Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-04-13
Special to the New Mexican.

overland from Hagan to Antelop
Springs Is one of the finest that can b.
made in the southwest. Especially 81
in congenial company as was that Of
fered by the little cavalcade that start
ed out yesterday on typical New
Mexico April day with the sun shining
warm, little breeze stirring and the
birds caroling.
w. s. Hopewell, manager of the San
ia F'e Central Railway, as we'll as Of
the New Mexico Fuel and Iron Com,
pany, was one of the quartet. A won,
derful man is he, a bundle of energy
tied with a rich streak of sentimental
humanity, a man who suffers positive
agony If he isn't doing anything, and at
present he Is doing and planning doz-
en- things at the same time and doing
and planning them we'll. Like all active
workers, he is a taciturn man, but II
brings a rich reward to draw him out
His experiences in the west his knowl-
edge of men taken with the fact that
he Is a student of political theories and
history and a deep thinker, make him
an interesting talker, but he talks only
when he has nothing else to do and
that is seldom. He was in Denver In
1863 when Santa Fe was as important a
town as the Queen City of the Plains;
he surveyed the first railroad over Ten
nessee Pass; he was at Aspen when the
town was laid out and was pioneer in
the mining district around Ouray; he
was among the first cattlemen in Sierra
county and knew the country south OF
Santa Fe well, long before the Santa Fe
Central Railway was thought of.
Another in the party was w. A..
Bayer, in a confidential position with
Mr.. Hopewell, and the interests OF
which the latter is manager When
need be, he is as mum and reserved
as an oyster, but fine travelling COM
panion nevertheless, who knows every
road and every bit of country tributary
to the Santa Fe Central Railway as
we'll as of Sierra and Socorro counties.
Although less than four years IN New
Mexico, having spent his life before
that in Philadelphia, he knows more
about the territory by actual observa-
ton than many an old timer, and ne
jabbers Spanish quite fluently
The third man in the party was John
Harris, an old railroader in the west,
who will have charge Of the tracklay-
ing on the Santa Fe Central and tribu-
tary roads.
NATURAL RESERVOIR SITES.
Up the San Pedro creek the road
leads through massive canons with
perpendicular rock walls which furnish
excellent reservoir sites from which to
supply the future town Of Hagan. The
scenery is extremely picturesque. The
wagon road winds up to the beautifui
and densely wooded San Antonito mesa
which stretches along the entire length
Of the impressive Sandia or Watermel-
ON range, in which there are many nne
and large springs. At the foot of this
stupendous mountain pass lies the Te-
Jon grant of 1880 acres with several
mineral springs. Closer to the noun
tains lies the village of La MADEIRA ana
around it is dense growth of CONNER
cial timber. In canon half mile
north Of the village is SINNERS saw
mill, cutting timber for the New Mexi-
CO Fuel and Iron Company at Hagan.
Towards Tijeras canon the mesa gives
way to gently rolling country on which
there is fine grass and beautiful timber
and from which the church OF the pret-
ty village Of San Antonio looms up. me
view from the San Antonio mesa Is su-
perb and as the eye sweeps from the
snowy caps Of the Santa Fe and Pecos
ranges to the Ortiz, San Pedro and
South mountains an the way around to
the Sandals and the finely wooded
country between, the thought that here
the Creator has perfected a master
piece, jewel set in this arid land, sug-
gests itself.
Rounding the South mountain, which
is mottled like snakes skin on Its
massive southern promontory. the great
Estancia plain, grass covered and
bounded by mountains on all sides,
bursts into view. A magnificent coun-
trv Of magnificent distances, plain
covering over 5000 square miles, so lit
tie broken by arrotos and draws that
roads can be constructed In any direc-
zion as straight as an arrow fiies. It is
easv to drive across 1t with wagon at
any point. There are over score OF
ranches on this plain with windmilis
tanks. outhouses and corrals and II IL
hard to be not in sight of one or mofe
Of them at any time, but there Is not 2
single village or town in the entire
plain.
PROSPEROUS RANCHES.
The party struck Moriarty at noon
having left Hagan at 8 in the morning
The Albuquerque Eastern has peer
graded several miles from this poin'
and the Santa Fe Central Railway has
put up substantial depot, store, can
teen and other buildings. Exceiien'
meals are served at this roint to trav'
elers. Prosperous ranches are grouped
around the buildings and a number o.
homesteaders have taken up claiml
lately and have erected buildings ant
wmdmills. Water 4 near to the sur