Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-04-27
THE MESILLA VALLEY
W. E. Baker, Proprietor Of the Ala
media, Tells of It's Present and
Future Prospects.
THE NEED OF MORE WATER
Health Seekers Are Beginning to Find Out
That New Mexico Summers Surpass
Even New Mexico Winters for
Healthfnlness.


William r. Baker, proprietor of the
Alameda hotel and ranch at Las CRU
ces, spent yesterday in the capital city.
He is an energetic young man, who
takes a great interest in the progress
and welfare Of the Mesilla valley, of
which he has been a resident the past
eleven years.
ORCHARDS AND RANCHES.
In speaking of the fruit and crop pros
poets this year he says that they are
very good in the vicinity o. Las Cruces.
The frost has not done as much damage
ly thinned out the fruit. The grape crop
will be especially large. On the Alame-
da ranch and at the agricultural col
lege farm, especially, the orchards are
In splendid condition. The Rio Grande
is somewhat low, and water for irriga-
tion is scarce, but as high water is re-
ported further north there will un-
doubtedly be sufficient water for irriga-
ton in the Mesila valley. The scarcity
of water demonstrates that the Ele-
phant Butte dam Is a necessity for the
welfare of the valley, and Mr.. Baker
hopes that the rumor is true that the
British capitalists in back of the scheme
have given orders to commence the
ARTESIAN WELLS.
Mr.. Baker is one of the pushers Of the
experimental artesian well scheme. He
believes that artesian water can be
found in the valley, despite the fact that
an experimental 5O0-foot we'll sunk not
long ago gave no result. He believes
that it should have been sunk several
hundred feet deeper.
NEW MEXICO SUMMERS.
March had been delightful month in
the Mesilla valley, free of storms and
very mild. April, however, like at San
ia Fe, proved rather disagreeable, al
though still more pleasant than April
in other sections Of the country. Tour
Cruces during the winter in greater
number than ever before, and many of
them have decided to stay for the sum-
mer. Physicians who are sending their
patients to New Mexico are learning
that the New Mexico summers are as
beneficial to consumptives as are the
winters, and prominent physician of
Phoenix has declared that summer
spent in New Mexico Is worth two win
ters for tuberculosis patients.
MINOR IMPROVEMENTS.
A number of permanent settlers have
also come into the valley, and many i'm
provements are noticeable. During the
winter at least $4,000 was spent in i'm
provements on the main street of Las
Cruces alone. The improvements were
of a minor character, such as fencing
property, tearing down unsightly adobe
walls, laying pavements and other al
terations, which will gradually bring
the town in line with other progressive
cities.
HEALTH-S SEEKERS.
A health-seekers' weekly is to be
started by the consumptives and other
health seekers in the Mesilla valley 1t
promises to be an interesting periodical.
and will do much to advertise the val
ley. During the winter there were few
er deaths in Las Cruces and surround
ings than ever before, and those deaths
of health-seekers that did occur were
hopeless cases when they came to New
Mexico.
MINING OPERATIONS.
Mining in the Organ mountains has
received a decided impetus the past
twelve months. The Torpedo mine con-
tinues to be producer. The Modoc
mine is being developed by Chicago
company. The gold camp on the east
side of the Organs is flourishing. New
copper claims that are very promising
have been located, and a number Of
mines and prospects that are very rich
are within sixty miles of Las Cruces.
They give indications of large bodies of
ore. A number of railroad officials have
been carefully inspecting the mining
region, and railroad to Organ and per-
haps beyond to Alamogordo seems to be
assured.
A GOOD COUNTY.
The term of court just closed was a
very satisfactory one. A number Of
cases of a serious nature resulted in
convictions and sentences, and large
number of civil cases were disposed Of.
The county is in good shape financially.
and business is flourishing. The agricul-
tural college is prosperous, and the def
icit of $1,000 that must be paid in June
Is being rapidly made up by private
subscriptions. Mr.. Baker is sure that
Dona Ana county has great future be-
fore 1t, and that this year Is seeing the
beginning of It,