Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-11-21

MOST NOTABLE
IN HISTORY
Col. r. L. Twitchell Enthusias.
tic Over Practical Work Of
Irrigation Congress
LAS VEGAS
FINE OUTLOOK
Magnificent Victory Gained by
New Mexico I'm Elephant
Butte Dam Controversy

COl. lWltCueIl VetuTutu AIOm tne
National Irrigation congress yester-
day. Commenting upon the work OF
the congress he says: The twelfth
congress from q New Mexico practic-
al standpoint was the most important
in its history. The determination on
the part Of El Paso to abandon the
International dam site and their ar
gument with New Mexico to accept
the Elephant Butte location. together
with the recommendation on the part
Of the distinguished representatives
Of our sister republic to their govern
ment to the same effect, is an epoch
in the history of the two countries.
Its practical settlement is worth more
to New Mexico than anything In the
way OF Industrial enterprise that has
come to us since the construction of
the railways in our Jurisdiction The
building of the Elephant Butte dam
will reclaim in New Mexico 10000
acres of land infinitely more fertile
than the lands adjacent to Rocky
Ford and the Arkansas valley. These
lands will in time be worth, at 500
per acre, ten millions Of dollars, or
more than rs per cent of our entire
assessed valuation today. Those
lands inside of twenty years will
maintain population greater than
that now in all New Mexico through
out it's entire extent. The Mesilla
and upper Rio Grande valleys as far
as Palomas, In time will be reached
by an elaborate trolley system of
transportation. Telephone lines will
go to every farmers door. These are
not speculatiOns. Let some of our
stay-athome Is per cent gentlemen
visit the Arkansas valley near Rocky
Ford if they desire 10 see what com
munities can become in fifteen years
The Elephant Butte dam viii cost
over seven millions of dollars. The
reservoir will be over forty miles long
and over mile and a half wide, the
very sort desired. long. narrow and
deep. The income from the Rocky
Ford district from agricultural prod
ucts this year Is over million dol
lars including the bean crop. Just
imagine, If you have such quality
concealed about you what the reve.
nue. would be TO New Mexico from
10000 acres of land such as we have
in the lower Rio Grande. If ii pro-
duced only $40 per acre per annum.
the result would be a million and il is
capable of producing more than fifty
dollars per acre. Fifty millions Of
dollars. per annum in revenue. The
figures fairly stagger the ordinary
mind and yet we know that il IA a
mighty poor acre al lard in New Mex.
leo under a stable system OF irriga-
tion that won't produce from twenty
five to forty dol ars per acre
Some people wonder why | 20 to
irrigation congresses aud the like.
go simply to learn from the highest
practical and scientific authorities in
the world what the world Is doing
and what we can do for ourselves.
The legal profession is largely in ev-
idence at these great gatherings and
the LAWYERS 90 home and tel their
people the good news and the good
things they ought to have heard them
selves. II costs money. III admit. but
the satisfaction of being posted on the
worlds doings and the efforts of our
great men is 10 my mind the greatest
tired feeling" SO often; we don't
stand around the street corners and
preach our fears TO our friends and
make them doubt whether it will ever
rain again; We don't have the blues"
and We go about our daily tasks with
renewed effort. determined to carry
out our share of the worlds work no
matter how small or humble our posi-
ton.
How about the Sanguijuela? ] be
lieye II will be built II really is a
small affair 10 the reclamation ser
vice bu, all of the engineers favor 1t.
It's up 20 us to furnish them some