult., over some mining claims, McDonald shot five times and mortally wounded his opponent. McCalla killed his antagonist by his sixth shot.”

“In the Franco-Tonqui war the French troops recently made a sortie from Hanoi with a force of 5,000 men.   Seven pieces of artillery were captured and 1,000 of the enemy were killed with a loss to the French of but eleven men.”

“A Valencia county justice of the peace named Stantiago Luna, last week fined Pilar Aguirre y Guiterres $25 and costs for the murder of Marcus Sais and a companion in which the said Pilar was implicated. Justice and the law have little to do with a Mexican justice's court.”

“The telegraph operators strike still continues with no sign of weakening on either side. This is the most move to compel, an increase of wages that has ever been attempted in the land, some fourteen thousand persons being engaged in the concerted action. There is a harmony, absence of bluster and violence and a gentlemanly bearing among the strikers that commands the admiration of the public and gains for the operators many friends. There is much hope that the employes will win in the war and that grasping corporations which skin their dependents to sell their hides will be compelled to come to terms. The union is strongest in the south where no telegraph schools have trained up boys and girls to a knowledge of the ticker's alphabet.”

The Second Page

“The grand army encampment at Denver held last week was the best attended and most enthusiastic of any meeting of the society yet had. Not less than fifty thousand people participated. A close search has revealed several privates among the number. Heath, of Pennsylvania, has been elected the new grand commander.”

“James Carey, the informer in the Phoenix Park murder cases, has met the fate which was  predicted for him whenever the government removed its watchful care. He was shot and killed at an African port whither he had gone, by an Irishman named O'Donnel.  There is great rejoicing in all Irish circles at the news.”

“News of a terrible earthquake which totally destroyed the Italian town of Casamcceola (photo right), on the island of Ischia, and caused the death of four thousand people and wounded nearly as many more, came by telegraph July 30th. The town was situated twenty miles from Mt. Vesuvius and contained four thousand population. Five houses only are left standing. Two other towns on the Island were also badly damaged and contributed to swell the total number of persons killed.” 

Page Three

“C. Sickles, who was formerly resident at Grafton, but who is now the boss of Alex Roger's ranch near Engle has conceived the notion that there is money to be made from the industry of gathering the barrel cactus which grows so luxuriantly on the Jornada and marketing them at his old home in Canada. He will make a shipment of two or three of the plants and if these are received with favor he will send more.”

“The rainfall of this season has washed the ore dump of the Palomas Chief mine at Hermosa and showed many new beauties therein. R M. White one  of the owners thereof, brought up specimens for the Cincinnati exposition on which were numerous great chunks of malleable silver. The ore has always shown large quantities of native silver but until the elements cleaned the dump the full beauty of the mineral did not appear. Mr. White is assured that the Chief ore can be milled with success, and he will have a trial made on it at the first opportunity. The ore carries over one hundred ounces of silver on an average, and it is therefore good stuff to work on.”

“Three or four weeks ago Charley Ayers killed a large cinnamon hear, on the Palomas, with a shot gun loaded with one charge of buckshot and five cartridges of bird shot in reserve. The hunter approached to within fifty feet of the bear and fired his buckshot be fore the game was aware of his presence. He shot at the broadside of the beast intending to break its buck but the tough hide prevented this result.  However, the shot did so paralyze the animal that it failed in an attempt to stand on its hind feet and reach its adversary and he peppered bruin with the shot as he advanced toward him. His last shot Charley fired with the muzzle of his gun touching the brute's skull, the concussion causing death. An examination of the skin showed that the buckshot alone had  penetrated it, and these were lodged just inside, so that really the animal was bruised to death.” (Colored areas show former range of Grizzly Bear.)

Grafton: “Frank Peet has purchased the one-half interest in the Henry Clay lode on South Fork, of the Jackson Bros. and Hunt”

Grafton: “John St. Charles is putting a force of men on the Thieving Teacher mine.  Wonders are expected ; the public will be shocked with the developments.”

Grafton: “Judge Adams has returned from Chicago.  He will have the company a properties surveyed and complete the applications for patents. When he begins work on the Alaska it will be with the intention of going to the 700 foot level.”

