Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-04-30

The Optic takes q great deal Of
pleasure in assuring the citizens Of
Las Vegas that this vicinity has quite
as good chance Of securing the first
reservoir and irrigation system, es-
tablished under the reclamation act,
in New Mexico. as any other part
Of the territory. In fact, II might
seem that the chances Of this locality
rank first. Here Is the situation:
Two preliminary surveys have been
made, one at Urton lake, the other on
the Hondo, both being In the lower
Pecos country. The Urton lake pro-
ject is rather a small one, and It has
not vet been demonstrated to the sat
isfaction Of the board Of engineers
that It can be carried out on suffi-
ciently economical basis to justify its
selection. The Hondo proposition ap-
peared excellent at the outset There
was water enough, there was land
enough and It appeared probable that
the cost Of redemption for each acre
would not exceed twenty dollars. But
when the enterprise seemed assured,
an unexpected difficulty was expert
enceda difficulty that bids fair to
prove fatal to the project.
While probing below the bed Of the
Hondo seeking rock OF clay bottom
for the foundation Of the reservoir.
the engineers struck q heavy stratum
Of gypsum. Gypsum won't hold water
much better than q sieve. There
was no chance for reservoir II 1t
must have a gypsum bottom. The en-
gineers quit, forthwith. However, q
diamond drill expert was sent for.
He is now at work boring through the
gypsum to see II clay or rock can
be found at no too great depth to
make reservoir practicable.
Meanwhile, the territory il left
without an accepted reservoir propO-
sition. There is no doubt but the en-
gineers who have charge Of the work
here, and the department Of the in
teriur and geological survey as we'll,
want To get the work In New Mexico
started ais soon as possible. Upon
favorable report Of the board of en-
gineers, the work on any recommend
ed site will begin at once.
Sent to Las Vegas.
Accordingly. upon the showings
made by Chief Engineer A. r. Davis,
Of the geological survey and Hydro
graphical Engineer w. NJ. Reed Of The
reclamation service, both Of whom
visited the proposed location on the
Gallinas, and upon the further show
ings made BY the readings Of guages
that have been doing business In the
Gallinas and Sapello for the last six
months, the surveying corps was in
structed to 90 to Las Vegas.
There have only been two prelimin.
airy surveys thus far. No reservoir
has resulted from either. The third
comprehensive survey will De at Las
Vegas. Everybody concerned is anx.
ious TO get an irrigation enterprise
under way in New Mexico. Nothing
IS more certain than that il the sta
tistics resulting from the work to be
done here are satisfactory, as the
people Of this vicinity, who are IA.
miliar with conditions, hope and be-
lieve they will be. the board or en-
gineers will recommend the accept
ance Of the proposed site for d res.
eryoir: And such recommendation is
equivalent to acceptance. Therefore,
1t seems not unreasonable or unduly
optimistic to assert that Las Vegas
promise OF the first reservoir Is more
rosy than any other.
vislt to Camp.
Yesterday afternoon II. i. Edwards,
editor OF the I'll Paso Miner and Man.
ufacturer. d. G. Winters, Photographer
J. A. Stirrat and two representatives
Of The Optic drove to the reservoir
location for the purpose Of securing
photos Of the site and data on the
subject Of prime interest 10 Las Veg
ans.
The surveyors have pitched their
tent village BY the side Of q spring