Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-08-31
SANTA FE TO AID
PIONEER FARMERS
Will Collect Information About
The Condition Of The
Soil
II. E. HERSHEY IN CHARGE WORK

For the purpose of gathering in
formation concerning the topography
of lands in the neighborhOod of its
system, the condition of the soil for
all kinds of agricultural purposes, and
other facts that will be of benefit to
pioneer farmers, the management of
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has
created a new Office in the general
freight department, which will be
opened on September l, and Herbert
T.. Hershey has been selected to fill 1t.
Mr.. Hershey has been connected
with the road in various capacities for
the past three years, and has worked
lately on the clerical staff in h Of
flee of the general manager of the
Santa Fe Gulf line at Galveston. Mr..
Hershey will assume the duties of
the new office, which will be located
at Galveston, with the title of trav-
cling freight agent, although the work
will be more of a special line in look
ing after industrial features, rather
than the solicitation of freight. The
new department has been under con-
sideratiOn by the general officers OF
the road for some time, and it re-
quires a man of more than ordinary
ability to fill the position. Mr.. Her
shey, while young, is especially fitted
for the work, and will be right at
home in the studies and investigations
he has been pursuing for his W
pleasure and qualification. His fond
ness for botany, geology and zoology
led him to take up the science as a
study and his training has been along
this line, and at the University of
Nebraska he distinguished himself In
this branch of work.
While the title of Mr.. Hershey's
position will be that of travelling
freight agent, the Office pertains
more to that of an industrial commits
sioner, and the territory to be COW
cred by Mr.. Hershey will embrace the
entire Gulf system. Through Mr.,
Hershey, the general officers will re-
ceive reports and special data on the
condition of the soil, its analysis and
composition, agricultural, horticult'
ural and mineral value, etc.
In mis- tours over the line Mr.. Her
shey will make personal i~nvestiga'
tions of this character, and get IN
formation in other ways that will be
useful for the building up Of indus
tries along the line of the Santa Fe
The value of such an office may be
better appreciated when a case i
cited in which a man writes asking
for information about locating a bricI
manufacturing plant. He wants a par
ticular kind of soil, and explains thai
if it can be found and can be had a.
reasonable figures, he will buy a few
thousand acres. Reference to the
data gathered by Mr.. Hershey vii
show just where the proper kind o
soil can be found, and the prospectoI
vii be furnished with a detailed re
port on the soil.
Another man writes, saying h,
would like to locate in Texas and in
vest in a few acres of land to grow
say. alfalfa. corn, green peas, turnips
peaches, pecans, or anything else. TIT
new scientific or industrial depart
ment will furnish him with the analy
sis of the soil and show the advant
ages and disadvantages of the differ
eut sections of the state. Mr.. HeI
shey is a native of Nebraska.