Fairview: Geo. Richardson returned from Hillsboro Saturday evening to prosecute the work on the Black Knife, being a partner with J. C. Hubbard in the contract.”

Fairview: “A postal card recently received from Geo. II. Utter of the Nordhausen company, states that owing to the illness of his wife he has been delayed in visit ing the range. The work to be prosecuted by the company will commence as  soon as he is able to attend to it.”

Fairview: “The Tip Top lode owned by Taylor & Brockway is running a company shaft in connection with Smokey Jones and Maxfield who own the neighboring claim. They are down about twenty feet and have about five feet of good looking mineralized quartz. This property adjoins the Chicago which continues to improve with every foot of development.”

Fairview: “The Black Knife has got between two and three feet of first-class mineral in sight that needs no sorting and considerable more of lower grade.  The incline being run is 4x6 in solid mineral the upper three feet being by far the best ever seen in the mine.”

Chloride: “Since the mail has taken to going out later in the mornings the postoffice does not close so early, so that if  letters are presented before seven o’clock in the morning they will be sent directly.”

Chloride: “C. C. Harris took a view of the Royal Arch mine this week. The picture, an eight by ten in size, is the best result that he has ever got with his instrument and would be a credit to any photographer, anywhere, he had orders for seventy-five of the pictures, which constitutes the best paying job that his camera has yet brought him.”

Page Four

This page was dedicated to the usual witticisms and ads, including that to the right...

This entire issue may be read at: The Black Range Newspaper, issue of August 3, 1883.  The file is 2.1 MB in size.

THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 10, 1883
(not available)

THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 17, 1883

I have mentioned in the past that the front page of The Black Range Newspaper is generally dedicated to ads and “local color” or “humorous” stories.  But what does that mean?  Here is an example from this issue.

“First Woman in Camp"

The first woman in Carbonateville, Colorado, says the Denver Times was greeted by one hundred men in their rough habiliments with uncovered heads. Col. Ferguson was chosen to give the lady a welcoming speech. Uneasily pluming his mustache with carbonate-stained fingers, the colonel approached her and, followed by the uncovered heads, he inadvertently yanked a frog from his throat and then began : "Respected madam," and a hundred heads nodded assent. Appealing again to his mustache for the needed inspiration, the colonel resumed again: "Respected madam the illuminating spectre of this most fascinating occasion"  And a hundred heads bobbed serenely again in assent.   Pluming again the source of inspiration, the halting colonel staggered on: "Footprints of thine, which have first fallen on our carboniferous soil, we welcome thee.  Mercury in her aerial flight trails through the starry architecture of heaven, to trail over the Silurian outcrops of Garfield county, which has become sacred soil to us from toil, vicissitudes, and privations. It is ours by right of discovery, you are welcome.  We are conversant with your sex, and some of us have been victimized. We have learned to love and cherish in memory the tiny fingers which were rubbed over our biscuits in other days, and we languish for the same. The delicacy of sewing on buttons (thimble-less) is ours, and our toil-stained robes bear the traces of the Silurian outcrop. For months we have been here surrounded by the crystalline pearls of heaven, which have banked about and around us, and our only solace has been the chirp of the camp bird and the weird wailings of the metamorphic blasts. We have long anticipated the daisy, struggling through the snowy depths to comfort us, as the day drew near when we laid by our snowshoes on the limestone ledges, but this occasion is most sublime, undreamed of, and unprecedented in the history of our new country. Thou hast come upon us like a perfume-freighted breath of gentle spring-time, and thou art the shrine to which we bow and bring tribute, and, in behalf of these, my partner in the struggle, who stand before you with uncovered heads, some of them glistening like a burnished disc in the Silurian sunlight, heads which have been robbed of capillary traces from inevitable contact, and I again say, you are welcome."

From Page Two

“The proposition to vote $250,000 to the A. T. & S. F. railroad was carried in Santa Fe county on the 19th instant, by a large majority. It is probable that the ancient city will now get its narrow gauge connection with the north.  Albuquerque is the next place which will be asked for assistance probably, as it is undoubtedly the intention of the road to continue southward.”

