Santa Fe daily New Mexican., 1897-12-22
SOUTHEASTERN new MEXICO
Construction Of Ell Paso & Northeast
ern Road win Open Up a Wonder
fully Resourceful Region.
AGRICULTURAL, GRAZING AND MINERAL
Description of Poor Mans Paradise
Wheat and Potato Possibilities
Fine Fruit Lands-Coal Abund-
ant-Precious Metals.

Speaking of the fact that the immediate
construction of the FL Paso & N Northeast
ern railroad is now assured, since con-
tracts for the building of the entire 100
miles have been let and work is actually
in progress along that entire distance,
a special correspondent of the st. Louis
Republic writes:
1t was almost 20 years since that this,
then the ideal of the railroad people of
the west, was projected, but for reasons,
construction was never commenced until
this time. The completion of this road
within the next four months opens up to
development among the richest agricul
tural, fruit, grazing and mineral lands of
New Mexico. This line though, in Its
incipiency as trunk road, will newt
ably form the connecting link between
the Gulf of Lower California and the city
of Sr. Louis, through the eventual COM
pletion of the gap between Liberal, Kas.,
now the southern terminus of the Rock
Island system, or Washburne, Tex, the
southwestern terminus of the Atchison,
Topeka q Santa Fe system. The filling
OF this short gap of about 800 miles
between White Oaks and either of these
points. together with the completion to
Topolobsmpo on the Pacific coast of
Mexico of the Sierra Madre road, now
under actual construction and in opera
tion 1856 miles to the southwest, insures
to Ell Paso it's sixth trunk railroad and
opens up for the entire distance from the
Pacific coast of Mexico to White Oaks,
N. M, (the present projected terminus
OF this road), an area of fertile valleys,
wonderful mineral lands and coal fields
on the White Oaks road that will within
a few months exceed the most sangulue
expectations of the pioneers in the south.
west.
Starting out from FL Paso the White
Oaks road takes northerly direction
the Jarilla mountains, distance of so
miles. Thence it verges slightly to the
west, skirting these, the Black and the
Sacramento mountain ranges, for 35 miles
further; the entire distance being level,
open country, particularly adapted to
farming and fruit growing. While the
mountains afford pasturage for the stock
OF the farmer, numerous never failing
streams intersperse and vary the monot-
ony with their timbered valleys quite in
contrast with the barren and rugged foot
hills, mountains and valleys of the
Rockies. Fruit does particularly we'll in
this latitude, and while the valleys or low
lands are adapted to the vine and the
fruit tree the uplands or "meses" are es-
pecially adapted to wheat and potatoes,
it having been found from actual tests
that the climate and altitude of these
table lands are not dissimilar to those of
Oregon and that the Irish potato grows
to greatest perfection and produces from
200 to 500 bushels to the acre, mples of
which are on exhibition in the company's
Office in Ell Paso, and the wheat that can
be grown upon these ''mesas" is almost
the same identical variety as the famous
wheat raised in the state of Oregon. By
singular and narural phenomena the tops
Of the White and Sacramento mountains
vast bodies of slightly rolling
5able lands or "mesas," which are won.
lerfully productive and ace covered with {
Wild potatoes. Upon these lands the ex- :
2eriments above referred to have been
made with the most astonishing results
-mmsnse areas of these lands are open to
development by this new line of road, and
ls all of it is government land it is sub
cot to entry in the usual way and will
urnish homes for thousands of the good
people of the middle and eastern states,
ho are seeking place away from the
igors of northern latitude, where they
AN dwell in peace and comfort.
The mineral deposits of tho White and
mountains are we'll known. 3
)oal in inexhaustible quantities has been
ound at Salado, to which branch line .
'ill be constructed a distance of Is miles,
nd where thorough prospecting has been
one by the promoter Of this new road, !;
)olonel O. B. Eddy, vice president and :
eneral manager of the Construction '
ompany and president of the road, at an +.
Expense of over 100000. His efforts :
'ere rewarded in the discovery, after
borough prospecting, Of veins IS, 55 and :
0 inches in depth, respectively, which !,
act alone insured ultimately the com.
letion of this line since every individual u
ecame Immediately champion of the
Dad.