Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-02-14
DESERT BLOOMS.

| ferrous seCIlCn OF rev meAlCO'
The number OF northern and eastern
people coming into southeastern New
Mexico and the upper Panhandle coun-
try is beyond all comparison the lerg-
est In the history of the section.
Lands OF all kinds have been In de-
mand, from the stock raiser who wants
room for a herd OF ] 900 Herefords, TO
the party with n team of horses, n wa
gon, a dog and the usual number OF
tow-headed children, the latter, as a
rule being satisfied with quarter sec
tion and n chance to scratch n living
OF his patch somehow.
| Another class that Is graually drift
ing this way In constantly increasing
numbers is the party, fairly well.to-
do. knowing the value of water In this
arid southwest. is In search OF lands
that can be irrigated. or, as IL is
termed, under the ditch" and has the
money to buy with. This element
among the newcomers is the desirable
one, for they come to stay and not only
build up a district, but develop and
beautify It as well.
AS a sample OF how rapidly some OF
the sidetracks on the Pecos Valley &
Northwestern railroad develop into
villages and then into very respectable
towns, the town OF Portales might be
named A trine over two years since
Portales boast I'd OF depot. a house
for the agent, store where a few
shelves on one side of the building ac-
commodated all the stock, small shed
with board nailed on the outside with
restaurant" painted on II with a mark.
ing pot and four saloons. At that time
verifying in the locality was con.
nected In one way or another with the !
lation consisted mainly OF cowboys. To.
day this sidetrack has turned into one |
OF the livliest communities in the west |
II has its churches some three or
four-a bank, wagon and implement |
stores. general merchandise stores,
hotels. restaurants and sidewalks so
crowded with eager busy people that |
IL is hard TO make way through them
Every quarter section within twenty |
miles of the town now has its tenant,
and windmills loom up in every direc-
ton. The secret of the success of this
particular town lies in the fact that
good water in abundance lies within
from twelve to twenty feet Of the sur
face throughout the district. OF course
this cannot be said of all these new
towns. In fact. the contrary is usually
the case, but from the great numbers
that are focking into this country II
would appear that people believe that
the same conditions as to water pre-.
vail everywhere. For many of these
new towns there are hard times ahead
The dry, hot years are bound to come
and where irrigation is impossible and
water lies from 1900 to 1000 feet be-
meath the surface profitable cultlva-
tiop OF the soil becomes impossible.
The history of Portales finds it's
counterpart In very few other towns
on the line Of the road. Hereford,
Bovina, and others show almost like
phenomenal growth.
AS to Roswell, its population has
more than doubled In the past eighteen
months, the number of people now
there, according to a town census re.
Gently made. being 1900.
Between Portales and Roswell, dis
lance Of sixty miles, may he seen any
number OF squatters. and many bona
hde settlers as we'll who have their
dugouts and shacks planted on the side
hills. and. as a general thing, appar-
emily trusting to Providence TO send
sufficient rair to raise little fodder
"roughness." as they call it--for their
few head of lean stock and a little
garden truck" Many OF these last.
named belong to class often met with
II the Indian Territory and known
there as "nesters." They stay nowhere
very long and a few dry weeks gener-
ally finds them on the road again.
After one leaves Roswell and it's
beautiful surroundings and proceeds
down the pecos river toward Carlsbad
he sees some of the best improved
farms In the territory. Orchards that
have achieved growth OF eight or ten
years and which are wonderfully pro-
'"Nb't "hu hh' pay ihb ihNtbtmtHtotI
are seen adjoining every dwelling.
There is an air of prosperity, an appear
ance of thrift about these new homes
that tell plainly of an intention to re-
main. The improvements made are
fixtures. not makeshlfts.
As the town of Carlsbad is approach
ed decided change Is noted these
winter days in the temperature. The
town lying 600 feet lower than Roswell
and seyenty-five miles farther south, It
la at least 10 degrees warmer than that
place and fully 25 degrees warmer than
Amarillo. The absence of cold winds
has also much to do with keeping up
mild and even temperature
II Is estimated that in the past few
months improvements exceeding In
amount 100000 have been inaugural.
ed or completed In the lower Pecos
valley, that is, In the neighborhood or