“In the secretary of the state's office, at Springfield. Illinois. James Dunnel and Joseph Gotthelp filed a certificate of incorporation of what is to be known as the "Aerial Navigation Company of Chicago." The object of this corporation is stated to be "the transportation of passengers and freight through the air.  Two millions of dollars comprise the capital stock of the new corporation, and each share to be sold at $200. The total number of shares is to be 20,000. The immense amount of capital stock, together with the comparatively small number of shares, is evidence that the scheme is something more than an aggregation of intangible ideas, and from the information gleaned it is probable something more will be heard of the Aerial Navigation company in the near future. It is asserted that the machines to be manufactured by this company are a perfection of the one tested at Hartford, Conn, nearly two years ago, and at that time attracted such widespread interest.  Immediate steps are to be taken toward the manufacture of a monster machine of great power and capacity, and if the inventors of the machine are not over enthusiastic it will be but a few months before the scientific and inventive world will be electrified by the announcement of attained perfection in aerial navigation.”

From Page Three

“The Mexicans at Cuchillo Negro town have made entry for themselves of the land above their town from which they drove Hopewell & Brooks' man last week. The ground is located in the box canyon and is only valuable for its water which can be used for stock purposes. If either Hopewell or Brooks had been on the ground at the time of the intimidation the natives would not have scared the men off so easily.”

“The Sierra mines of Lake Valley have a new superintendent, Mr. Bunsen having received the G. B. and his assistant appointed in his place. Also Mr. Cope has taken Mr. Wright's place as president of the company and the company has been remodeled generally.  This change is not remarkable to one who hits perused the report made by Superintendent Bunsen to his company.   How any sane man could muster cheek to present to other sane men of common judgment such a report cannot be explained except by the supposition that the men reported to understand the situation. The report showed that the cost of the thirty ton smelter erected at the mine was $50,000, while for its erection and for the necessary supplies to run it the few months it was in operation, something over $100,000 was paid. The bill for labor would have paid two hundred dollars per day to each man employed about the mine or machinery. An assaying furnace was put in at $15,000 and everything else was charged for on the same scale. Mr. Bunsen evidently expected but one haul at the treasury and he thought best to feather his nest while be was about it. No wonder that Lake Valley stock is a drag in the market.”  (See our “Tales of Lake Valley” for more about Cope and the Sierra mines.)

Fairview: “The party of ladies that visited the Gila last week have returned and express themselves highly pleased with their trip and the country.”

Fairview: “Thos. H. Dodds has returned bringing 1008 yearling Merino sheep from California to stock his ranch on the Caliente.  They are by far the finest band in this part of the country.”

Fairview: “The Tip Top lode is likely to prove a bonanza. Eight foot of mineralized quartz at a depth of twenty-two feet is a good showing, and when the quartz can be burned in a forge till silver globules appear on the surface and bromide of copper stain appears taking the place of a grayish matter, the indications are that the rock contains something.”

Fairview: “The Black Knife contract is now advanced twenty-six feet with a change that all miners will be glad to hear of.  The contact is at last found and the mineral in place. At a depth of 110from the mouth of the incline the hanging wall of lime and foot wall of porphyry are at last well defined and the mineral a little over two feet wide in place. The nature is gradually changing, more iron and more silver coming in, and the presence of copper apparently diminishing. No assays having been made the above is merely a supposition, but is based on the opinion of men who are well acquainted with the ore. The mineral is not a mixture of gangue, but the solid truck.”

Fairview: “G. M. Furdy, president and manager of the Dempster mining company, of which Major Day is superintendent.  Visited the range last week and took a look at his possessions. He was well  pleased, not only with the German, the chief of the group but with the Hancock and John Henry two others in the same neighborhood which though but slightly developed show rich ore in large quantities.  Mr. Purdy will report to his company in Missouri, recommending that there be one hundred feet of additional shafting put upon each of the company's properties at once, and that a whim for hoisting be put upon the German which he wishes to get opened by shaft and drift as rapidly as possible that it may furnish business for a fifty or sixty ton smelter which he would like to erect at Fairview.”

