Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-07-29
AND now IT is OIL.
Pasesa Springs Country ls Coming
Rapidly to the Front.
PAGosA SPRINGS. Colo.

July 20. 1901.
Dear Herald:
Pagosa Springs and Archuleta couu
ty are enjoying genuine boom. We
couple the town of Pagcsa In the
above. although the company at large
| is probably coming in for more at
tention than the town. This is large
ly owing to the increasing lumber and
saw mill interests and .he possibility
of oil In paying quantities
Two large companies are the prin-
cipal owners in the saw mill business.
although there are quite number of
small mills that supply local consump-
tion to large extent and one or two
ship on a small scale. 1t remains for
A. r. Sullenberger and the Riggs Lum-
ber company to monopolize the bust
ness. however. Mr.. Sullenberger has
headquarters and mills at Pagosa
Junction. The mill is one of the
| most complete in the state and com
bines shingles. lath rough and sur
faced output. To supply the mill
with logs Mr.. Sullenberger construct
ed the Pagosa Northern railroad
While intended largely as logging
road. It was constructed with view
durability and while narrow gauge
line, the road bed and grade will per-
NIT of laying of broad gauge ties and
rails There are logging camps at
different points along the road from
the Junction to Pagosa. and branch
log road runs up two or three gulch-
es. One locomotive and train crew
is kept busy hauling logs to the mill,
while another crew handles the
freight and passenger business betwee
the Junction and Pagosa Springs. de.
voting considerable time to switching
In the mill yards. The Pagosa North
ern runs through almost n solid belt Of
timber. except the first IL miles up
the canon which is an open park for
from quarter to half mile for the
above distance. The line Is operated
by Mr.. Sullenberger with traffic ar
rangements with the d. & r. G.. for
through business. Otherwise 1t is
separate and distinct institution. As
yet Mr.. Sullenberger has not emulat-
yer and other souvenir passes. but the
road is undoubtedly a money maker
Just the same.
| With Mr.. Sullenberger at Pagosa
Junction are two former Durangoites--
Charles e. Meuser. who holds a re-
sponsible position In the bookkeeping
department. while Phil Taylor looks
after the general store run in connec-
tion with the business.
| Mr. GulIanharUo,. hnc npay ON m On
regularly on the pay roll, outside of
the clerical force. 1t is safe to state
that he has secured sufficient pine
timber to keep the mill at the June
tion going for the next ten or fifteen
years and there is bound to be an in
creasing demand for lumber. 1t can
readily be seen that Mr. Sullenber-
ger is back of an industry that means
large employment of labor and devel
opment of the county. There is much
OF the land now being denuded OF tim
ber that will make excellent grazing
and In time 1t is quite probable that
much of the area will be dotted with
farm houses. the stumps removed. and
the land In high state of cultivation
this made possible by storage res
ervoirs
| While the Pagosa Northern Is run
largely as an accommodation road. so
far as public business Is concerned,
Mr.. Sullenberger is prepared to i'm
prove the service just as rapidly as
business will justify-to the extent of
running exclusive passenger service
and that Pagosa Springs will contln-
ne to grow and demand such service
few doubt.
The Biggs people. operating saw
mills on a large scale, have headauar
ters at Edith. and at the present
time the logging road, which is also
constructed on lasting basis. is only
16 miles distant from Pagosa Springs,
and at one time this spring 1t was an
nounced that the link would be closed
this season, but this seems hardly
probable. 1t is only a question of a
year or so, however, before Pagosa
Springs will have competing lines. as
the two roads would be competitors
in every sense of the word.
| The Biggs people have over 300 reg.
ular men on the pay roll, and Edith s
| iNtly WilH iOSSiuS
scattered along the line The Biggs
company secures its timber from the
Catron grant, paying SO much for
stumpage and the supply seems al
most unlimited, but the woodman's
axe is making sad havoc of the ma ;est-
ic pines. and the rising generation will
witness wonderful change a few
years hence to what met the gaze Of
those who entered the country over
Indian trails.
| The lumber business Is what might
be termed new industry for Archu-
leta county, in that the two big mills
have been in operation but snort
time. and it is safe to state that 500
men find employment in the mills. the
logging camps and Offices at the pres
ent time. thus turning loose some
thing like $1,000 a day for labor and
SUPPLIES. That this number of men
will be largely increased during the
/ nayf two Tn five yaarc ovory nna