The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-06-25
]. A. Fletcher Writes an Interesting
Letter OF Conditions in New
Mexico and Texas.
HISTORIC OLD CHURCH VISITED.
Kenosha Man In the Rio Grande Country
Tells of the Great Fortunes That Are
Being Made by willy Investors.
Ell Paso, Texas, June 10th, 1908.

hills of the mountains, narrow strip
from one to FIVE miles broad for about
one hundred miles. For centuries it
has received the overflow Of the Rio
Grande. AT each overflow there has
been deposited silt which possesses
all the value of a fertilizer. According
to analysis made by various persons
interested, it has been found that the
soil of this valley is like that which
borders the river Nile. It is of ex-
ceeding depth, and where water is
abundant it produces crops Of exceed
ing richness. Our party rode down
about fifty miles, left the railway
station, and taking carriage, visited
the points of interest. There was one
old church in Mexican village which
is said to have been built in the year
1926. The walls of the church are
about FIVE feet thick, the building is
built of adobe brick and it is as
staunch and sound as it was the day it
was erected. In the belfry are two
bells, the top bell is the bell which
called the settlers when danger was
about, the lower bell called them to
worship. The old priest was ia truth
as he is today, the Father of his people.
When we were there, preparations
were being made for some feast day,
and the painted flowers and ornaments
were being busted, preparatory to
being used for decorative purposes.
On Our way thither we stopped at var
ious places owned by Americans; we
met one gentleman by the name of w.
w. Coffin and stopped at his ranch all
night. The house was of adobe, and
around the barn yard was wall built
Of adobe. Upon this gentlemen's
ranch was an orchard of thirty acres,
which produced last year 5000 boxes
of pears, for which he received $1.25
at the station. We were told that the
yield this year would be greater and
he would receive $1.OO per box for the
fruit on the tree. This gentleman
supplements his water supply by p1ac-
ing small pumping plant upon his
property, and when the supply of
water from the river, which is brought
by an irrigating ditch, is small, he
pumps the water from a well. We
were told that $35.OOOOO was offered
and refused for this thirty acres. AT
another gentlemen's place, Mr.. ]. ].
Smith, whose ranch was about fifteen
miles away from Cofin's, at place
l. l. aeH 0f
that seem almost marvellous. AS we
sat upon the porch Of Mr.. Smith
adobe house he told us that he had
taken this year from less than ten
acres nearly $1,000 from the sale of
Strawberries, that last year, from one
and half acres, he had sold tomatoes
for about 5000; that his vineyard of
four acres, had yielded him $3.50; that
upon less than IS acres, some of which
was in hay or alfalfa, the sales we're
$500 net. He stated that from his
experience, the land with abundance
of water-and by abundance he meant
six irrigations per year-would yield
net from $3.50 up to $1,000 per year per
velous returns, his near neighbors did
not have as great success, because
they adhered to the Mexican methods.
Like anything else, the success of
any proposition depends upon the in
dustry of the man who has control of
it. The raising f alfalfa is known as
the lazy mans .rop and yet it nets $50
per acre. T.4ey get from each acre
four cuttings year, and the yield is
greater or less, according to the irrig-
alton it receives. When the farmer
does not depend exclusively upon
supply from the river he may predict
almost to certainty what bis returns
will be; SO many acres of strawberries
will produce so much money, and so on.
Another thing that is remarkable is
the fact that from this same land two
crops per year can be gathered. Far
mers have put in crop of wheat,
harvested it, and upon the same
ground put in crop of corn or beans
the same year. I do not think that
there is anything that can be grown
elsewhere that can not be grown here
except it be the citrus fruits like
oranges, etc.
The same amount of energy, care
and attention given to small farm of
ten or twenty acres in this valley will
yield as great returns as that given by
a farm FIVE times as much larger 10.
Gated in the Northern cline. The
climate is delightful; at the altitude of
300 feet above sea-level the air is
pure and the bane of the mosquito is
banished. As s. time goes on rev
methods will be found, and soon this
valley will be peopled by large popu-
lation of energetic Americans. The
slow-going Mexican will have to give
way to the energetic American, for
unlike the California farmer, the Rio
Grand Valley farmer is not confined to
one railroad for the transportation Of
his crop; nine trunk lines will com
pete to haul his crop, and with this
condition existing it will not be very
long before the American will sup
plant the Mexican.
One thing that is noticeable is the
adaptability of the American farmer to
1as 49, r