Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-02-16
PROSPERITY AND
ADVANCEMENT
Socorro Marching to the Front
Rank of New Mexico Cities
Business Conditions.
MINING INTERESTS GROWING
Citizens Confident Of the Future-Enter-
prises in Good Financial Condition
Healthful Climate-Real Estate
Advancing in Value.

SoS'A - H'"A We
rank of progressive New Mexico com
munities, and no doubt exists but what
the city has a grand future. The min
ing excitement in Water canon is the
principal topic of interest at present.
Needed legislation is also being consid-
cred in private and public by those who
have taxes to pay and who have large
interests to care tor.
1--WE have the water and climate for a
great health resort" remarked j. Fl.
Hilton to The New Mexican representa-
tive
Price Bros. & Co. have the largest
store in Socorro, and in fact, n of the
best in the southwest. An immense
line of clothing, dry goods, ETC., is car
ried. and the firm does the banking
business of the locality. Mr.. Price
has some splendid ideas concerning the
needs of business men in the matter of
legislation.
He thought one of the principal
local needs is the investment of capital
in the surrounding mining camps.
w. H. Byerts, whose store occupies
700 feet of floor space and contains
everything imaginable except drugs,
has some decidedly original ideas and
an original manner of expressing them.
He is one of the largest taxpayers in the
| county and knows what he is talking
about when he refers to legislative mat
tiers. Mr.. Byerts is in much the same
position as our esteemed townsman, Mr..
Blain. He built a fine store on the
corner and the corner moved away from
him. 1t is hoped that the present legis-
lative machinery will turn out an as
sortment of corners and send II down
here. Mr.. Byerts remarked: 1.-The
Bateman law should stand as it is and
not be tempered with. A majority OF
our citizens are in favor of it. l wish
that the legislature could straighten
out our streets. Some of IL people
have walked these crooked streets until
they became crooked themselves. l
am for statehood, first, last and all the
time"
H. Chambon, general merchandise:
"This store was established Is years ago
and is doing a good business now"
DR.. Charles G. Duncan: Health con-
ditions are good. A few people are hav-
ing the grip, but but it is nothing Sc
rious.'
S. E. Abeytia: 'The town seems to
be in good condition. Business is better
than last year and is improving right
along. The prospects are bright for a
good year during 1890"
j. M. Hill, meat market: The bust
ness men are doing fairly well and !
don't hear any complaints" Mr.. Hill
is the owner of a valuable group OF
mining claims located in the Water
canon section, adjoining the property
of the Timber Peak Mining Company.
H. G. Baca, county clerk and recorder:
1.-The county is in splendid condition
and the town is prosperous
Hon. Charles A Leland, district Judge
of the fifth judicial district, had many
pleasant things to say of the various
regions and localities embraced by his
district. He thinks that his district is
too large. The counties of Lincoln,
Chaves and Eddy are included in it and
the area is as large as the State OF Ohio.
The Judge must make two trips to ,Ros-
we'll, q distance of 500 miles, each year,
for the purpose of holding court. He is
willing that the legislature shall cut off
the south half of Lincoln county and
give it to Judge Parker. Relative to
local conditions the judge said: 'Busi-
ness conditions are much better h a they
were when l came here a year ago, and
the town feels the effects of the stimulus
given work in the Magdalena and Water
Canon districts. There are a great num-
Der of families here spending the winter.
| SocorrO, you know, is the best climate
in New Mexico for consumptlves. As
to court business, the work for the dis
trict is nearly caught up. There are
only five cases in the court for the next
term and no grand jury work in sight.
The court has disposed of IS civil cases
since the 5th of December"
DR.. Charles F. Blackington, sheriff:
1.-THE Water Canon mines are worth
writing up. You should see them"
l Captain M. Cooney, ex-county collect
or: 1.-THE various counties in the ter
ritory have lost a great deal of money
because of inefficient tax license laws.
Business licenses should be graded from
$500 up and peddlers should not be made
to pay a prohibitory license, but should
pay the lowest grade of store license.
In some of the larger counties peddlers
are indispensable, for women must travel
a distance of IS miles to procure the
things which a peddler can furnish, or
else 60 without. Gambling license should
be granted at a three months period, In
order to prevent losses in collection.
The present system enables them to
evade the law, and encourages
gambling on the quiet. The gamblers
should have the same license
privileges as the saloon keepers. An
other matter which / desire to call at
tention to, is that several counties in the
territory are used as ranges by the
stock men of adjoining counties. They
do not pay taxes in the counties where
the grass is eaten and they leave the
stock unaccolnted for at their head
quarter ranches. A law should be
passed forcing the owners of grazing
stock to pay taxes In the counties where
they are feeding. Such a law would
aid in swelling the territorial tax col
~lections and would serve as a protection
to local stockmen, who pay taxes and
need the grass for their own cattle.
There are $500, 900 worth of Bernaliilo
and Valencia county cattle grazing In
this county and we do not receive q cent
for them. 1t is doubtful If the taxes are
paid anywhere. | am in favor of Great
ing new counties. In the western por-
ton Of this county people are forced to
travel through three other counties and
Ice miles in this, before reaching the
county seat. This county is largely a
stock raising locality and the distance of
many portions of the county from the
county seat and the roughness OF the
country, make it. impossible for the
sheriff to cover the ground and enforce
law and order. In consequence, the
county is ovcrrun with desperadoes and
rustlers aid the ~stockmen are forced to
make terms with them because the sher-
ifs office is located too far away to give
aid In time. II was most unWise for the