Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-04-18
Atlantic
r. r 60.
Law and Land Department.
]. A. WILLIAMSON, General Solicitor, Land
Commissioner.

ALBUQUERQUE, N. M, January !, 1889.
When the Atlantic Il Pacific Railroad com
pany established Its land department at Albu
querQue New Mexico, In June 1881, but little O
Its road was completed and the country adjacen
to Its proposed line was uninhabited except BY
Indians, and comparatively unknown. The
company was DESTROYS of securing agriculture
settlers and stock raisers along Its line and with
that end In view placed merely nominal price
on its lands when sold to actual occupants. Al
soon as the land department was organized and
established the company advertised Its lands foi
sale, and letters were received from all parts OF
this country and from many OF the states OF
Europe making inquiries az to the location
character and price of Its lands. In answering
pany was willing at that time to sell its lands to
actual occupants were given. Correspondence
concerning Its lands has been continuous and
voluminous, and, when required, the prices and
terms OF payment for the several classes OF land
have been given, and consequently there are
great numbers of letters In the hands of cores
pondents, written between July, 1881, and the
present time In which prices were quoted which
wound no longer be accepted.
I Since surveys have been made and the land
explored and Its quality and Capability for pro-
duclng, various crops have been ascertained, the
prices have, In some localities, been advanced,
and letters recently written in answer to In.
Qu1ries as to prices have named the present
prices-h1gher than those formerly given. The
company learned that In several cases where 1t
has written to correspondents naming the price
of certain tracts especially valuable for timber
or on account of the abundance OF water, that
they have been told by persons holding letters,
written In some instances several years ago, that
they could buy the land at the prices named In
letters which they hold.
In consequence OF the facts above stated It be-
comes necessary to withdraw all offerings OF any
OF the land at prices heretofore named and to
inform all persons with whom the land commits
s1sner has had correspondence that all offers to
sell particular tracts of land at prices named are
whether higher or thau tba
prices formerly quoted, will be given to CORE
spondents verbally or in answering written In.
quiries from and after this date.
Careful examination of the lands owned by
the Atlantic a. Pacific Railroad company by
competent explorers had developed the fact
that there are local reasons why either large or
sp areas should be sold for more or less, as
the case may be, than other areas OF equal ex-
tent. The greater abundance Of grass, water
and timber of one section may greatly enhance
its value over another.
Definite information as to the price OF any
tract, large or small, can only be given when
the land has been definitely selected. For the
general information OF persons Interested, II
may be stated that the average price OF grazing
land, IN compact bodies Of say not less than the
railroad sections In four townships, aggregating
46O acres, Is II % per acre. There may be rea-
sons for increasing or diminishing this price, |
grass, water, and timber suitable Tor fences, |
corrals and general ranch improvements, and |
also owing to locality.
Inc price OF coal ana TIMBER land6 situated In
localities where the company will entertain
proposals for their sale can only be fixed by
actual selection, and will range from IS to 80
per acre.
-. Agricultural lands along streams, where there
Is sufficient water supply for irrigation, VIII be
SOLO at $2.5O TO $10 per acre, owing TO locality,
OF water and proximity to railroad.
1rrigable lands viii be sold In quantities to
suit purchasers.
Allletters which have heretofore been written
% any or all persons authorizing them to sell
my OF the company's lands are hereby revoked
lnd persons claiming to be agents for the sale
II land must produce authority from the land
commissioners bearing date Of January i, 1889, or
70 be Of any validity.
The agricultural and stock raising capacity OF
he lands owned by this company is only be-
inning to be understood. The country is de-
'eloping and settlers are finding healthful and
'eautiful homes on the most productive soil. A
ew acres Of irrigated land will produce more
ood supplies thap large farm In the eastern or
middle states The climate Is all that can be
eeired, being more genial and sunny than that
Easy, accommodating terms of payment will
given to purchasers when desired
]. A. WILLIAMSON,
Land Commissioner.