Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1900-01-30
San JUAN COUNTY.
A Section Where Farming, Fruit Growing
and Stock Raising Pay.

and Stock Raising Pay.
(A~ztec~IndeX.)
San Juan is the northwest corner
of New Mexico, is about eve
ty-five miles square. and comprises
8, $40, 900 acres. The town of Aztec is the
permanent county seat of San Juan
county, and is situated in the center Of
the great Animas valley, which is
thanked on either side by the fertile val
leys of the San Juan and La Plata riv-
ers. 1t is in the very heart of the great
est fruit belt and richest producing ag-
ricultural district in the whole south
west. Aztec is the central and general
distributing point for the mail routes
of San Juan county, and the emporium
of trade and business for northwestern
New Mexico. It's business and profess
sional lines comprise three large gener-
al stores, two hotels, one hardware
store, two millinery stores, one drug
store, n newspaper, n blacksmith
shop, one livery stable, two saloons, one
harness shop, n meat market, barber
shop, photograph gallery, two attor-
two-story brick school building and a
large commodious Presbyterian church
building. A substantial wagon bridge
across the Animas river, near the town,
has recently been completed. A roller
-four mill of fifty barrels capacity daily,
equipped with modern machinery and
operated by a splendid water poWer OBJ
tanned from an irrigation canal, is a
late addition to the enterprises of the
town. The territorial government has
established an agricultural experiment
station at Aztec, and has spent about
81, 500 on the buildings and grounds, and
the last legislature made provision for
it's future maintenance.
San Juan county is traversed by three
large rivers, which head in the SNOW
capped mountains of southwestern Col
orado, and furnish a never-failing sup
ply of water for irrigation, under which
system all successful farming is con-
Quoted.
Nature has indeed done much for San
Juan county. With a fine and health
full climate, 1t has thousands and thou
sands of acres of rich, level, fertile
lands, and an everlasting water supply
for all purposes. Large and i%nexhausti-
BILE fields of coal, with veins from 4 tc
16 feet thick, crop out at the surface.
What makes San Juan the finest
county in New Mexico and the future
great country of the southwest is:
/. One of the finest eli ptes on earth,
2. Lands as rich and Of as wide al
extent as any country can boast.
8. its everlasting water supply and
the ease with which 1T a be applied to
the lands.
4. It's great Goa areas.
5. The capacity of the soil to raise
any kinds Of crops in enormous guam
titles and of the finest qualities.
6. The finest fruit-producing country
| east of California.
Z. The fine stock grazing lands Of the
higher lands and mesas and the close
proximity of mountain ranges for stock
in summer and the enormous crops OF
alfalfa hay that can be produced sc
cheaply for winter feed.
s. The production of live stock, cat
tie, horses, sheep, hogs, chickens, bees
| etc.
1t Is estimated THAI not one-twentfeth
of the available tillable lands are YET
under irrigation and cultivation. OF the
lands already under irrigating bitches
and subject to immediate irrigation, moi
one-fifth is in use or cultivation. Thou
sands Of acres of rich, fertile land, with
perpetual water right, ready for use
and cultivation, lying idle and unused
can be bought as raw lands with water
| rights at from SO to $40 per acre, while
improved lands, with houses and fenc.
ing and productive orchards, can be
| bought at from $40 to $25 and $50 PEI
acre, according to location and i'm.
~provements. Thousands of acres Of rich
level lands lying on the upper valleys
and mesas, vet vacant and subject te
entry under the public land laws, car
be irrigated with larger canals and
| bitches to carry the waiter.