Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-04-28
DR0UTH MUCH FELT
IN MOUNTAINAIR
Available Grass Exhausted and Loss of
Lambs Will be Heavy-Experi-
mental Well at Estancia
Down $50 Feet.
Special to the New Mexican.

Special to the New Mexican.
! Mountanair, April 26-Defnite in
formation as to the resumption of work
on the cutoff, the Eastern Railway of
| New Mexico, is promised soon after the
first of May. The various reports now
heard are unverified rumors. 1t will
likely be decided to postpone the re-
sumption of work until after the result
of the election is known and money
matters are easier, and in that case all
the ties and sawed timber from Noun
tainair to Willard will be taken to Las
Vegas for treatment and brought back
to Willard for use as needed. This
would put more money in circulation
locally than resumption of work, and
it would also make business pick up on
the Santa Fe Central. The tie cutting
ceased, but it will take until June to
finish hauling There will be. all told
more than enough ties to build the road
and hauling them to Willard will be a
big job The new bridge at Belen is
ready for the steel, which will be laid
dDOul lut luluulc vi May.
In the meantime Mountainair has
daily mail and stage connections with
Willard, and the people here are troub-
led more about the drOuth than rail
road work. The continued dry weather
is beginning to get serious. While
range stock still looks well. the avail
able grass is about exhausted, and
without rain soon the los Of lambs will
be great. Farming opel .tions except
where irrigation is possible, are at a
standstill. and vegetation for the most
part is dormant.
Like all similar evils, the drouth has
accomplished some good. 1t has taught
stockmen the value of wells as COM
pared with surface water for stock,
and great many wells have been sunk
this side of he mountain during the
past year Many more are contem-
plated and will be put down this sea
son. 1t has also shown the people gen
orally the costly uncertainty of the
rainfall for farming purposes and in
duced many to experiment with wind
mill irrigation, who otherwise would
not have done so. The experiments
now under way will be watched with
interest by the settlers generally
The experimental arIes1an we'll at
Estancia is down something over $50
feet. Work has been delayed by rea-
son OF unlocked for obstacles, but Mr..
Williams, who Isl drilling the well for
himself in conjunction with the Dun
lazy Mercantile Company, says there
have been no changes in the original
plan, and that the well will be sunk
700 feet unless arteSian water is struck
sooner Whether this enterprise is
successful or not, the settlers feel conf
dent of ultimate agricultural success
in the Estancia valley. There has been
neither rain nor snow of any cOnse-
quence since last June, yet moist earth
is found four to six inches below the
surface and the grass is starting nicely.
There is every reason to believe, and
all who have given the matter thought
agree that trees once started will need
no further attention SO far as water is
and the soil is especially
to apple culture. Shallow
water, varying in volume, is struck at
depths from four to ten feet, and at a
depth of about sixty feet, an inexhaust-
ible supply of water is found, and it
is from this second flow that water for
most of the irrigation experiments will
be obtained 1t will take time and mon
ey to develop the possibilities of the
Estancia valley, but there is no ques-
ton as to the final outcome whether
water is found or not.
Colonel and Mrs. E. G. Manning left
Monday for their old home at Winfield.
Kansas. Mrs Manning will spend the
summer with relatives and friends in
Boston and Washington, and he will be
detained in Kansas ON business until
July.
Martin Sanchez and wife of Punta del
Aqua, were the guests of Mr.. and Mrs.
John W. Corbett on Sunday. Mr.. San
chez has been almost an invalid since |
the adjournment of the last legislature,
but is gradually getting better
A post Office has been established at
the Gran Quivira to be supplied from
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