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Show APPENDIX NN. 1277 Carlos, San Geronimo, Alamillo, Polvadera, Li mi tar, Esoondido, Socorro, San Jose*, San Antonio, San Antonito, and San Marcial.' On the east bauk are Ranchitos ' e Isleta, Los Pinos, Perolta, Valencia, Tome, Ranchitos de Tome, Constancia, Casa Colorada, Valleta, Chihuahua, Las Nntrias, Ranch as, San Francisco La Joya, La Joyita, Sa-bina, Pueblito de la Parida, La Pari da, Bosquecito, Valverde, La Mesa, and Con trad era. These towns vary in population from a few families to perhaps 1, M) 0. The principal towns are Isleta, LosLuuas, Beleu, and Socorro on the west bank, Valencia, Constancia, and La Joya on the east bank. Socorro is marked by much more American enterprise than the majority of New Mexican towns, arising largely from the mines in the Mag-dalena Mountains briuging money into the section. The approach of a railroad will brighten up the prospects of the country, which needs but enterprise supported by capital to make it rich in its own resources. The grapes will be probably the main source of iucome of those living in the valley proper. West from Socorro are the Socorro Mountains, a short ridge of azoic rock. Copper is found here. West of this range are the Magdalena Range, running north and south, which have throughout their whole extent mineral ledges and deposits. A few fissure- veins with quartzite wall-rocks are found, but generally the one is in indefinite deposits. The northern end of the range bus, for surface rock, carbouiferons limestone resting on azoic quartzite. It is here that argentiferous galena, carbonate, and yellow oxide of lead are found. At present the mines are not extensively worked. The ores exist in sufficient abundance to well pay for working with experienced management, but with haphazard work, of men ignorant of proper treatment of the ores, they are apt to obtain a reputation which will keep capital away. Just west of these mountains is a low range of hills, near the Corona del Pueblo Spring, in which are found argentiferous copper- ores. Sinking prospect shafts and mining with little or no system has been done here with the poor results almost sure to follow such treatment of the deposits. North of these are the Ladrones, a sharp uplift broken into a serrated edge difficult of approach, and so nearly destitute of water as to discourage the prospector; traces of copper are found throughout the range. The southwest spurs are capped with limestone. The eastern rocky slope is quartzite. Mule Spring, in a drain of this southern spur, is one of the few water- crop pings in the range proper. The northern slope is very precipitous. The rauge has little to support life; grazing is not as good as usually fonnd in mountains ; heme less game and very few cattle are seen. The point as a triangulation- sta* tion is very importaut, connecting the surveys from the uorth and west with the system south and east. The peculiarity of this rauge, as of nearly all mountains in Southern New Mexico, is the suddenness of their uplift. With but few foot- bills of mnch importance, they rise directly from the plaius extending about their bases; hence, the water- sheds being small, few streams are fonnd. The plains, with their porous soil and nearly level surlace, quickly drink up the rains and give them out only by the rock-crop pin g » at the springs which rnn but a short distance. From Abo Pass, extending to the sonth, is a much broken plateau of sandstone conutry, west from which is a narrow plateau of drift; very little water is found in this belt. The few springs are the Ojo Sepulto, Ojo Parida, Ojo del Cibolo, and Ojo de las Caftas; and the tanks are Aguejes de los Torres, de los Tomascefios, and del Cafioncito on the wear, and the Llano and Coyote Springs on the east. The water supply at the Parida is very good ; that at Llano Spring has been developed by digging; that at the other points is very limited. On the eastern portion of this belt is a sharp basaltic butte, standing in the ceuter of a limited volcanic overflow of the san da tones. ' Abo Pass, which separates thiH belt from the main range, is a low divide, welt calculated for a railroad- pass; iudeed, the best in connection with the canon Piedra Pintada to be found any place along the range this far north. At Abo and Quara are old ruins, presumably Spanish, built at the first, occupation of the country, before Europeans were expelled by the Pueblo Indians. The two main buildings, in each case from their form Catholic charches, are about 100 feet long, built of stone- a laminated sandstone. The walls vary from 3 to 7 feet thick, the former being the nsual thickuess; the latter that of the abutments. Their European architecture is probable from being built in that form of a cross usually adopted by the descendants of the Spaniards in their churches. Arches are also fouud, in which respect they differ entirely from the rnius found in the San Juan country, which are ascribed to the Aztecs. In both ruins the altars were at the north end of the building. East from the mouutaius extends the immense plain, broken by the mesa- edge on the south known as the Jumanes. Farther east are three hills kuown as Las Animas, one of which we called Rattlesnake Hill, from the number of those snakes we saw there, probably from three to five hundred. Jn sixty- five minutes three of us killed seventy-nine snakes, varying in size, all of the same species. The largest had thirteen rattles. They had been out to the south of the hill, aud toward sunset came in for their night-shelter in the rooks. Southeast of these hills about M miles are more alkaline lakes; Wells have been dug near them, giving fair water. The station is known as Posos del Pino. From here northward to Pedernal the country is greatly rolling, with fair grazing. Beyond Pedernal it is more or less broken by drains leading into Cation Piedra |