Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 5, Number 312, Decatur, Adams County, 28 December 1907 — Page 4

New Mexico... (Continued from Opposite Page.)

This is the largest project ever attempted in this section of the west. SOME FURTHER FACTS. The following article is from the Santa Fe New Mexican, of November sth inst., and is reprinted because it gives many facts not enumerated in the foregoing: Colfax county the past few years has been the scene of wonderful development in material conditions and the prospects are that by the time the next federal census is taken it will be the most populous section in New Mexico. It has manifold resources to draw from and on every hand there is evidence of prosperity. Millions of dollars have been'ex-

pended in opening up the extensive , coal fields and constructing railroad lines which not only provide a market | for the coal but are aiding in the settlement of the country which they traverse. There has also been marked advancement in an agricultural way and several large irrigation enterprises are now either under way or projected. As far as the soil itself is concerned analysis has proven that there is none more fertile in the entire southwest and it is only necessary to secure sufficient water to raise abundant crops adapted to the climate. C. E. Hartley, of Springer, is vicepresident and territorial manager of the French Land and Irrigation company which was recently incorporated with a capital stock of $300,000. Mr. Hartley was a visitor yesterday in Santa Fe, having come to this city to see Treritorial Engineer V. L. Sullivan and attend the meeting of the Territorial Board of Water Commissioners. Blue prints descriptive of the reservoir and ditch system which it proposes to construct to place an immense tract of tillable land under irrigation have been filed in the territorial engineer’s office and the actual work of construction will be started next week. The French Land and Irrigation company purchased 50,000 acres of land from Captain William French and of this tract it is the intention to have a large part ready for planting crops by April 1, 1908. The land was originally a part of the famous Maxwell land grant which formerly embraced a good share of Colfax county. Captain French purchased 130,000 acres about ten years ago for a cattle range and still retains 80,000 acres. Mr. Hartley is disposing of the land owned by the French Land and Irrigation company in farms of from 40 to 160 acres at the rate of S4O and $45 per acre. He has already sold a number of these small tracts and expects to have all of the land now on the market sold by the time the ditches are ready to receive the water. Illinois capitalists are behind the project and they are sanguine of its success. Sophus Richard, of Rock Falls, 111., who is secretary and general manager of the company, was a comrade of Governor Curry while the latter was in the Philippines. The other officers of the company are C. H. Hubbard, of Rock Falls, president; C. E. Hartley, of Springer, vice-president, and H. L. Maxson, of Rock Falls, treasurer. “Our land lies two miles northwest of Springer along the main line of the Santa Fe railway, and 42,000 acres of it will be put under irrigation,” Mr. Hartley stated last evening to a reporter of the New Mexican. “Three reservoirs will be built on the south half of this tract which will have a combined capacity of 32.000 acre feet of-water, which will be taken from the Cimarron, Ponial and Carrizozo rivers. There will be no trouble at all about the water supply. In fact there will be more than enough to go around. “We expect to commence work on the reservoirs and ditches next week. A force of about sixty-five men and forty teams, together with the ditch digging machines will be employed in the construction. There will be four large dams a id thirty miles of ditches on the southern half of our tract of 25,000 acres. The main canal will be Sj miles in length. The surveys on the northern end have not yet been completed. We will not attempt to do any-

3

- W. . U. S. RANCH, CAPT. FRENCH’S HOME

thing with this part of the land until next year. We expect to have the reservoirs and ditches on the southern half completed by April 1 next year in time to put in crops for the season. _ ‘‘The dams will be built of earth which will be reinforced by concrete rip-rapping. The endgates will also be set in concrete so as to make them absolutely secure and flood-proof. We have already put the land on the market and I have sold to date about 4,000 acres in tracts of from 40 to 160 acres. We do not intend selling more than a quarter section to any one person. “There is no question about the fertility of the land. Professor H. W. Campbell, of dry farming fame, who

