Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1893-08-05


brilliant colors of the Red Beds are strik-
ing, especially if seen in some bold cliff
for scores of miles. Glaring vermillion
or deep brown chocolate sometimes pre-
walls varied only here and there by a
snow-white bed of gypsum. #
Along the eastern escarpment OF the Llano
Estacado there are beautiful bluffs of
these vermillion beds with an occasional
butte or mesa"
HOW THIS WORK WAS COMMENCED.
Ten years ago this was practically un-
known country. The early Spanish Mex
lean settlers had explored it but little,
and there are no land grants within its
area to impede modern progress with
their unsettled titles. Cabeza de Baca,
the earliest Caucasian explorer, describes
the Pecos as "a great river coming from
the north;" and little more was known of
it up to the time named, except as is to
be CLEANED from military reports, and
that little is buried in much eXtrinsic
matter. Sv
In 1888, the New MEXICAN commission
cd Mr.. Chas. w. Greene to examine the
resources of what are now the counties of
Chaves and Eddy as special correspond
ent. He found the country occupied by
vast herds sc cattle owneah1 the Eddy
Bros, the Chisums, Leas Poe, Milne, Halls
and others. Mr.. G. B. Eddy had long seen
the surprising excellence of this country as
an agricultural region and had even then
began to take out water in series of
bitches on the Laguna Vista. Mr.. Eddy
l,o pJar sk<o o1 ~
DDS and necessities of an irrigated coun-
try. An organization was at once be-
gun. Mr.. Greene left journalism to pro-
mote the gigantic undertaking. A COM
pany consisting of G. B. Eddy, @. w.
Greene and half dozen Chicago capi-
talists was first organized and good
deal of the preliminary work was done
by this company.
Later on through the efforts of Mr.. c.
B. Eddy there came reorganization and
Mr.. j. j. Hagerman, the Colorado Springs
capitalist and builder of the Colorado
Midland railroad, became interested.
The large capital under his influence and
command has been poured out and the
result is that by an expenditure of 3d.
100000 this vast empire with its water
ulS dHu luboub Wctltil ltb Uocl uoScl-
oped into world renowned agricultural
region, to which are hock1ng colonists
from every nation.
The New MEXICAN has always fostered
the advancement and growth of this sec
tion and now seeks to describe what was,
is, and will be in the great Pecos valley.
PROGRESS OF THIS sTUpENDoUs WORK.
The counties of Eddy and Chaves no
longer belong to the has-beens, but are
among the most pushing and vigorous
in the southwest. The
Pecos Irrigation & Improvement COM
pany, with its kindred corporations, found
what is now Eddy county five years ago
merely promising wilderness. The
native grasses, through which over
100000 cattle roamed, were the only signs
of its wonderful fertility; but there was
the water flowing to waste, and engineers
could accomplish the rest.
detailed story of the work of this
would be impossible in the
limits of this paper. III. Hagerman, @.
B. Eddy and Chas. w. Greene have done
so much work in Eddy county up to date
deal but with results and leave their
history to the more leisurely book COM
pliers.
Up to date the completed improve
ments consist of 1900 miles of irrigating
canals and main bitches, 100000 acres Of
land reclaimed and under ditch, $4,000
acres settled by intelligent farmers, 10000
acres actually cultivated.
One hundred miles of railroad built
and in operation; also It's miles of tele-
graph; also the incorporated town of
Eddy with from $500 to 5000 inhabitants
and all modern Improvements.
Two counties, Chayes and Eddy, con-
tanning between 5000 and 10000 thrifty,
energetic and live people.
The foundation of the town of Eddy,
with $500 inhabitants, newspapers,
schools and churches; the rapid develop
ment of Roswell to town of 1900 peo
Pile; the foundation of half dozen small
er towns, with beautifully selected and
laid out sites; the construction of rail
road 100 miles long, and which
is projected and building to junction
with the Santa Fe railroad, all of which
will run through the heart of developed
country; the planting of hundreds of
thousands of shade trees; the knitting
together of the community by 10 miles
of telegraph and 100 miles of telephone
lines are efforts of corporate manage
ment done with wise provision to further
the comfort of actual settlers and induce
the immigration of others. The farmers
and settlers themselves have not been
backward. Hundreds of beautiful farm
homesteads have been erected.
With the use of telegraph and telephone
the isolation of farm life has disappeared.
Farmers clubs and social organizations
are general.
Two hundred and fifty thousand fruit
trees were planted in 1892. greater
number will be set out before the close of
1898. The fact that nursery men say that
the Pecos valley is one of their best and
most reliable markets is significant en-
comium for new community.
Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
have been expended on three private i'm
provements in the suburbs of the town of
Eddy alone. As much more has been laid
out ON large model farms. Eight millions
feet of lumber have been consumed in
house building. By the close of 1898,
there will be 100000 worth of improved
live stock in the valley. There are three
model stud farms there to-day.
The above condensed facts are pur-
posely stated out of the regular order to
enforce the readers attention. They rep
resent the salient features of marvellous
in which men of brains and