Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-12-18
AFFAIRS In new MEXICO.
The Annual Report Of the Governor
to Secretary Hitchcock
A Territory Rich in Minerals and Horticul-
tural Products-A Plea for Admission
Into the Union Improved Systems
of Irrigation Inviting Field
for Investing Capital.
(WaShington TimeS.)

for Investing Capital.
Washington Times.)
Governor Miguel A. Otero, of New
Of the interior, his report for the year
ended June 80, 1899. Among other things
he says:
The topography of New Mexico is in
teresting, but complex. In shape a par
allelogram, with an average breadth of
1886 miles in length of 1857, 1t lies, so to
speak, broadside to the sun sloping
from north to south, with an elevation
of 1000 feet in the former, sinking down
to $500 feet in the latter, while many
| mountain peaks reach a height varying
| from 5000 to IL, 900 feet. These peaks
and their connecting ranges are SO
scattered as to form the territory into
five distinct watersheds with their re-
spective valleys. The Rio Grande d.
vides New Mexico from north to south
into very nearly equal portions, and is
to this country what the Nile Is to
Egypt. On the northeast the Canadian
outlets the waters of that section into
a tributary of the Mississippi, while on
the southeast the Pecos has eroded a
valley second only in extent to that of
the Rio Grande, of which it is the chief
tributary. In the northwest the San
Juan and in the southwest the ella con-
meet the waters ultimately reaching the
Pacific ocean.
Each of these main rivers has a vast
number Of af11uent streams, so great in
fact that New Mexico is more largely
supplied with watercourses than is any
other mining state or territory. Along
each stream are valleys, beyond the
valleys high table lands, called mesas,
and beyond these the mountain ranges
proper. In the mountains and in many
of these mesas are deep gorges or can
ons. with almost perpendicular walls.
These collect the water from the melt
ing SHOWS and convey it to the streams
ramifying it In all directions. Such,
then, is the topography of the territory.
Mountain. peaks and chains, high table
lands, and lower lying valleys, falling
away to the south, thus securing a
southern exposure throughout its vast
extent of 1872, $50 square miles, or an
area of 100 square miles larger thai the
land surfaces Of New England, New
York and Maryland combined, or 1,241
square miles larger than all England.
Scotland, Ireland and Wales"
FRUITS AND MINERALS.
The governor says that In the metro
politan markets from the western states
New Mexico's horticultural products
prices than the California products.
Grapes, apples, pears. peaches, cherries,
plums, nectarines, and all small fruit
Indigenous to the temperate and semi
tropic zones, grow in abundance. Ex-
periments show hat New Mexico ex-
cells any other country or section of the
world in the quality and quantity of
sugar beets. and all classes of cereals
| and vegetables are grown with success
and profit. OF minerals the governor
says:
1T Is no exaggeration to affirm that,
in point of natural resources, none of
the peerless Rocky mountain states ex-
coed New Mexico. Gold, silver, copper,
iron, zinc, lead, mica, coal (anthracite
and bituminous), marble, fire clay,
alum, sulphur, soda, salt, asphalt, gyp-
sum, ETC., are found in paying quaint
ties in almost every country in the ter
ritory. In many localities are valuable
deposits of onyx, while the turquois
supply of the world is largely furnished
by the New Mexico mines
Timber and coal are plentiful and
mineral springs numerous.
New Mexico" says the governor,
contains nearly 70, 0O0, 900 acres. Of
these there are about $4,000, 900 acres
contained in land grants, Indian and
military reservations, railroad grants
and government entries, which leaves
available an area of about IS, ZOO, 900
acres Of land, capable of supporting an
immense population running up into the
millions. Thousands Of acres Of wild
lands are to be had by complying with
the United States land laws"
The population Is estimated at $50, 500.
The Indian population Is placed at 25,-
1923, making q total Of 2S5, 1923 for the
territory. The governor earnestly rec
ommends the early admission of New
Mexico as a state. He says the assessed
value for taxation Is more than $40, 00O,-
900, and constantly growing, while the
population, through immigration, Is in
creasing. During the last year New
Mexico sold more than $1,000, 900 pounds
Of wool, and the copper and gold mines
ara being developed in a manne never
before known. AS to churches, all the
leading denominations are represented
in the territory, the towns being graced
with handsome edifices. The report
says:
The Catholic church, of course, first
occupied the field in the territory. The
first Protestant church to enter the ter
ritory was the Baptist. Rev. Samuel
German, Of that church, In 1850, was the
first Protestant missionary to the Pueb-
los, his labors being conferred in Laguna.
mt. A.A -- $500 -