is an authority on this sujbeet, visited the land recently and inspected the soil. Mr. Campbell believes that crops can be grown successfully on the land without irrigation by dry farming methods. Having plenty of water available from the living streams flowing through it good crops will be assured every year. “Peter Larsen who has a farm adjoining the tract and irrigates from the Maxwell Land company’s ditch, has been raising fine crops of cereals and vegetables on his land for some time. This year he raised wheat that made 45 bushels to the acre and oats that averaged 85 bushels to the acre. Mr. Larsen also raised a fine crop of alfalfa which in three cuttings, ran five tons to the acre. Others in the vicinity have done equally as well. “In addition to farm crops and vegetables a large variety of fruit is raised in that section and it is really a fine fruit growing country. Fruit generally was killed all over the country the past season owing to late frosts and the growing fruit there was also destroyed. This is the first fruit failure I am told, in that section, in over thirty years.” A TRIP TO NEW MEXICO Because it contains some facts not given above, the following article is reprinted from last week’s Leader: In company with L. J. Taylor and F. W. Dupee, of Earlville, and a party of over twenty in all, from Woodstock and other Illinois points, and several gentlemen from Ohio towns, the editor of The Leader recently made a trip to

. ,•< Sa -V - ■ X 1 JL X WHEAT IN AN IRRIGATED FIELD IN NEW MEXICO

Springer, N. M. The party was in charge of General Manager Sophus Richard, of the French Land and Irrigation Co., of Rock Falls, assisted by G. A. Gilroy, who until recently made his home in Earlville. The trip was a pleasant one. It was made from Chicago over the Santa Fe road, a standard Pullman sleeper being provided by the land company for the comfort of the party. The object was to see the country, and especially to inspect the holding of the French company, which has recently purchased 50,000 acres of land in Colfax county, N. M. and is now busily at work building an irrigation plant, by which the greater portion of the tract will be made to blossom as a rose. Leaving Chicago at night we were well out toward Kansas City by morning and the trip was uneventful. Leaving Kansas City we traversed the state of Kansas, which shows great evidences of prosperity and growth. About 10 o'clock that night we arrived a Emporia, which is the end of the division on jhe railroad. One of the party remark-

ed that Alfred Foote (Grandad) lived here and we wondered if we would see him. But the brakeman told us he was running a freight and that settled the matter and no more was thought of him just then. When the train pulled out, however, about the first man to come into the coach was “Grandad.’ He had been sent out on an extra passenger run and as our train was the second section of the regular train it was extra. The Earlville crowd had a nice little visit, and Conductor Foote Spent what time he could from his duties to the end of the run at Newton, with us. He is looking well and is prospering. He got a train in a little over two years after going to work for the Santa Fe and is in line for promotion to a passenger run soon. Garden City Kan., was reached early next morning and here is a hustling city and no mistake. A SIOO,OOO beet sugar factory is going up, while 160-odd new residences and nearly a score of subtantial business blocks this year testify to

j the fact that there is something doing j in the irrigated section. There was not much of interest till LaJunta. Col., was reached. Here are many evidences of thrift and enterprise. To the prairie dwellers, the mountains, now plainly in sight, with their snowcapped peaks, were a source of wonder. The country of course s rough, but full of interest to the stranger. The grade was up, up to Trinidad, where dnnner was had at the Hotel Cardenas, built in the old Mission style and plastered outside with something that looked like cement and coarse gravel. The service on all the Santa Fe diners and at the eating houses is under the management of Fred Harvey, and is excellent. From Trinidad we w'ent on up the mountains and after awhile passed through the Raton tunnel, several hundred feet in length and at an elevation of about 7,600 feet above the sea. The trip from Trinidad up the steep grade was made with one engine in front and another in the rear. The train wound in and out of the valleys and we would often see the track we had passed far below us on the mountain side. Through the tunnel the descent was rapid and in a couple of hours we reached Springer, a town of about 800 people, and the New Mexico headquarters of the French Land and Irrigation Co., the business there being in charge of Mr. Hartley, who has been there some sixteen years and knows that section thoroughly. Springer is an unincorporated town and is the trading point for a large scope of country. Its inhabitants are probably pretty evenly divided between the Mexicans or people of

