Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-09-09
WATER STILL king ,
Further Testimony for NV M'xico Be
fore the Special Committee Of
tn U. s. Senate,
Our Capabiities--Homes for Farmers
FiaureS on ProduGtion-The Com
mlttee's Entertainment.

The senate committee on the reclamation
and irrigation of arid lands of the United
States resumed its inquiry at the camto.
at 8 O'Clock on Saturday aftereoon, exam
ing q large number OF citizens competer
to give testimony on this subject. Among
these were Hon. NJ. S. Otero, who gave
the committee some highly important
data relative to the central New Mexico
water courses, especially referring to the
Rio Grande south OF Pena Blanco; the
Jemez river and its adjacent plateau and
valley, and OF that wonderful prolific coun-
try about the town of BernNlillo where the
water supply is never short, because OF
the irrigation canals consolidated by the
Spanish farmer Of a century ago. Among
other witnesses examined were the fol-
living:
HON. FRANK SPRINGER
took the stand on behalf of San Miguel,
Colfax and Mora and so presented a vast
amount Of data rs TO make him very
witness. lie explained the topog-
raphy of the country covered by north
eastern New Mexico and gave facts and
figures on the water flow, lands capable
pi irrigation by comparatively inexpensive
methods OF building reservoirs. llespoke
OF what had been accomplished at Las
Vegas and other points i'll San
Miguel county in the line OF
production and supplied the com
mittee with facts concerning the Mora
valley and the Red river valley, speaking
OF Hon. NJ. W. Mills eXtens-
i've fruit plantation the improvement in
the variety Of crops, etc. The witness
also related how the system OF reservoirs
and canals had grown up on the Maxwell
grant in ColiaX county, and gave est
mates on the amont of land thus made
productive where before was barren
plain. Mr.. Springer also stated that
much was being done in the way OF ex-
perimenta farming in northeastern New
Mexico farmers there were studying
agriculture and horticulture with All
earnest desire to promote the welfare OF the
entire arid region. lie cited one instance
in the production of corn. 1t has always
been held that corn could not be counted
as q safe farm product in the more eie-
waited mountain valleys, the cold nights
its growth, but in ColiaX county
farmers had gone to work and practically
settled this problem. They had secured
the world for those varieties OF corn which
matured in the shortest time, and this
seed bad been crossed with the
native variety and attended with
care and first class cultva-
ton for years, until now corn hal been
secured that would mature in any OF the
valleys of New Mexico where farms can
be made, and the witness cited one in
stance v here Coifax county farmer had
produced seveuty-dve bushels OF corn to
the acre.
MR.. RICHARD MANSFIELD WHITE,
Of Sierra county, corroborated all that
other witnesses had testified to as to the
feasibility and utility OF storage reservoirs,
and spoke specially of Sierra county's
superior advantages for carrying out such
He described the topography
Of Sierra, saying the principal streams
there are five iu number. In these the
narrow, deep canons are so located as to
permit Of the construction, at small ex-
pense, of Il series of dams toward the head
" aters " here the streams leave the noun.
tains, while further down the mouths OF
The streams another rock formation is en-
where second series OF dams
M
could lie Dullt. Inc hrst series
81 cams "ou'a sore sulilcleht water 10
" lands nnder irritation while tho seronI
series OF reservoirs would furnish sufli-
Gent water to irrieate about 100000 acres
u lal'u III tlie hof'l l Mes'lIH valley III
Doii, an" eoni''! tiIus niioiuli'e "%sel
SUPPLY "IEns iiiuepenuei. ~ t''c hlo
uiunue e T gnn tiie 6 ",tit t VI FIJI"
- 49, iioin S'oIo " H'oCo 'e.a, , any a'It
'le ."Pa' IVY VI si'e euit ioi Fioou.l',s "''
I've tnoioe iuii' ttu ~ " tile te'll
2eiase loiie anu aii .iie ve,eais i'ao i n
NY eeaseu ~ NC ~. eApeiaii;eii'. ine
iS,'5ii ~ , uuI, on ~ ',oI
sioi, a,'s' 'lso oeG., iu.'y ~ be; "'
Nliess i af uaii. vi 'le ny el.iia .
mere 7 ny! iooI 9ps.ile.loli "cfoss
ilt slfeaih ilau te T' III sfent iese'
,Ulr u water Inns reservoir liuu hot
lIieo WIN sano a, ana seu.Ii'ent, as ,ao
zen eApeilei.eeo ~. u'l'ei l,ai'a "a .,'e
erfltory, because oi .ne 'act tlat Tue
sfeaLi above IT, ran l,' ~ ro5Ay HGn!eS
IL llle mountains anu Tue WATERS ollglilaI-
ny lronl i i SHOWS, was aoSolueeiy
PURE anu Tree lfol'' Ill seul'hehV'
HON. E. s. SLOWER.
Ex.Gov. Slower testified in behalf OF
2orrol;Ilo corntv ua told tba sor,to
'-'. 49,, 49,. WV 'S 1:, ''0
oh'liil''ee 'i'a' reservoirs anu ule''eS
would prove the salvation OF New Mexico
and make it our American farmers para.
!se, but he suggested that + the United
states government would survey and To-
ate the reservoir sites, supplying all the