Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-03-03

the neighboring felds-notably the dis
tricts of Matehuala, Chareas, Ramos and
Guadalacazar-br bringing, by their original
connection with San Luis, the benefits of
their researches to that established center
By and by, owing to its amazing progress,
the reigning Viceroy incorporated the
Spanish colony as a city," the title being
confirmed by Philip Ill. in 1858.
But still the question of adequate water
supply was most vexing one. Finally,
not long ago, concession was granted to
firm of London contractors to supply the
city with potable water, the original
wells which led to its foundation, being no
the owners of the old wells had long be-
fore become rich from their share in the
mineral wealth of the locality, and SO they
refused to sell the water but walled it up
for their own private use. Thereupon the
poorer inhabitants were obliged to waste
much of their time, often standing far
into the night awaiting their turn to.
gather 4. meager supply Of water from the
public conduits.
Fortunately nature lent material assist
ance to the contractors aforesaid, to offset
the great expense of introducing foreign
tubing and apparatus. Certainly no coun-
try can offer better occupation to the hy-
draulic engineer. \ glance at the map
shows an extensive drainage area falling
to the east and west from the central table
lands. That to the westward forms beau
tiful Lake Chapela, while on the east the
basin OF the mile-wide river Panuco is fed
from the same source. One of IFS tribu-
taries, the Rio Santiago, passes close TO
San Luis city, which, notwithstanding its
immense volume, filters through an i'm
mense sand deposit Immediately after the
rainy season, and continues its way by sub
terranean current till its reaches the lower
terrace.
SO the London contractors propose to
dam up the ravine through which the
mighty river passes, as strength only is re-
quired TO retain the enormous quantity of
water which the gigantic reservoir thus
formed will contain. The aggregate
length of the reservoir will be three miles,
the lake being made to assume the shape
of Y.
A further extension of many miles can
be obtained at any time, without much diff
fculty, as the need for more water shall
arise. When this important work is COM
pleted hundred new industries will
spring up, giving the favored San Luis
still greater commercial impetus than that
it now derives from its railroads and many
natural advantages.
In this section all the grains are cult
waited with success-es especially wheat corn,
oats and barley. There being no especial
time for planting-one season being as
good as another-the rule is two crops per
annum, and such an enormous yield as
would astonish Northern farmer Near
Ciudad Del Maize {" City of Corn y, a
place Of $4,000 inhabitants, they tell us
that the rule is one hundred bushels to the
acre, and three crops year.
Some portions of the State produce also
sugar-cane, coffee, cotton, rice and tobacco
Among native fruits which luxuriate with
out cultivation in the sunny valleys, the
most prominent are oranges, lines, figs,
lemons, pineapples, bananas, zapotes, pome-
granates, chirimoyas, mulberries granades
de China, tamarinds, mangoes, aguacates,
grapes, peaches, apricots and pears. Apples
do not thrive, invariably dropping off when
about the size of hickory nuts.
Horned cattle, horses, mules, sheep and
goats do well in the foothills; but larger
share of the natives revenue is derived
from various fibrous plants that are indi-
genous to the locality. There are caeti in
endless variety-the omni-present maguey,
the pita, the lechugilla, the solmandogue,
the nopal, etc, etc. At present the valua-
bic tibers of these plants are worked only
by the primitive process of scraping the
leaves by hand, with an old knife or scrap
of tina man being able to manipulate
about ten pounds in a day of isctle, the
Mexican name of the fiber That is to
say, typical native, with his constitu-
tional tiredness and long afternoon siesta,
obtains about that quantity, and considers
himself well paid. A Yankee, with the
jack-knife he grew up with, would white
off ten times as much in the same time;
and with the introduction of machinery
would soon realize fortune
FANNIE Il Warn