NEW MEXICO (ante). Since this territory came into the possession of the United States by the treaty of Gandalupe Hidalgo, it has always been considered a region of promise both in respect to its physical conditions and its natural resources. In 1830 it was organized as a territory; and three years later the region south of the Gila river known as tire Gadsden purchase was obtained through another treaty with Mexico and annexed. The territory then contained, besides the region within its present limits, the whole of Arizona and a portion of Colorado and Nevada. But in 1861 a tract of about 14,000 sq.m. east of the Rocky mountains, between the 37th and 38th parallel was annexed to Colorado; and in 1863 Arizona was set off. New Mexico is now divided into 13 ecunties and the government is established upon the ordinary model of territorial governments; that is, tire executive power is administered by a governor and secretary, appointed by the president with tire consent of tire senate for four years, and by an auditor, treasurer, adjt.gen., and atty.gen. chosen by the terri torial legislature. The capital, Santa Fe, is next to St. Augustine, Fla., the oldest town nr the United States. The population of tire territory has been steadily increasing dur ing the past ten years, Of the total population in 1870, 86,254 were natives and 5,620 of foreign birth, 47,135 males and 44,739 females. There were 21,449 families with an average of 4.28 persons to each, and 21,053 dwellings with an average of 4.36 to each. Until within the past six or seven years, however, the south and west portions of the ter ritory have been subject to Indian incursions which have kept settlers back. Pop. '80, 118,430.
Like Colorada and Nevada, the chief inducements New Mexico offers to those already located within its boundary or to emigrants are its dry and healthful climate and the resources of its mines. In the southern part of the territory the temperature is mild, being seldom below the freezing point, and rarely rising to extreme heat, owing to the elevation of the surface. The sky is usually clear and the atmosphere so dry that meat can frequently .be preserved a while without salt. Iron and steel also rarely rust, though exposed continually day and night. Inflamations and typhoid fevers occa sionally prevail in the winter season; but pulmonary diseases are rare and malaria does not exist. The mines of the precious metals, copper, lead, iron, and salt have never been SO successfully worked as they might have been, had not the Indians molested their regions. These Indians, however, during the past three or four years have gradually been removed, and new mines now are being opened in many directions. The oldest mining districts are the Old and New Placers, Pinos Altos, Arroya Hondo, Cimmaron, Mangano and Moreno, tracts in the Organ mountains, and also in the Sierras Blanca, Carriza, and the Magdalena mountains. The most available of all these that contain
gold are those of the New Placer district which are about 38 m. from Santa Fe. Silver is not now largely mined, but there are deposits of it at Pinos Altos and in the _Magda lena mountains. Copper also is found in these regions, and one mine in the first named has yielded as high as 9,000 lbs. of metal a week. Lead occurs in tire Pinos Altos lames, in tire Organ mountains, and elsewhere. Iron and salt are abundant in several districts throughout the territory. The amount of gold from New Mexico deposited at the United States mints and assay offices to June, 1874, was $1.004,755; of silver $239,574. In 1870 the census stated the number of gold mines to be 17. of which 12 were placer and 5 quartz; number of hands employed, 177; capital invested, $2,384,000; value of material used, $33,138; and the value of products, $343,250.
In agricultural products the territory is not particularly abundant; for with the excep tion of the valley lands in the immediate vicinity of its rivers and streams, the laud is obliged to be irrigated artificially. The most important agricultural regions are tile val leys of the Rio Grande and Rio Pecos, which are generally from one to four miles wide, though the former expands in places to 10 or 15 miles. In 1870 there were 4,480 farms and 143,000 acres of improved land. Among the products there were 388,930 bushels of wheat; 640,828 bushels of Indian corn; 67,060 of oats; 28,856 of peas nail beans; 8,5S7 lbs. of tobacco; 084,930 lbs. of wool; and 12,912 lbs. of butter. The ordi nary cereals all grow sufficiently well in the territory; but wheat, maize, pumpkins, onions, and beans afford the principal supplies of vegetable food. The land and the climate are especially suited for the cultivation of the apple, peach, melon, apricot, pc.me granate, fig, and the grape. The European vine grows here in the open air, and the wine that is made from It is considered particularly rich. In 1870 there were manufac tured 19,686 gallons. Stock raising, and particularly wool-growing, however, have been for many years the chief occupations of the natives; and for these pursuits the mildness of the climate and the large tracts, where agriculture is not practicable, afford excep tional opportunities. Neither shelter nor hand-feeding is required for the flocks The valleys, foot-hills, and table-lands are covered with nutritious grasses throughout the year, which provides abundant grazing. The estimated value of the live-stock in the year already mentioned was $2,389,157; and the stock consisted of 26,500 horses; 6,141 mules and asses; 16,417 mulch cows, and a total of 186,301 neat cattle; 619,438 sheep; and 11,267 swine.