Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-05-25
A CONTENTION FOR PRESTIGE
Violent Agitation in Colfax County
Over a Proposition to Remove the
County Seat from Springer
to Ration.
SPRIRGER'S CLAIMS ARE PRESENTED
In Letter 10 Follow the Contention of
Ration asIto It's Claims for a County
Seat Will Be Given.
Correspondence New Mexican.

|
Correspondence New Mexican.
Springer, N. NJ, May 24.-Colfax coun-
ty is all stirred up over the removal of
the county seat Springer is the present
hub of the kingdom, and Ration wants to
be, that is the sum and substance of the
matter. Now, I am not interested in the
fight either one way or the other, and,
like the willy politician, feel that my
safest and surest position is 'sts,,s2
the fence. There is saying, or at least
l have heard of one, which runs some
thing like this: "When in Rome, be a
Roman" That does not sound just right,
but it will do for this county seat fight.
Tonight am in Springer, therefore l am
Springerite. Tomorrow | will be in
Ration, and then will be Ratonian. AS
Springer adherent shall present our
side of the question.
THE COUNTY SEAT AT SPRINGER.
In the first place the county seat right
ly belongs in Springer; we are located
nearer the center of the county than
Ration; we have good court house and
Jail, and the population of this part of
the county is permanent in character. 1t
is only matter of few months when a
branch line of the Santa Fe will be built
from Springer to the Red River country,
and when that is done the metropolis of
New Mexico will be right here. Then,
uhap 1ntU
propose to move the territorial capital
from Santa Fe and plant it on the pic
turesque banks of the Cimarron river for
all time to come. Albuquerque's pro-
posed 100000 building would be hovel
in comparison with the building we pro-
pose to erect on the bluffs south of the
river for governmental purposes.
So far as the county seat ia concerned,
we do not care picayune for it. Spring
er is not dependent upon any such empty
honors for prosperity and business, but
we don't propose to let little scrub
village take from US what rightfully be-
longs to the best town in the county.
But we will pass over many other rea-
sons why we Springer folks oppose the
removal of the county seat, and come to
the one which interests every property
owner in Colfax, that of taxation. The
county is not in bad shape financially,
but Just the same we have an indebted
ness, bonded and floating, of from $50, ,0oC
to 100000 on which interest must be
paid. The removal of the county seal
will increase that debt at the least calcu
lation $4,000; that the property owners
can not afford. True, the last Legislature
passed bill making it the duty of the
county commissioners to call specia
election to settle the question, and il
obedience to that law an election has beer
called for June IA, but that does not neces
ssrily make the law good one. l dom
suppose we can prevent such IN election
being held, but in case the fellows il
Ration succeed in carrying the election
1t does not follow that the county sea
will be moved in a hurry. The court
will have to pass on the question befor
anything more than the voting is done
1t will cost little money, perhaps, but i
is as broad as it is long-it takes NOR
money to pay higher takes.
have now ceased to be resident o
Springer.
BUSINESS IMPROVING.
Inquiries of the business men toda!
concerning business brought the reply
"Good; much better than this time las
, year, and the prospects for summer ant
fall trade excellent" The principal in
, dustry of southwestern Colfax county a
, present is sheep raising, and the rise Il
the price of wool has added much to tn
income of hockmasters. When the WOO
season begins this increase will max
times better all around. Cattle are a
important item, but not to the exten
they were some years ago.
CATTLE AND SHEEP.
| In speaking of cattle and sheep thi
afternoon, Hon. M. W. Mills said: "Di
! you ever notice that the constant shiftip
of industries brings repetition of forme
conditions. In the 70's this entire cour
: try to the Texas line was overrun wit
! great flocks of sheep--hundreds of thot
! sands Of them. Along in the early 80
! began a conflict between cattlemen an
sheep raisers, which resulted in the defef
. of ths latter, and for number of yeal
Il cattle and cowboys reigned suprem
: Then came the crash and the cowbo
and his occupation we're wiped out, som
g say by over production, think by sp
: clal interference OF an all-wise Prt
= vidence, and now the sheep are comm
: back. This morning in driving 80 mile
I can safely say that over $4,000 shee
n were passed that could be seen, an
' how many more we're out of eyesight
L one knows"
i. FARMING ON THE MAXWELL GRANT.
% In the valleys considerable farming
' done. Wheat, oats, kafir corn, hay, al
alfalfa are raised, and should no disc
trous hail storm visit the county lar
= yields of all those products will be he
:, vested. Most of the tillable land is und
- the Maxwell land grant ditch syte
water is plenty, and no shortage of GRO
10 will result from drouth. The mountai
W. to the north and west are full of sno
ts the white peaks glistening in the sunlig
% all day long, many weeks must elapse I
fore il melts, and the streams Will be f
af xvotor oil amman Nv Ohaarvatl