Chloride: “Mr. Reber has gone to Hillsboro to see about his business at that place.  He may go to Texas before he returns.”

A complete copy of this issue may be read at: The Black Range Newspaper, issue of August 17, 1883. The file is 2.1 MB in size.

THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 24, 1883

Life was good for The Black Range in late August of 1883.  How do I know?  Page 4 had one column of witticisms, the rest of the page was filled with ads.  The alternative assumption, “that ‘humor’ had left the earth”, is also possible and would explain the current lack of the emotion in the United States.  So about that ‘humor’, perhaps a few examples will suffice:

“Ten years ago two loving hearts were separated by a little quarrel, owing to the miscarriage of an explanatory letter. He went west and married, she stayed east and married, and both are once more free. He has eight children and the jaundice, she seven and the dyspepsia, and neither has any idea of marrying again. Truth may be stranger than fiction, but it is not so romantic.”

"Mamma where do the cows get their milk?" asked Willie, looking up from the foaming pan of milk, which he had been regarding. "Where do you get your tears?" was the answer. After thoughtful silence he again broke out.  “Mamma, do the cows have to be spanked?”

Perhaps it is good that there is no humor left in the country!

From The Front Page

“The great bridge across the Colorado river was completed and the silver spike driven which united the Atlantic and Pacific and Southern Pacific rail roads on the 10th. This line is now open for public traffic.”

“Silver City now has telephone communication with Georgetown and is agitating (for) the extension of the line to Lake Valley, Hillsboro and Kingston.  This would be considerable of an addition and a valuable one to Silver's present metropolitan features.”

“The Silver City and Fort Bayard base ball clubs played a game lately when the game stood nineteen to twenty-eight and the local papers talk about these players as if they are something extra.  Such a score wouldn't be mentioned for shame up here.”

“The United Slates Senate sub-committee on education and labor is now taking evidence in the subject or the telegraphers strike.  If the investigation results in the government assuming control of the the telegraph system the inquiry will be worth all it costs.”

“Each additional piece of evidence in the case which is received fortifies the assertion that the Indians in Old Mexico captured Crook and made their own terms with him, instead of his routing and capturing them. Crook's heroism appears to consist mostly of the story with which he bravely attacked the American public.”

From Page Two

“The Northern Pacific railroad, building from east and west have made a union at Millen Tunnel and the 8th of September is the day set for the driving of the golden spike by President Villard and Jay Cooke. Thus the fifth through line of travel across the continent is completed.”

“General Sherman is advocating a new Indian policy which appears to be the best scheme for their treatment yet devised.  It is to place the savages under the care of the war department and to sell their reservations and support them on the proceeds thereof.  Some of the  papers here in the west who ought to know better say that the present Indian policy is good enough, but General Sherman and almost anybody else can not see it.  Not a year has passed that a large number of frontier settlers have not been sacrificed to this inefficient policy  and no marked improvement in the situation has as yet taken place in more than one or two quarters.  Nobody is entirely secure in the vicinity of any Apache reservation and they are not likely to be so long as those reservations exist.  The expense of preserving and guarding these tracts is by no means small and this cost occurs where profit might as well be, for with these lands settled by a quiet and industrious people the United States would be much richer.  The interior department is no more competent to handle the Indians than a babe is a mad dog and this truth becomes more apparent each year.  The Range hopes that general Sherman's policy will be adopted and carried out.”

From page three

The articles appearing on the right side of this post are from page three of this issue.

“Last Thursday as two of the workmen, on the old Kelly mine near Hillsboro on the Palomas road, were putting air tubing into a hundred foot shaft a brace gave way  and S. G. Ely being at the bottom of the shaft was struck on the breast by one of the pieces and instantly killed. Mr. Ely who was a prominent mining man of that region had a bond upon the property which he was working and the showing was excellent but he has no further anxiety concerning it.”

Grafton:  “Mr. Arnold of Silver City has opened a dental office in Grafton. He expects to remain here several weeks.”

