Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-01-28

boundaries OF San Juan County, hal
been in the Capital City for severa
days on private business, renewing ole
and making new acquaintances. He
told a New Mexican reporter "Tht
Story of San Juan County," which he
says is the greatest county in the Ter
ritOry and produces evidence to bear
out the statement. Mr.. Prewitt, by
way of explanation or location, says
San Juan County is the northwest
county Of the Territory and about 70
miles square, that there are at this
time about seventy-five thousand acres
of the land of the county under irri.
cation; about 25,0O0 acres of which are
in cultivation.
Irrigation Projects.
"The government" he said, els. now
surveying bitches from point in Colo
RADIO, about thirty miles north of the
New Mexico line, on the Las Animas
River to carry water from that river
across the divide over to the La Plata
drainage. The Government engineers
are now satisfied that they have found
feasible route for the bitches by
making a tunnel of about two miles
through the divide. This enterprise, if
carried through, will entail an expen-
diture of some two million dollars and
will bring under irrigation one hundred
thousand acres or more of land in San
Juan County This land is adapted to
the raising of all kinds of grains, fruits
and vegetables grown in the semi
tropical climates. and as the land to
be covered by these bitches is now
withdrawn from entry, when brought
in again for settlement, it will be dn-
der the laws governing the entry of
lands by homestead under the 'Recla-
nation Act of Congress- and will fur
nish homes for fifteen or twenty thou
sand persons. and will make San Juan
County <the- leading agricultural scotra
ty of the Territory in acreage as well
as otherwise.
Besides the land proposed to be ir-
rigated by the Government there are
various tracts Of land through the
county, of from five to twenty thou
sand acres which can be cheaply irri- |
gated by private enterprise with an
abundant supply of water for that pur-
pose. l.
How the Navahos Farm.
"The Navajo Indians, whose reser-
walton covers the entire western part |
of the county, have lately made won
derful progress in agricultural pur-
suits, under the guidance of w. t.
the agent for the north half
Of the Navajo reservation, and former
ly of Santa Fe.
Cup to the present year the agricul-
[ure of the Navaho's has been confined
70 small patches, easily irrigated along
The streams, but in 1904 the matter
was taken hold of Systematically, the
Government having previously assist
I'd the Navahos in constructing small
litches along the lower lands of the
San Juan Valley, and the results were
more than could have been expected
~ the most sanguine. One Indian. be-
sides supplying his own needs, sold
5000 pounds of wheat, and careful
estimate showed that the NavahOs
llong the San Juan River had raised l.,
'ome 250,000 pounds of grain, besides
,ther crops such as alfalfa. beans, po-
atoes and variety of other vege- |,
ables. The wonderful progress these
Indians have made in agriculture T
hould entitle them to a great deal of 8
from the Government. I
hould say that from fifty to a hundred +,
housand acres of land along the San I
uan Valley within the boundaries Of !
he Navajo Reservation, could be ir- E
igated from the San Juan River at a q
cry reasonable cost. If the Govern II
nent would take this matter up and {
urnish sufficient money to take out I
itches to cover this land, it could at +
nee begin to put the Navajo Indians :
N a self-sustaining basis In
First, the building of these bitches 8
youh furnish employment to the In
ians, and to this class of work they I'd
re well adapted. Then, after the K
itches Were completed, enough land /,
'ould be brought under irrigation to n
lrnish practically every Indian on
le reservation (of which there are
ome twenty thousand) with home, q
Il which he could become an inde- r
endent farmer And as Commission e
r Leunp is more or less familiar with h
le condition OF the Navahos, am in a
opes he will take the matter up, and t,
lgorously push 1t to completion. u
while the development OF these a
Inds would add nothing to the tax Il
BILE value Of San Juan County, 1t G
ould add many thousands OF dollars A
nnually to the production of the coun. 8
I. al
10 a Good Workman. liz
1T having been demonstrated that G
Ne Navajo Indian makes the very -
sst laborer that can be gotten In
9