Spanish descent and the people from the north who have gone there, some recently and others years ago, while there are a few Americans who were bom there. The town has two churches —Methodist and Catholic, two saloons, a newspaper, good brick public school building, and business of almost every line found in a town of that size. Some of the stores would do credit to a town of many times the population. The absence of sidewalks was noticed by those who came frortrsections where municipal improvements are up to date, but these things will come later. The Springer House is a good hotel, and there is another hotel which has recently been purchased by outsiders and opened for business. Springer was at one time the county seat, but when the coal mines were opened at Dawson, in the northern part of the county the vote got too heavy for the south end and the county seat was moved to Raton, which is in the northeast corner of the county, while Springer is in the southeast comer. The seat of coun'y government had been moved two or

three times before that and may be moved again, although this is not likely. Springer has a very good brick courthouse, and there is talk of dividing the county, which is very large and making Springer the county seat of the new organization. Many of the houses are of adobe, or mud bricks. These bricks are ordinarily 4 by 8 by 16 inches in size and are made of the soil with a little straw to keep them from breaking easily. After being moulded and baked in the sun, they may be laid in a wall and will not wash away by the rain if protected somewhat at the eaves. Many adobe houses are covered outside with lumber and some with corrugated iron, and very modern houses made of them. The town is on the bank of the Cimarron river, which a this time is a very poor excuse for a river, but which at the time of the spring freshets is a roaring torrent, sometimes filling the streets of the town. The railroad had to change the course of its tracks and build a'new bridge after one had been washed out some years ago. Just now, however, several of our party walked dry shod over the river on the stones and a convenient piece of plank. Friday morning all hands took wagons—good stout mountain spring wagons —for a trip over the land of the French company, and an inspection of the irrigating methods. Nobody ever saw a prettier lying country. For years it has been give up to cattle and sheep ranges but now it is being surveyed and prepared for settlement and farming. Without water from the irrigating ditches it is worth very little for agricultural purposes, although it cannot be beaten for stock, but with the water at hand it will produce splendid crops. Alfalfa, wheat, oats, barley, vegetables, fruit and almost anything. The nights, made cool by the everlasting snows from the mountains in sight, make it impossible to grow corn like Illinois, although some corn is raised. It is not, however, a com country. We did not take somebody's word for the effect of irrigation, but went to the farms that are, to use the expression of that section—“under water.” This does not mean that they are covered with water, but that the irrigating ditches have been built to them and the water may be turned oo at the proper times and in necessary quantities. A Mr. Larson, who has been there sixteen years, has a fine place, on which he raises splendid crops. He has 400 acres for which he has refused $40,000. He has ten acres of the prettiest orchard one ever saw. Trees without a blemish, and the fruit is not bothered by worms or insects. We were told that one need not hesitate to eat apples in the dark as there was no danger of getting an extra ration of worms with them. The weather down there was fine and the altitude of about 5,000 feet made it enjoyable for all the party. We were out all day, driving some thirty or forty miles without noticeable fatigue. Saturday was spent by most of the party on a fishing trip, and while they got few fish, they had lots of fun. Saturday evening the return journey was taken up, our sleeper, in which we had slept since leaving Chicago, being hooked to the Aguiar train. The home' trip was without incident. A full description of that section and its manifold advantages will not be unI dertaken this week. In the next issue of The Leader we hope to present some I facts and figures that may be of interest to our readers who are seeking locations and to those who have no notion of moving. We hope to have several cuts from pictures taken down there which will aid in giving an idea of the conditions that exist. Land is selling there as high as S7O out west of Springer, but the price put on the holdings of the French Land and Irrigation Co., at present is S4O an acre for as pretty land as ever lay out of doors. Something over 1,000 acres were sold to members of the party, not including • one or two deals for larger tracts, • which were not completed. L. I. Taylor has a half section that is as level as a floor, with just enough fall to make it irrigable from one end to another. He bought this in August. Frank Dupee bought a quarter section adjoining the Taylor tract on the west and E. B. Tabor got 120 adjoining it on the north. Other parties from Woodstock and Ohio points bought in the same locality. One family, Mr. Norton, from Woodstock, went down with us, taking his family along, having shipped his stock and implements. He had been down twice before, staying several weeks to convince himself that the climate was all right. Others will go in the spring. NEW MEXICO ITEMS. The following items are from the Springer, N. M. Stockman, of last Saturday : Springer i c to have a big tprkey shoot the day before Tnanksgiving, the 27th. 50 turkeys will be disposed of in this match. Come in and see the fun and get yourself a big Thanksgiving turkey. Hay is commanding a good price and is feeling proud. Last week loose hay i was sold for sl2 per ton. On account of the heavy stock shipI ping these days in his district. Cattle Inspector Keenan is kept busy. W. B. Stevens, E. P. Seward, L. C. . Griggs and John Gallagher, residents of the Chico Springs neighborhood.