Grafton:  “Several parties in town are amusing themselves at night by shooting wild dogs which have become a nuisance here. Let the good work go on.”

Grafton:  “The workmen from the Royal Arch have been over on the Gia rusticating while waiting the arrival of the new pumping apparatus for the mine.” 

Grafton:  “At a miners’ meeting held in this place on Wednesday to discuss the question of reduced wages in the camp it was voted that miners wages be three dollars and a half per day for eight hours per day when more  could not be obtained.”

Fairview:  “A new discovery shaft is being opened on the Silver Tip mine and some fine mineral exposed.”   

Fairview:  “Reber came back from Hillsboro this week  satisfied that there was other places equally as dull as the town here.”

Fairview:  “The Fairview base ball cripples are jubilant, they think they can whip Chloride with one hand tied behind their backs.”

Chloride:  “Chloride has a dozen children of school age and it needs a school.”

Chloride:  “Copper is cheap. That contained in the last shipment of Silver Monument ore brought only ninety-five cents.”

Chloride:  “Canfield and Hastings are still driving ahead on the Colossal tunnel, though the rock being exceedingly hard they don't make the progress they used to.”

Chloride:  “Capt. Bryant is back from the Palomas and Percha country. He was forced to discontinue work on the Majicano owing to the bad air in the shaft and drifts which he could devise no means, with his limited appliances, to handle.”

Chloride:  “Affairs are not yet settled on the Silver Monument miners as has been reported, though they are in a fair way to be. In the meantime, however, work on the property continues uninterrupted with good prospects of catching another one of those huge pockets of rich ore good.”

Chloride:  “Frank Pitcher came up from Hillsboro last week to do the assessment work on the Hancock, Grand Central and other properties and to make preparations to take out ore from the White Signal in case the concentrator contemplated is erected.  There are many other claims which will be worked if the concentrator comes, and lively times for Chloride may be expected, in that event.”

The guests at the party mentioned above right included Alice Barnes and her mother - see Spell of the Black Range.

This entire issue may be read at: The Black Range newspaper, issue of August 24, 1883.  The file is 2.1 MB in size.

THE ISSUE OF AUGUST 31, 1883

 

Probably the biggest news in The Black Range newspaper of August 31, 1883 was the ad shown above.  A smelting works near the mines of the northeastern Black Range was a big deal.

From Page One

“Ten of the Kingstone mines are shipping ore.”  (We do not use “sic” - even when appropriate, you have the opportunity to read it as printed.)

“The field officers of the first regiment of the New Mexico cavalry all reside at Mesilla and Las Cruces.”

“Two soap factories, both using the soap weed as the basis of their work, will be built at once at Las Cruces.”

“The Columbia mine of Lake Valley, sold by the receiver to settle differences between adverse claimants, was purchased by the Sierra Bella company for $30,500.  25.”

“The extent to which the whisky prohibition movement is entering into politics in Iowa, being endorsed unqualifiedly by the republican party renders the result of this year's election more uncertain than usual.”

“A Salt Lake negro who killed an officer while resisting arrest, was rounded up by other officers taken from jail and hung by one mob of citizens and taken down and dragged about the streets by a second crowd of infuriated men.”

“There are four opium joints kept by Chinese in Albuquerque on which the Journal is now waging open war.  There is no law in the city at present which  governs such cases so some ordinances will have to be enacted on the subject ere they cm be handled.”

“Chas. Chaves, Abel Duran and Aurilio Lora were tried and convicted of murdering three Chinamen near Fort Bayard last February, and were sentenced to be hanged on the 14th of next month.  A deaf and dumb boy nine years of age was the principal witness in the case and he gave his testimony by means of pictures of the horrors which he drew.”

“The Mexican authorities want to punish the depredating Chiracahuas for their misdeeds but general Crook says that when the savages surrendered to him (he) promised them that they should not be punished for past acts so long as they behaved themselves and that to proceed against them now would be to act in bad faith. Will some friend of Crook tell the people why in the world the general made any such an agreement with whipped prisoners?  This information strengthens the story that the Indians captured Crook.”

