Durango semi-weekly herald. (Durango, Colo.) 1899-1907, 1905-06-12

West what it is. He Is In Santa Fee
on railroad and legal business, and
in mis- spare moments took time to
tell the New Mexican of tne bright
prospects OF the immediate future for
San Juan county, New Mexico, and
the city OF Durango, Colorado, just
across the San Juan county line.
II was Mr. Mcconnell who years
| ago began working on projects that
| would bring more railroads to that
cidentally to the northwestern part
OF the Sunshine Territory. AS a
| business man and finsncier ne recog-
nized the possibilities that are dor
mant in the development OF the i'm
| mense coal fields on the La Plata
river and in the surrounding country.
| He was called visionary for time
but despite disbursements and re-
buns he continued to push until to
day. two great railroad systems are
fighting for the long neglected but
rich empire that is practically unde-
veloped. and tInird railroad has sur
veyed line into 1t and intends to
begin construction in the near fu-
| ture, thus following the example of
one of the two contending railroads
| which has already commenced the
work Of construction.
The project with which Mr.. Nc
Council is Immediately connected, Is
| inc Arizona a. Colorado railroad,
which recently as stated and describ'
ed in the New Mexican filed its plats
of railroad survey from Durango
| 10 a point between Grants and Blue
water on the Santa Fee Pacific rail-
way in Valencia county. The main
| line is TO start at Durango and then
running along the Las Animas river
is TO pass through Aztec and Farm
ngton near the latter point crossing
the San Juan river and then to swing
southeast across the mesas of South
crn San Juan and of Mckinley coun
ties until it strikes the San Jose
river in Valencia county. From there
ii is to turn southwestern through
western Valencia and SocorrO conn
i
Francisco river on the ella Forest
Reserve, which II follows into Ari-
IONA, where the terminus is to be
Cochise, on the Southern Pacific rail
way. Another line has been survey
ed from Durango. somewhat to the
west OF the proposed main line. II
will pass through Gallup. brapcf
line has been surveyed from Farm
ington into the La Plata coal fields
the development OF which is the i'm
mediate object of THE proposed rail
road lines in order to supply the in
satiable demand for coal OF the grea
smeters at Clifton. Morencia, Doug
las, Bisbee and Nacosari. But thu
road will also secure a large tonnage
from the cattle and sneep industries
of western New Mexico and from tn
development of the natural wealth o
that undeveloped domain. Interest,"
allied with the Arizona 4 Colorado
ern Pacific, have acquired many thou
sand acres of coal land in western
Valencia and Socorro counties. Tina
section is also destined to be a grea
shipper of salt and minerals.
In Mr. McConnell's opinion, one 0
the greatest reservoir systems in thi
country will be constructed In Ia
near future by the reclamation sery
ice in the La Plata valley. 1t In
wolves the turning OF part OF the wa
ters of the Las Animas river into tn
La Plata and is to reclaim from 100
o00 to 200 900 acres of fertile land
The surveys have been completed an
The land withdrawn temporarily iron
public entry. The land to be reco,
cred lies along the La Plata and tn
San Juan rivers from the Colorado
. boundary to Jewett An effort will
he made to extend the ditch system
even further into the Navajo reserva
ton. When this project is realized
'hen San Juan county and particu
larly that portion which is include,
under this great irrigation projec
and which is tributary to the i'm
mense coal fields. will become a pros
porous empire in itself. Mr. McCon
nell has travelled considerably and h
says, nowhere else, either In Colo
RADIO or New Mexico, Is there anoth
er valley which is the equal of tn,
San Juan valley in the combination
of ideal climate, fruitfulness. Goa
measures and good and plentiful
|