Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1884-01-16
TERMS FOR ADVERT lSlNG.

more than ono.tenth completed at the
present time and as consequences the
country is unknown and unknowable
Agricultural farming does not pay, save
in isolated cases. and there it is not
profitable TO the actual workers of the
land. This is accounted for in different
WAYS and but one or two reasons are
sufficient. The Ignorance of the farming
community and the great scarcity OF water
are the principal drawbacks. The soil is
deep, black and where wet is mellow,
running often to II depth of twenty feet or
more. With an abundant supply of water
cereals could be produced for years with
no need of fertilization, and while never
saw English hay growing there I've no
doubt it would grow if sown. The extent
of the territory is really but little known
| and | venture TO say some who are here
may not know its area. TO say it is 700
miles long and 400 miles wide is not
irving you even an insight to its size.
We are used to large figures and 100000
'quare miles is not surprising, nor is it
| really giving us An idea oil what such an
lrca covers; but when say New England
: larger than France, and that England
England, which puts prize on every
oound of bread we cat, on every yard of
cloth we buy-England, which controls
he prices of every staple product of our
republic, rs well us the product of the
world-England, with all her millions of
people, is but one fifth the size of our
-outhern territory, we get an idea of the
possibilities Of that country.
Twelve years ago, when was locating
there, had the advantage Of an old and
till then honored law, that forbade The
locating of any stock range, with home
within three Spanish leagues, or nine
Spanish miles, Of any residence. That
gave every man IL right to a large range
on the public domain and made stock
farming successful. Up to that time no
white man had ventured to range stock of
ny kind in the territory to any great
extent, and the wandering herds and
heeks of the old Spanish families were
source of great profit, SO that every owner
i've" in Il town or owned IL Town and had
poems as really slaves as any of African
descent. But a few years later the failure
of u seasons grass in Texas brought
thousands of cattle away into New Mexico
and with them an element that was not
IN honor nor yet an ornament. to the
country. Up to the year lS74-1S75 cattle
were so cheap in Texas that every year
thousands were killed for their hides alone
and it WIS a very easy matter for small
party of men to round up herd of them
and putting on some brand that made
them their own Gin their eyes) start across
he 'errible "Ilanno E,taeado, with is
Journey of Death" knowing that if they
could elude the real owners of the stock
and escape the Comanche Indians and
survive with their herd the ninety miles of
drive without water, they would be richly
rewarded when once settled among the
bundant and nutritious grasses OF New
Mexico. That game is played out now
and has been for some eight years The
plains of Texas, New Mexico. Colorado,
Wyoming and Montana do not all of them
furnish more than Il needed supply of beef,
and Mother England asks us to send still
more TO her markets every year. Chase,
in his recently published volume Of "Runs
Through New Nexico,' speaks of the
sudden or ut least generous growth OF
riches among some OF the stock farmers
If that territory. He mentions j. +,
temple and Senator Dorsey and others
who were neighbors of mine and whose
success has been all that he claims tor
them; but, in order to answer the ques-
ions that are often asked regarding the
profits Of stock farming on the pIateaus,
let me state what Chase omits, tho
sacrifices that are made OF home comforts.
to say nothing of luXuries. l will only
mention one instance: Myself and my
attorney were benighted over at the house
one of those same rich stock men, and
being asked in for the night Qor no one
there sends traveller away from their
door we found family of OF 10 children
and we all ate and slept in the same room.
with our saddles for pillows and our spurs
for blankets. Imight also add, Senator
Dorsey and wife and Col. and Mrs.
Peck of Star Route notoriety were guests
with us that same night, and tuat is only
one instance in hundred to show you
why those people amass wealth. Let me
say here it does not require much skill to
make fortune; it does require a peculiar
skill to keep it.
Tne grazing lands are high, averaging
mere than 5000 feet above the sea level
and the better lands, in the northern
ser,io are 1000 feet. The air is pnre.
The sun shines $50 days every year and
the climate is all one could wish, for
heal ii, and generally for comfort, though
tie Gentle Zephyrs' do sometimes lift
miniature boulders through the window
panes and sometimes the snow and cold
are Il discomfort lor Il few days in winter.
Agricultural farming does not pay. The
country Will produce nothing save by
irrigation, and the water is often brought
miles in bitches that depend on the melt
ing of the eternal SHOWS of the mountains
for their supply. Corn oats and flour are
brought in from the states and furnish
more food than what is grown in the
country. The tools, plows, carts, ETC.,
etc., are of the most primitive style, and
if the farmer is offered good tools he
declines with thanks. So lately as | was
there | have seen contracts for hay 10
supply foot stock at Fort Union That
stipulated that the hay should be cut with
u scvthe and not with u hoe. You ask
whv will not the Mexicans use modern
machinery? often asked the question
and while many of the better class do use
improved tools now they used to say they
could do better without them, and the
results proved the fact. Formerly, when
the country produced ten times the hay it
does now with the increased amount OF
stock, contracts used to be made to supply
he government with hay at $50 a ton.
Now, with less territory to go over to
obtain it and with modern machinery for
securing it, the price has fallen to $l2 and
even less. Hay and grain require the
whole season to mature in, and wheat
sown in February is cut in October. Dat.
and corn. sown and planted in April, are
not harvested until full six months later
and the hay is usually cut in October and
November. The Taos valley is a fine
wheat growing section, % miles long,
or miles wide and has usually abundant
water for irrigation from the melting
snow on the surrounding mountains-22
Mexican villages in the valley. Santa
Fe, the Mexican's mountain, is 1,70J feet
above the sea coast, in a basin II miles
east of the Rio Grande, and the surround.
ing country is too poor to furnish grazing
for mules. Merchandise and wood are
brought to and carried from the town by
pack animals. Burrows, so called, and
the whole country for 3S miles up to the
valley north, is so poor that nothing but