Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1890-03-11
THE MAXWELL GRANT LANDS,


Mr.. Harry Wigham, the energetic, eX
perienced and handwriting super
intendent of the Maxwell land
grant, who has been in the city
several days, tells the New MEN-
ICAN some cheerful things as to the prog
ress of affairs material in northeastern
New Mexico. The great company has
lately entered into an arrangement with
the Union Pacifc-Fort Worth road, where
by an extension is now being constructed
thirty.one miles up Longs canon to tap
the vast timber and mineral sections
there Astounding. In the near future
this road is to be extended through the
park re gion OF the grant from the head OF
RED river to Moreno valley, and thence
it will push westward either to Las Vegas
or across to Taos valley.
THE LUMBER TRAFFIC
alone will make this road profitable in
vestment, opening the markets OF Trinidad,
Pueblo and Denver to this lumber district.
Large mills to handle $4,000 to 100000
feet OF lumber per day are to go Ill there
at once. Going hand in hand With this
new industry on the grant are the mining
OF gold, silver and copper, while the ie.tlle
valleys will be also opened to the Amerl-
can farmer with a ready market near by.
In that locality the valley lands produce
good crops
WITHOUT IRRIGATION.
The celebrated Greeley potato was
experimental with there last sea-
son and did equally as we'll as
at Greeley, Colo, where it has to
be irrigated. At no distant day that
locality will be thickly settled with small
farms. Gen. Dodge and Gen. Manager
Meek, of the Fort Worth road, recently
inspected the county thereabouts and de-
clared it the most delightful re-
gion they had ever visited in the
west. They anticipate that it will
be settled largely by wealthy Texas farm
ers who will make 1t sort OF summer
rendezvous. In the way OF sport 1t Is 4
hunters paradise.
Speaking OF the
IRRIGATION ENTERPRISES
which TIE Maxwell company has been
periectiug for the past two years, Mr..
Nigham said the Springer and Nermejo
systems now comprise about $50 miles oil
main canals and laterals, and between
twenty and twenty-five storage reservoirs.
The latter are built mostly out on the
plain and hold water like a Jug. Their
total capacity is estimated by competent
engineers to be equal to some 81, 900 acres
under the Nermejo system alone l2OOt
acres have been sold III holdings Of
from twenty to 100 acres each,
The people coming i'll are chiefly
from Michigan, Iowa, Kansas and
Nebraska, and their object is to fine
better climate and nearer and higher
market for their products. One little set
tiement in Michigan alone has ordered
10 700 fruit trees set out this spring on
their Maxwell grant purchases. Many
who have already settled here are the
agents and forerunners OF large colonies
to follow this spring and summer and
thus represent the overflow from prosper
ous settlements OF Germans, SW eedes and
Hollanders in the states named. 1t is
probable that this year will see the larger
part of the agricultural lands on the grant
in the hands of actual settlers.
Mr.. Wigham has been connected will
the active management Of this vast pr
yste property for Il great many years anC
he has made study OF all those questions
which relate to the upbuiding OF the
southwest. 1t is largely through his per
sonal efforts and his recommendations tC
the managers and owners of the Maxwell
that the property is now being so rapidly
transformed into an inviting field for !
great many new enterprises.