Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-12-24
GREAT WEALTH
IN LUMBER
At Least $4,000 Cleared
in Four Years From
5000 Acres.
fine TIMBER STILL THERE
Experience Of Il. s. Buckman on
the Ramon Vigil Grant in
Santa Fe and Berna-
lilo Counties.
fine TIMBER STILL THERE

The possibilities In the lumber busi-
ness in New Mexico are we'll demon
strated in the experience of H. S. Buck
man, whose mill and plant has been
sold to Brady Clark and Bookhaimer,
who have moved it to the Monies y
Vigil grant on the Truchas river in Rio
Arriba county. Nothing now remains
at Buckman and the last of the horses
and mules belonging to him were
brought here yesterday to be shipped
to Myrtle, Ore. While the mill was
located on the Ramon Vigil grant,
36OOO,OO0 feet of merchantable lumber
were cut.
The grant consists Of 31,S03 acres Of
land and is technically known as the
Ramon Vigil grant. 1t was owned for
several years by a Catholic priest, and
is also known as the Padre Hays grant.
In 1882 it was sold by Father Hays to
Winfield Smith of Milwaukee, and
George M. Fletcher of Detroit. Fletch-
er died and his interest in the grant is
now in the hands of trustees for the
benefit of his heirs, Addison f. Fletch-
er, Frank w. Fletcher and Allen M.
Fletcher The grant was considered
practically without value and a vigor-
Gus protest was made against an as
sessed valuation of 25 cents an acre.
Four years ago, the owners made a
contract with Mr.. Buchanan under
which for stated sum, he was to be
permitted to cut all timber possible
within a certain time and within cer-
tain limits. He has made a snug for
tune out of the contract.
He expended about $4,000 in building
roads and four span bridge across
the Rio Grande river, IS miles west of
this city. His sawmill was established
at the place that was later called
Buckman. The mill had daily capac-
ity of $4,000 feet of lumber and the
$4,000, 900 feet of merchantable lumber
have been cut from only 5000 acres.
There yet remains a vast quantity of
timber on the grant and there is much
of good quality on the portion in which
he has been working. With freedom
from forest fires and preventing sheep
from grazing on the tract, there will be
good tree growth in from Is to 20
years, and it can again be cut. OF the
quality of the lumber cut on the grant
10 per cent was what is termed by Ium-
ber dealers as clear and of great value.
The sale of the mill included many Of
the teams Mr.. Buchanan had used, and
the bridge. The bridge was necessary
to the new owners n moving the mill
and outfit to the Monies y Vigil grant,
but it could now undoubtedly be pur-
chased at low figure. The bridge is
on the road which leads to the ruins of
the cliff dwellers, to Jemez Hot
Springs, to the Sulpher Springs and
San Antonio Hot Springs The bridge
would be Of great value to the county
and should be purchased by the county
commissioners as it is well built and
substantial structure. The east line Of
the grant is but IS miles from this city
and is the Rio Grande.
But very little Of the lumber was
sold in New Mexico and fully $40 of It
was shipped to Denver and other Colo
RADIO points. If the 36,000,000 feet Of
lumber cut brought but an average
price of $40 per thousand feet, the re-
ceipts during the four years amounted
to $360,000. A very low profit would
have been 81 per thousand feet and on
that calculation, the profit made dur
ing the four years was $4,000.
A part of the grant lies in this coun-
ty and part in Bernalillo county. That
in this county was assessed by the
county commissioners at so cents an
acre, =