Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-10

known as the "Smelter City" be
cause of the big smelling industries
| located here. but vast as this industr,
| now is. 1t Is but a promise OF indus
trial enterprises that can and will b,
established here. Whether by acci
dehl or design the big smelter wa.
buiit near the south limits of the ca,
where the smoke and yapors are cor
rled down the valley away from the
main business and residence norton
of the town.
with trolley line extending
through the main business thorough.
rare and out 10 those beautiful real.
dence suburbs-Brooksid and animo, ,
CITY. the different parts of Durango
can be reached with ease and dis.
patch
supplied with large mercantile es-
rablishments. two flour mills. three
daily newspapers, numerous churches
hospitals, fine schools, and above all
municipal waterworks. which are toe
pride OF every progressive citizen.
The proud boast Is. THE purest water
III The world" The city secured am.
pie water rights and constructed stor-
age reservoirs nigh up In the noun.
'ains some miles TO the northeast
The water is from there conveyed
to reservoir ON the big mesa east
OF town, just In sight. but high above
the city, which gives a big pressure at
the mains without the expense of
pumping. The whole systm being
constructed on the gravity plan The
old water station is kept in readiness
to pump supply from the Animas
should any accident occur to the line
from the mountains. In planning The
new system. not only was an annie
supply for present needs provided for,
hut plenty extra to supply large in
crease in population. which is sure to
come.
Durango mas long been handicapped
ny It's narrow gauge railroads and lack
OF connection by rail with the rich re-
gion 10 the south. but that viii soon
be thing OF the past ms a large force
of graders are now at work on a
standard gauge road TO Pennington,
New Mexico. and trains will be run
ming over 1t before the summer is far
advanced. The building of this branch
as standard gauge means naught
but that the ID. a. r. G. will broaden
Its present line from Alamosa or
more probable, push standard road
through via Creede or Pagosa Springs.
which would give more direct com
munication with Denver and points
east. The Southern Pacific has spent
some $4,000 In tnis region running a
survey from Durango via the Animas
valley to Clifton, Ariz., and announces
that construction work will commence
after the survey Is completed.
Likewise the Phelps.Dod people
have been surveying line from El
Paso. Tex. to Durango and announce
through tneir attorney that construc.
tion work will be pushed ahead at
once. This line will doubtless run
It's trains into Durango over the Farm
ington branch of the Denver Rio
Grande. The Santa Fe Central an.
nounce that they will extend their
road from Albuquerque to Durango
via Largo canon. and corps of sur
veyors are now at work relocating an
old survey run on that line.
The great coal deposits extending
from above Durango to Gallup. N. NJ.
are the magnets which are drawing
railroads from the south. The big
mines and smelters of southern Ari-
zona, New Mexico and Old Mexico, of
which the Phelps-Dodge people con
troll not few, draw supplies of coal
from West Virginia at cost of SO
to $l2 per ton, while these great coal
remain practically untouched. Coal
for both cokipg and steam use abound
the better grades being found In the
north end of the field, |. O.. north OF
the San Juan river in New Mexico
A vein sixty feet thick with forty feet
of good marketable coal Ii now work
ed for local use near the San Juan
river. Several thousand acres have
recently been filed upon by parties
supposed to represent railroad inter
ests and development work is being
rapidly pushed forward. These camps
will employ hundreds OF men and not
only furnish good trade for merchants
but the best markets for fruit, yege-
tables and other ranch products.
Almost within signt OF Durango are
said TO exist millions of tons of mag
netic iron ore and with coal mines be-
ing worked right at the city limits
and with all required fuxes at hand
when the markets to the south are
opened, Durango will only need push
and capital to wrest from Pueblo It's
title of The Pltsburg Of the West"
Great nerds of cattle, sheep and
goats on our range and ranches call
for several industries which would
prove profitable from the start.
Among these being creameries, wool
securing mill, a wool factory and a
iannery. Besides the big supply Of
hides. thousands OF acres Of the wild
canaigre plant, whose roots yield from
thirty to forty per cent OF fannie acid.
grow almost unnoticed iu the valleys
aud nn tho neoas The ruhber ulan