Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1889-09-07

he Rio Grnudc and its causes he though
IA wear it was caused 10y short sno
as on the hcadWatprS and not s.
ii III iV the filling Of canals in Coorad"
ct Ii thought the question "l inter stat
,ater rights won d he an Important one
Tor congress to consider. On production,
Major LleNelyn said irrigated lands IL
the Mesila valley yield four cuttings OF
one and one-half tons each of alfalfa per
veal vineyards, 10000 to "a 900 pounds
to the acre, and he had personal knowl-
edge of forty-two bushels of wheat being
raised to the acre. He thought forty
bushels the average. The corn crop aver
ages twenty-five bushels per acre. Sim
liar ground not irrigated produces abso'
iutely nothing. In the Mesilla valley are
grown figs, pomegranates, aprlcots,
peaches, prunes, apples, pears, etc.-the
finest in the world, and no fruit pests.
JUDGE WARREN BRISTOL,
seventeen years q resident OF New Mex
leo, was next called. He had been farm
ing more or less all his life. He explained
his experience at Deming, where his water
is pumped to the surface by wind mill
q l4-foot mill supplies water for four
teen families for domestic purposes, and
irrigates several gardens. He explained
the condition of the Deming region prior
to the coming of the railroad, and went
into details ON the subject OF the under
ground water courses at Deming. Water
in abundance could be had at fifty feet,
the witness said and all throughout that
region were stock ranches and farms now,
the owners of which secured their water
supply by using wind mills and pumps.
Until the A., T. & S. +. road sunk the
tirst well that region was dry, barren
| waste.
YES" said Senator Stewart, 81
thought it was the most unpromisipg
region had ever seen. What you tell
me sounds like miracle"
The witness also described the MINI
brcs valley and Cooks Peak country, and
suggested that there would be a fine
place for q reservoir. He thought gen.
orally the opportunity for making homes
Tor people in New Mexico most extensive.
Save the water we have, said he, and
New Mexico can be made the most beauti-
jul country in the world. He has lived
il New York and Minnesota, and regarded
New Mexico as having one of the most
salubrious climates in the world. But, he
said, water is king; whenever water can
he had the soil is wonderfully rich every
thing will grow luxurlantly.
HON. T. B. CATRoN
was called. He had resided in New
Mexico tor twenty-three years, most OF
the time in Santa Fe. This territory is
divided almost equally by the Rio Grande,
and on either side of it are chains OF
mountains. The Rio Grande, between
the middle of April and middle OF August,
contains almost as much water as the Mis-
souri, river; enough to irrigate nearly hall
the lands of this territory. By making
reservoirs in the side canons great sup
ply of water can be husbanded. Only
about one-titeth part of the lands ca
pahle OF irrigation are now cultivased be-
cause the people are poor and unable to
build reservoirs. He thought fifty dams
could be built along the Rio Santa Fe and
save water enough to irrigate 100, 900 acres
OF land in the Santa Fe valley. A great deal
OF land in ordinary seasons can be cul-
tivated without irrigation, but that is un-
certain. Wheat, rye and barley and Irish
potatoes grow well on the uplands; corn
is also raised but the nights are cool and
affect it. Fruits on the uplands he thought
were of better flavor than in the lower
lands. The mesa lands, he said. were
very rich, if only water can be got on
them. lie stated in his opinion the first
thing to be done was to make the surveys
and estimates for reservoirs, and consid-
cred that private capital in abundance
can be secured to construct the reservoirs
and canals. About one-half of New Mex
leo can be brought under cultivation, said
| Mr.. Catron. No measures have been adopt
ed TO prevent water from going to waste.
The people take what they want, when
The streams run, without regard to the
economy OF it. Some Of the bitches are
six to eight miles in length and in these
latter there is little or no waste water.
Senator Reagan suggested that the sub
ject OF economizing the use OF waters
would be very fruitful one for legislative
action. At 80 the committee adjourned
to meet again at 5 o'clock.
The committee will close its labors
here this evening and board their express
train for the south, stopping tomorrow
forenoon at Las Cruces.
Economy and strength are peculiar to