Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1903-01-30
THE SECOND
NEW COUNTY
Guadalupe and Union Coun-
ties Are to Contribute
to It.
NO EXPRESSED OPPOSITION
Will Include the Territory Open
ed by the Rock Island System
With Tucumcari as the
County Seat.


assembly. The name Of the county is
selected in honor of Roger @. Mills of
Texas who, while a member of the
United States senate, always voted and
The name has not been definitely Sc
lected and may be changed later The
technical description of the proposed
new county, which may be amended
slightly, is that it shall be included in
the boundaries commencing at the
southwest corner of township north,
range 27 east of the New Mexico prin-
cipal base and meridian; thence north
along the range lines between town.
ships 26 and 27 east to the northwest
corner of township II north of range 27
east; thence east along the north line of
township II north, projected to its point
Of intersection with the Texas-New
Mexico boundary line; thence south
along the Texas New Mexico boundary
line to the point of it's intersection with
the first standard parallel north projec-
ted eastward; thence west along the
first standard parallel north to the
southwest corner of township s north,
range 27 east, to the point Of beginning.
The bill provides that the county seat
shall be established at Tucumcari and
the county commissioners shall select
the place for the county buildings. The
governor is authorized to appoint the
county officers as now required by law
before April next and they shall serve
until their successors are elected and
qualify. The territorial auditor, terri
torial treasurer and solicitor general
are appointed as commission to ascer-
tain on or before June next the total
Indebtedness of Guadalupe and Union
counties from which the new cnnAty is
segregated, less the cash OH hand and
to fix the amount of county indebted
ness that may be due the new county
as it was on January last. The
amounts SO fixed shall be final and con-
elusive. Bonds are authorized from the
new county to bear interest at the rate
Of not to exceed per cent per annum,
payable semi annually and payable abb
in 20 years or after years at
the option of the new county. They
shall be in sums of $100 or multiples and
shall be approved by the district attor-
ney Of the district in which the new
county is located. They shall be sold at
not less than par and from the proceeds
the Indebtedness of the new county to
the other counties shall be paid in full.
If the bonds cannot or shall not be sold
before January 1 next, they and the
coupons shall be turned over to the
present counties. The bonds shall be
the first issued and the levy made for
the payment of interest and principal
shall be the first made by the new
county. Bonds are authorized for court
house purposes not to exceed $25,0O0, for
Jail purposes not to exceed $1,000 and
for current expenses not to exceed
$4,000. The new county is authorized to
receive from the other counties the un-
paid taxes for 1902 on the territory
within it's limits and such proportion Of
licenses collected as may remain unex-
pired after the creation Of the new
county. The county is attached to the
4th judicial district and the district at
torney of that district shall be the dis
trict attorney for the new county and
receive salary from the county Of $3.50
per annCm payable quarterly. The at
tachment of the county to districts for
Legislative purposes is left to the legis-
lature. Uf til the appointment and
qualification of the officers authorized
in the act, the peace officers OF Guada-
lupe and Union counties shall continue
to exercise their functions in the new
county.
The bill is general in it's terms out
side of regular matters that must be
specified and much is left to the legis-
lature. The territory to be included in
the new county embraces portion of
the northeastern part Of New Mexico
that has been opened by the construc-
ton of the Ell Paso extension of the
Rock Island system. The greater por-
tion of the new county is taken from
Guadalupe county, but there is a strip
Of one row of townships taken from
Union county. The proposed county is
60 miles long from east to west, AZ miles
from north to south at the west end
and, on account of the small strip taxi |
en- from Union county, 48 miles from
north to south at the east. The west |
end of the county is a short distance |
west of Montoya on the Rock Island |
system. The estimated population is |
1000 and the assessed valuation be-
tween $95O,OOO. and 100000.
Tucumcari, the would-be county seat,
IS now town Of 1000 people and is at
he junction point of the Dawson !.
branch with the main line Of the Rock
Island system. It has also been Select
ID as the western terminus Of the ex-
ension of the Choctaw road and the
ino has been surveyed.
BY reason of the railroad construction
he country is being settled rapidly. !