THE SANTA FE ROUTE, 61 
question is often asked, ‘‘Why doesn’t the railway build around this 
high summit rather than go over it?’’ The principal reason is that 
the line was built to Trinidad to get the local coal, which does not 
extend far east of that place, and from Trinidad there is no feasible 
course other than that across the mountain. Another line is being 
built farther south, leaving the main line at Dodge, Kans., and 180 
miles farther south is the Belen cut-off. 
As the train emerges from the south portal of the Raton tunnel an 
extensive vista is presented. To the east stands the lava-capped 
Bartlett Mesa, and farther south are rolling plains lying far below the 
point of view and extending to the horizon. Toward the west is a 
mesa made up of the coal-bearing rocks, behind which rise the high 
peaks of the Culebra (coo-lay’bra) Range, a portion of the Rocky 
Mountains, with many lofty summits on which snow remains the 
greater part of the year. In the downgrade south to Raton the 
train passes rapidly across the coal-bearing rocks, then through a 
short gorge in the Trinidad sandstone, and finally out into the plain 
of Pierre shale on which the town of Raton is located. Good views 
of the lava-capped Bartlett Mesa to the east are presented at mile- 
posts 654 and 655, the latter showing the great blocks of lava lying 
in a talus at the foot of the cliffs. Near milepost 654 there is an out- 
crop of coal on the east side of the track. 
A short distance beyond milepost 658 the Pierre shale appears under 
a prominent cliff of the heavy Trinidad sandstone extending far to 
the east as well as to the southwest. Near milepost 659 there are 
extensive exposures of the Pierre shale west of the track, a fine view 
of Bartlett Mesa to the northeast, and a more distant view of the 
extensive Johnson Mesa, capped by lava, to the east. 
Raton, the county seat of Colfax County, N. Mex., is the center of 
the oma industry of the coal field on the south side of the Raton 
Mountains, although no large mines are located in 
Raton, N.Mex. the immediate vicinity. There are several other 
Elevation 6,622 feet. industries in the region, especially stock raising and 
pcan ne production of wool. In the southern edge of the 
wn brick and other clay products are manufactured 
from the fe shale. The Santa Fe Trail passed through Raton, 
then known as Willow Springs. The name Raton (Spanish pronun- 
ciation rah-tone’, locally pronounced rat-toon’) is Spanish for mouse. 
Goat Hill, which rises precipitously in the western edge of Raton, 
consists of Trinidad sandstone. About 6 miles due east is Johnson 
Mesa, alava-capped table-land that rises to an altitude of about 8,000 © 
feet and is similar to the Raton Mesa in structure. It is occupied a 
many ranches, for, owing to the high altitude, there is more rain an 
snow on this mesa than in the adjoining lowlands, and good crops are 
usually obtained. — 
97579°—Bull. 618—15——_5 