From Page Two

The two top clippings which appear on the right side of this post are from page two.

From Page Three

“When a miner carves out a shaft he may not intend to have it erected as an enduring monument to his memory although frequently it is good for nothing else”

The third clipping from the top, and all of those below are from the third page.  The fourth clipping down was  from Grafton, the remainder are from Fairview. 

“A good many residents of the range lost heavily by Alex. Rogers fire at Engle owing to his books not burning up. They realize that life is filled with uncertainties and that providence cannot be depended upon to assist the worthy.”

“Everybody, who fails to get an expected letter this week says it was destroyed by the fire at Engle.  Mr. Rowe says there was a good deal of registered matter which went up in smoke at that conflagration, most of which was intended for the range offices.”

Grafton: “Twelve men on the Alaska are putting that shaft down as rapidly as possible.  The water in the shaft averages about twelve buckets to the shift and is easily handled.”

Fairview: “James Lackle and Ed. Doolittle are at Grafton working on the Alaska.”

Fairview: “Messrs. Stiver and Chandler Bros. are digging a company well in the rear of the buildingoccupied by James Moreland.”

Fairview: “Four bids on the German contract left here Monday and Tuesday mornings, the lucky party will be likely to know something next week.”

Fairview: “Tom Butler, Joe Peers and Chris Olson left Monday for a trip to the Gila and Mogollon country.  Speckled trout, deer, antelope and bears are the object of the journey, and maybe sage hens, quin sabe.”

Fairview: “The stable that has graced the south east corner lot of our principal square has been moved to the rear of Sansom’s store and raised about two feet from the ground.”

Chloride:  “The public well is getting short of water again.”

Chloride: “Westerman & Co. are digging themselves a well this week.  They struck water at thirty-five feet.”

Chloride: “Doug. Robertson this week received a very complete set of taxerdermists instruments and he proposes to make a collection of the birds of the Black range. With Dr. Haskell's mineral collection. Dr. Blum's insects and reptiles and Doug Robertson’s birds and animals Chloride will be able to show visitors about all there is to be seen in this section of country.”

Chloride: “The Chloride and Fairview base ball teams were so elated over their score of last Sunday that they have agreed to play on next Sunday for a purse of twenty dollars. The game will be played at Fairview, The consecutive defeats of the Chloride boys aroused their mettle and they are doing some practicing this week. The game is expected to be a good one.”

Chloride: “Work was begun on the Humboldt Mining company's properties in the north end of the Cuchillos this week.  A two hundred foot contract was given to II. S. Sherraad which consists of one hundred and fifty feet additional work in the main tunnel on the Little Luella with something like fifty feet more of the drift to the right.  Aloys Preisser, the Humboldt's assayer and engineer has been surveying for the new work this week and it will be done with more exactness in the future than in the past.”

Chloride: “The Silver Monument matters have been all settled up and are now in good shape. W. II. Moore has a short time bond on the property, and he expects a purchaser for it to arrive soon. The bond for sale is signed by both the lessee and the owners of the property, so that there will be no break in these quarters to Mr. Moore's programme.  If the sale goes and this excellent prop--thus passes into the hands of men of capital as well as experience, a boom will be Inaugurated at the top of the range.”

Chloride: “Messrs. Paul and McMillen, of La Crosse, Wisconsin, visited the range this week and took a look at the Colossal mine in which they are interested.  At their last visit the contract was let for the tunnel work, and they wished to see the result of the opening, which the Range is pleased to mention, was very satisfactory to them. They were so agreeably surprised at the width of the the ore crevice displayed by the tunnel that they want to see further, and they therefore contracted for one hundred and fifty feet additional work to be done at once. Fifty feet of this opening will go on the end of the tunnel, and the remainder will be put on two shafts to be sunk from the bottom of the tunnel. These depths will open to water level, and it is very likely that pumps will be  necessary when the next work is done. The gentlemen were in excellent spirits when they started for home yesterday morning.”

Page four was dedicated to ads and witticisms and looked like this:

A complete copy of this edition may be read at: The Black Range Newspaper, issue of August 31, 1883.  The file is 2.3 MB in size.