loaded and shipped from here Wednesday seven cars of fat cattle to the Kansas City market. Mr. Gallagher accompanied the shipment. The first snow of the winter commenced falling here last Sunday evening, continuing lightly all day Monday. Altogether several inches fell but most of it melted at once, only about two inches of it remaining on the ground, which the warm sun Tuesday afternoon

ALFALFA FROM FIELD JOINING THE FRENCH LAND

A NEW YEAR INJUSTICE. The Barkeeper Complains of the Good Resolution Habit. "John, I’ll have to lay you off for the first two weeks of the new year. You, Harry, will have to lay off a week.” The speaker, a lean man, stood in a splendid and spacious beer saloon, a place of polished mahogany, onyx columns, great mirrors and large paintings of beautiful women. Ropes and wreaths of evergreen twined about the pillars and the electroliers, and on the massive bar stood a bowl of free punch, for it was New Year's day. “Yes. boys,” said the lean man. “youTl have to go.” “What for, boss?” asked the young er of the two bartenders. Mechanically with his woolen bar cloth be poi ished the bar till it shone again, and anxiously he gazed in his employer's face. “Why, John, you ought to know what for.” The saloon keeper spoke impatiently’ A fat man entered from the street, ap proached the bar with reluctant steps then all of a sudden turned hurriedly and departed. “Well, I'll be danged!” said Bartendei John. “That’s the fourth fellow has

CELERY RAISED NEAR SPRINGER, NEW MEXICO JANUARY 7, 1908 And Each First and Third Tuesday Thereafter DON’T FORGET THE DATE OUR NEXT EXCURSION TO SPRINGER, NEW MEXICO. Come with us and look over the best and safest of all land propositions yet offered — IRRIGATED LANDS Best Soil, Best Climate, and Abundant Supply of Water. We refer you to all parties from here who have seen these lands. Write to or call on The Snow Agency, REAL ESTATE... National Bank Block Telephone 230 Decatur, Ind.

quickly melted. It was of no particular benefit to the country. Land is going up in this country and now is the time to get you a farm. That we are prospering is easily noticeable when we stop to consider the number of farms that have been sold in this section during the past thre» months. The farmer is coming and the day is not far distant when we must be rated a first-class agricultural dis- , trict.

dune that this mornin'. What's It mean anyway?" “You ought to know what it means. John." repeated the saloon keeper. “It’s meaning is the cause of your suspension.” "Yes. John.” the man resumed; “your suspension is caused by the New Year's swear off of that fellow and thousands like him. All over the broad land. John, countless numbers of men swear off drinking for a year on New Year's day. Half of them stick to their swear off for a week, and the other half, with just a few exceptions, stick to it <or two weeks. Those two weeks of January, John, are always the two poorest weeks on the publican's calendar. He can't pay expenses; hence he retrenches; hence he lays off prudent, industrious yonng chaps like you—chaps with a bit put by, so that they can stand a little Idleness without privation.” “All right. But,” said John sulkily—“but I ain't got nothing put by, and I think It's a shame that my poor wife and innocent babe have got to suffer at this Joyous holiday season through the swear off of a lot of foolish, thoughtless men. It don't seem right nor just.”—Philadelphia Bulletin.