Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-08-28
COMMISSIONER LEESON TALKS
In An Interview Published in the
Nashville Sun, He Tells About
New MeXico's Fruits.
NEW MEXICO DAY AT THE EXPOSITION
Arrangements Made to Send Exhibits
from the Horticultural and AL
buquerque Fairs.

Captain }. j. Leeson, commissioner and
general manager of the exhibit from New
Mexico at the centennial, has returned
from three weeks trip through the ter
ritory, says the Nashville Daily Sun. He
visited several of the principal cities in
the interest of fruit exhibits to come a
few weeks later, and also an excursion of
party of the leading and most ipfuen-
tal citizens early in October. Captain
Leeson reports that his trip was an emil
nently successful one, He said yesterday
"The Territorial horticultural society
holds the annual exhibit in Santa Fe the
first week in September. I saw the Off
GERS and presented my plans tc them and
they volunteered to send to the centen-
nial for exhibition representative col
lection of the fruits and vegetables of the
territory. You must bear In mind that
we have in New Mexico not only the
finest minerals in the world but climate
nearer perfection tnan any other locality
a soil, when irrigated, equal to the best
and as natural result the fruit is sur
passed IN size and delicacy of flavor by
that of TO other state or territory.
"The Territorial fair is held at Albu-
querque about the middle of September,
and entered into arrangements with the
officers to ship me the bulk of the finest
exhibits. This latter exhibit, I expect,
will far surpass the first, because of the
fact that our finest fruits will be then ia
their prime. These exhibits of fruits
will prove to the thousands of visitors to
the centennial that the claims that | have
made for the territory are not in the least
Think of bunches of
grapes weighing four to five pounds, and
plums ten to IL inches in circumference!
Everything else will be in proportion.
Our fruit captures the market wherever
placed on sale. Hundreds of cars are an
nually shipped to the northern cities. We
took many prizes at the Worlds fair for
fine fruits. Remember our fruits are not
only large and pleasing to the eye, but
luscious to the taste, as the soil seems to
possess all the elements needed for per-
feet fruit. This is not SO in many locali-
ties where irrigation is necessary.
"It may be considered by some that /
am very enthusiastic about the fruits of
the territory, but assure you every word
will be backed up. We have the finest
country in the world. Think of noun
tains filled with gold, silver, copper, lead,
zinc, iron and coal; the finest marbles,
states and limestone, and in the valleys
orchards and farms! Think
prizes at the Worlds fair over the ex-
hibits of the entire world! Our oat ex-
hibit was alone exceeded by Rusela. We
make no extravagant claims; the truth so
surpassess the claims of other sections
that we have but to tell the truth and the
people prove it by visiting US.
''The beet sugar industry is now at
tracting attention in the Pecos and Rio
Grande valleys, where there are refneries,
and experiments are being made in many
other localities. l have made arrange
ments for beet sugar exhibit, which
will be very interesting, because it is
proposed to show the full process of
mar ufaoture from the beet as it grows
in the field to the refined sugar as white
as the driven snow, and chemically pure.
"What about New Mexico day?"
"Everywhere went | was greeted with
inquiries of the centennial. The people
of the territory are intensely interested in
it, and the newspapers are devoting hun
dreds of columns of space to describing
its scope. Remember, the people of
New Mexico are progressive in every way,
and probably appreciate the advantages
of the centennial better than do the peo'
pie very close to Nashville. l visited the
officials of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe railroad and after fully presenting the
case to them they made me an offer of
low rate for an excursion party. My idea
is this: To make up party to come
through in special car early in October
and for the railroad to place tickets on
sale to individuals at low rate. The party
for the car is about made up. l sincerely
hope that Governor Otero will accompany
it. He is one of the most progressive
men, and would be the life of the party.
II have still another party in view, but
instead of bringing them to the centen-
nial wish to take them away fom it.