Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-07-13
Memorial and Petition for Con.
struction Of 0iverting Dam
at Penasco Rock.
NOW FOR SINGLE
STATEHOOD
Wheat and Alfalfa Crops FsiIure...Work
Should Be Supplied to the Needy
Territory Will Go Republi.
can This Fall.

Major W. H. H. Llewellyn arrived in
the city yesterday afternoon from his
home in Las Cruces. He came to con-
suit Governor Otero upon the very un-
satisfactory condition concerning the
water supply of the Mesilla Valley. To
reporter of the New Mexican Major
Llewellyn said: "On Monday last a
large meeting of the farmers and land
owners Of the valley was held in Las
Cruces for the purpose of consulting
and to devise some means by which re-
lief could be afforded the farmers and
the water supply in the valley be aug
mented and made permanent. AS re-
suit of this meeting, a committee OF
five was appointed and suitable me-
mortal and petition to the president
and to the secretary of the interior
was prepared and forwarded, setting
forth the exact condition of affairs and
urgently requesting that work be COM
menced at once on the construction
of a diverting dam at the Penasco
Rock, north of old Fort Seldom, on the
Rio Grande, and Is miles north of Las
Cruces. The engineers connected with
the reclamation service of the Depart
ment of the Interior have heretofore
completed the surveys and have OBJ
tanned the necessary data and infor-
nation for the construction of such a
dam, which, if undertaken and finished,
will ensure for the Meslla Valley a
greater flow and much larger amount
of water in the river than has been
the case heretofore and especially in
years of drouth like the present. The
dam will make a permanent head for
the bitches in the Mesilla Valley
THE diverting dam is not intended
to be, and will not act. as a reservoir
for the 1mpounding and storage of
water in the Rio Grande, but it will
simply give permanent head for the
t'ow of the water toward the bitches
and will also, so the engineers believe,
bring part of the underfow and seep-
age to the surface, thus carrying these
down in the flow of the river, making
them available for the Dona Ana, Las
Cruces and Mesilla Valley bitches. The
construction of this diverting dam will
not interfere with any of the irrigation
systems and reservoirs under contem.
plation in that section of the country
nAmely the Elephant Butte Dam in
Sierra County and the International
Dam near Ell Paso, Texas. Therefore
it is believed that there will be no OBJ
lection and that the Department of the
Interior will take up the plan and order
the Reclamation Service to commence
work on the dam.
"The Mesilla Valley Chamber of
Commerce has had this matter under
consideration for some time past and
has been in consultation with Engineer
Hall of the Reclamation Service, who
is chief of the engineering and other
work of the service in the Rio Grande
Valley and whose headquarters are at
Ell Paso. Mr. Hall has carefully ex-
amined into the feasibility of the prop
osition and has become convinced that
it is a good one. He has made favor
able reports and recommendations of
it to Chief F. H. Newell of the Recla-
nation Service. The memorial and
petition adopted at the farmers meet
ing on Monday last are intended to ex-
pedite the matter and to urge Mr.. New
ell to approve the plan. The building
of the dam at this time will not only
prove permanent improvement and
of vast benefit hereafter but will give
employment to many needy poor peo'
pie in the valley who have made NO
crops this year and who are therefore
greatly in need of work"
One of the objects of TIajor Level
1yn's visit here is to obtain the aid and
support of Governor Otero for the pro
iect. Delegate Rodey has already been
seen by Major Llewellyn, and has
agreed to do all he can to push 1t. This
is the first year in the history OF the
Mesilla Valley since it was settled In
1886 that the wheat and alfalfa crops
have been failure and that the fruit
crops will be small.
For Single Statehood.
A matter that is always being
watched by the New Mexican is tina
of single or joint statehood for New
Mexico Therefore the New Mexican:
representative approached Major Llew
ellyn upon the question. In substance
the answer was: 1T is my opinion tina
the next session of the present con
gress will not pass a statehood bill
either joint or single. / believe join
statehood is dead, and while hereto
fore would have been willing to accep