Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-03-11
Mr.. Tansill, of Chicago, Talks of the
Lower PecOs Valley and Its
Attractions.
NEEDS DIRECT COMMUNICATION EAST
He Tells of the Vast Irrigation Projects,
Salubrious Climate, Astounding
Fertility and Energy of a
Promising Region.

VI AahsiI' hiVei sPeuaiuS pi,Ooo'ooo Al
advertising, he was compelled, by failing
health, to give up one of the most profit
able and successful cigar businesses in
the United States. His physician ordered
him to quit business and go west.
EXACTLY eight years ago now" he said
yesterday, 81 went to Colorado Springs.
While on visit to Chicago, the following
summer, my attention was directed to the
development of the Pecos valley, which
was just then being contemplated, and in
September, 1883, l accompanied party
of capitalists and others to the valley
with visw of examining it with refer
ence to its merits as an irrigation enter
prise. I was SO favorably impressed with
what | saw that decided to invest, and l
furnished most of the capital to carry on
the work from that time until the follow
ing February, at which time interested
J. j. Hagermann, the large railroad
builder and mine operator of Colorado
Springs.
"a new organization was formed, the
capitalization of tho company was largely
increased and operations pushed on a
scale probably unparalleled in the history
of irrigation enterprises in the west
Since that time the Pecos company and
the Pecos Valley Railroad company, as
corporations, have expended $5,000,000
in the construction of the most magnifi-
cent system of reservoirs and canals for
Irrigation purposes to be found anywhere
in the world, while at least $3,O00,O0O
more has been spent in development by
private individuals. Some idea of the
magnitude of this system may be formed
from the fact that a single reservoir has
been made by the construction of dam
across the Pecos river 1855 feet in length,
506 feet at the base, fifty-two feet high,
submerging over 5000 acres and storing
over G,000,000,000 cubic feet of water, fed
by the Pecos river, q never failing stream,
which is supplied by living springs along
its entire length. No such conditions are
found elsewhere within the arid regions
of the United States, and possibly not on
tho globe.
AN EMPIRE WITHIN ITSELF.
twelve hundred miles of main canals
and laterals have already been construct
ed with which to furnish an abundant
supply of water to not less than 100000
acres susceptible to irrigation--an empire
within itself, which is surrounded by
millions of acres of the finest grazing
lands in the United States and Mexico,
affording the finest opportunity for
stock feeding In the country.
"The products of tho valley" Mr.. Tan
sill went on, shave the widest possible
range. Alfalfa is the staple forage crop,
yielding from three to six tons per acre
annually. Milo maize ard Egyptian corn
are the chief feeding grams, and upon
which stock of all kinds thrive wonder
fully. Canagria, rich in tannic acid,
and destined to rival, if not excel, hem
lock bark as tanning agent, grows lux
uriously all over the valley, rs do all root
crops. 1t is in the Pecos valley that the
sugar beet reaches its highest state of
perfection. A yield of twenty to twenty
five tons per acre is not uncommon,
averaging over II per cent sugar Of 80
per cent purity, and with season ex.
tending from 120 to 150 days. 1t is pro-
posed to utilize these splendid advantages
by the immediate construction of beet
sugar factory, with daily capacity of
225 tons, the company agreeing to pay
the farmer $4"a ton, or at the rate Of $50
an acre for an average yield.
"The Pecos valley, being situated in the
semi-tropical zone, fruits and vegetables
not only make o wonderful growth, but
attain their highest perfection as we'll. 1t
is fact that it will soon be possible for
the Pecos valley to not only supply the
fruit for the markets tributary thereto,
but to have large surplus for export.
The following may be cited as examples
of growth in single season: The raisin
grape vine, sixteen feet and nine inches;
apple trees, four feet and nine inches;
peach trees, seven feet and two inches;
cottonwood trees, eight feet and one inch.
Peaches weighing nine ounces are not un-
common; apples, one pound and four
ounces; French prunes, one and one quar-
ter inches in diameter: watermelons,
seventy-four pounds; sugar beets seven
teen pounds and four ounces. These
growths demonstrate soil OF unusual
richness. Coupled with almost endless
sunshine and abundant water, at just the
proper time, all combine to make the
Pecos valley a paradise for stock raisers,
the farmer and the horticdltnrist..
REMARKABLE NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
"Whie all have told you about the re-
sources of the Pccos valley are estab-
lished facts, it was the climate alone that
induced me to make that valley my homo
for large part of each year. Eight
years ago, as stated, broke down with
hemorrhages of the lungs from overwork,
since which time / have, several times,
been given, by eminent physicians, only
thirty days lease of life, and l am conf
dent that would have been dead long ago
had / not availed myself of the salnbrions
climate Of the arid west and especially of
the Pecos valley.
"For stomach and liver trouble, the |
springs Of tho Peccs river rival the most
celebrated spas of the world these natural
advantages combining to make the
valley one great sanitarium.
snow am comirg to tho part that
should particularly interest Kansas City.
This city is our natural market, as will
DO seen by glance at The map, As has
been stated, We have already constructed
q standard gauge railroad from Pecos,
Tex, to Roswell, N. NJ, a distance Of 1G5
miles, the last half Of which was COM
pleted little more than a yenr ago, or
during the panic. 1t ia now proposed to
add connecting Ink Of about 200 miles
from Roswell to Wnshhurn or Amarillo, Mt
which points there will be direct counec.
ton made with the Denver Il Gulf, the San.
tn Fe and also the Rock Island, we having
the assurance from the Rock Island folks
that they will extend their line from
Liberal, Kas., to meet thie extension, thus
giving us an air line route from the Pecos
ynllev to Kansas Citv,