The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1884-05-23

iom4a Aud Animas cr~eks Ger . Dis
isuus fruIn Their moaIls ~ Gnen
nile. are eQnslly a h4A TIE tao
hui named Tributaries have an culii.
vahls Land under uIlaxe while the tao
latter are whully nrrlrctsd notuIth-
standing that their natural advantages
are lncumpArahly superior 90 their
northern contemporaries Las Pdo-
mas On The Rio Grande has a handsome
location and = VALLEY surrounding q
that has ~ superior anywhere In point
~ beauty or iertihty yet the town -
q slight Importance owing the o. curse
that carries % Tie grave all surplus
population. The y. Grayson & Co.
ranch has q frontage GA the nyer Of
twenty-five miles. Las Palomas being
about the central point. This land was
AZ one time in a fair state Of habila
tion and cultivation but owing to the
fell d%estruyefs agent. malaria. the set
Tiers here sold their farms u this cat
tie company for hardly more than
the government price. South Of the
Auimas creek Is the Percha which h
healthy and on the Rio Grande there's
4 short distance below the Percha
equally blessed, but the Mesilla valley
from there down the Rio Grande has
a malarial fatality hardly exceeded b,
the yellow ieyer districts Of the south.
Previous to ISL this malaria was
unknown. In that year II came down
like a wolf on a fold and placed an
eighth of the population OF Las Cruces
and Mesilla m their graves and created
almost a reign OF terror. IL checked
the l0urlshing growth Of Las Palomas
and relegated a town OF promise Ia The
shades Of I~nsigniacance. Unlike the
fever and ague Of other countries the
Rio Grande chills shake the life out a
human In short order, very frequently
not more than a week being occupied
IN the process. Its fatality Is peculiar
and Is It's alarming feature.
Not less strange than its other pecu-
liarIties Is the fact that il came all al
once and has not yet departed. There
must be some cause for ITS existence
but IL has not been satisfactorily ex-
planned ms yet. There are no marshes or
stagnant pools at Palomas town or OF
the Animas or Palumas creeks aud
nothing of that character appears to in.
vite the dreaded visitor to those par
ticuiar localities. The Mesilla valley
has an old river bed but ii is not stag
nant and II existed in its present state
long before the malaria came. Who
can tell therefore. the cause Of the dis.
ease.
The BLACK RANGE has lately heard
II theory advanced on the subject which
gains in weight with consideration and
IL is that the growth OF cottonwood
trees brings the evil. II is true that tn,
Palomas and Animas streams are well
supplied with this timber as Is like
wise the Las Palomas aud Mesilla val
leys, much better in fact thar theii
neighbors. 1t also appears that those
trees at these points are about ten
years of age, which dates their growth
only a year or two IN advance of the
arrival Of the epidemic. The RANGE
reporter noticed. and made mention of
the observation on the occasion of a
recent trip up the Las Pal0mas valley,
that few of the trees indicated Il
growth of more than ten years and ms
his mind reverts TO the observations
Of Mesllla valley the same thing is re-
collected of that region. The strictly
healthy streams and valleys are on the
contrary but sparsely wooded with cot
tOnwood. II may be merely c0inci.
dence that these facts exist but I'm a
matter so vital it is worth while To
give Il careful study to the subject be.
fore making final conclusions that ii is
such The RANGE would be glad TO
have opinions on the subject from men
who have competent knowledge IN the
premises. The subject demands ear.
nest consideration as hundreds of
deaths occur yearly and thousands of
acres of fertile and attractive land are
rendered worthless by the malaria of
which this article treats.