Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-05-21
..UN| RIVER
RESERVOIR
Construction Work Thereon is
Beng Rapidly Pushed Under
Superintendent Harper.
SHEEP DOING WELL
Many Remains Of Prehistoric Animals
in Excavations -.0ne Hundred and
Fifty Men Now Actively Employed.

in ExCavationS.-.On Hundred and
Fifty Men Now Actively Employed.
James T. Newhal of this city, who
is employed as foreman on the con
struttion Of the huge Zuni River reser
voir and ditch system now going on un
der the efficient direction of Superin
fendan' OF Irrigation John B. Harper
is IN tC Wn on short visit to his fam
i!y M Newhall stated to repre-
sentative of the New Mexican that
work was progressing there as rapidly
and as tavorably, as it was possible
wit the number Of worlmen that can
be secured. There are about $50 men
a VuTk al present. More could be
uesl, bur at this time they cannot be
scared IS the people of that section,
ir N' jr,p the Indians. have been of
tatS md are very busy now, in the
ni ng u sheep and their shearing,
ell as in looking after their crops.
Y sbeepmen in that part of McKin-
County, seem to have done much
ne than those in other sections of
erritory. During the past month
ave been considerable snow in
Intains and frequent rains and
D. epmen have and are saving
to 80 per cent of the lambs
+ fnann Indian trader at Guam
u well acquainted with the con-
it,. VI the Navajo reservation be-
i" al the Navahos now own over
4tt" sheep and that the prospects
g." mas industry on the Navajo reser-
sa ION for the present year are good.
The excavations for the great dam
which is to cross the Zuni River and
Iorm a reservoir wherein sufficient
water for the irrigation of about s.
600 acres of land to be cultivated by
the zuni Indians, is to be i'm
pounded, are now down in the bed of
the river to the depth of 80 feet.
This mart of the work is called "the
Taddle trench 1t is very hard and
difficult as the underground seepage
in the bed of the river is very power
ful and constant. This work will have
10 be pushed until the hard clay is
reached, as there the foundation and
core CT the dam will be placed. Mod
ern and up to date steam machinery
j: N the ground and is used in excava-
lion. More men could be employed,
could they be had. Superintendent
Harper is a pusher and is on the
ground from early in the morning un-
til late at night. He is hard worker
and nothing great or small, important
or unimportant escapes his observa-
zion. The work is being done in as an
efficient and thorough manner as it is
Dossible for men and machinery, intel
lieently. efficiently and carefully dl-
rected to do it.
new postoffice will soon be estab-
lished on the scene of these operations
10 be called Blackrock and Mark Ben
nett will be appointed postmaster. This
will be a great accommodation to the
men employed there as they receive
considerable mail which now is car
ried overland from Guam station on
the Santa Fe Pacific Railway 60 miles
listant The lumber used in the work
md for barracks and buildings also
comes from the saw mills at Guam
which are owned by Major Clark M.
Carr. who is we'll known in this city.
In the excavations in the river BED
quite a number Of well preserved mas
tod0n tusks and bones were FOUND.
Some of the latter were ribs four feet
in length. These have been put aside
and the Smithsonian Institute has been
informed of the finds. Three heads OF
an extinct animal were discovered.
They are quite large. about two feet
in length and sixteen inches In width
They were those of flesh eating ami
NAL AS the teeth which are very well
preserved indicate. The heads have
two straight horns from sixteen to
twenty inches long. Under the horns
AFRO the eyes, which from indications
seem to have enabled the animal to
look sideways and backwards as the
avo sockets are situated on the side and
owe holes are situated on the side and
nuite a distance back on the head.
Bones of other prehistoric animals are
found These were not destroyed, but
1o;d nv 70 be sent to the Smithsonian.
Tho working force consists partly OF
uni indians who are methodical, slow,
INT careful and good workers.
There are two Santa Fe boys en-
r,,oved on the work under Superln-
ten6ent John B. Harper. They are
Walter L. Miller, son of David I. NIL
1er Of this city, and John L. Gresham
Tbev are assistant foremen and draw
good salaries, although both Miller
and Gresham are not yet OF age. They
have charge of large gangs OF work
men and handle things very satislac
torily and efficiently. Indeed they are
doing very we'll. They are SOBER IN
dustrious and hard workers. studying
engineering books at night and are
credit to the old town OF santa re-