The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-06-23
BACK FROM ROSWELL.
c. S. Bush, of New Orleans, EIated
Over Discovery of Oil.

President C. s. Bush of the Cres-
cent City Jockey Club returned to
the city Caturday night, (June 16,)
after having paid a visit to his big
cattle ranch at Roswell, n. NJ, where
he has extensive interests, or at least
what now promises to become exten-
sive interests, outside the big Here
ford ranch.
He left Roswell Monday. June H.
bringing with him a sample of oil
water and sand taken out of the lime
stone formation at a depth of some
1900 feet at a point near the Pecos
river and some twelve miles east of
Roswell. The discovery was made
just the Saturday night before Mr.
Bush left Roswell, and the story is
reasonably well told in the specials
sent out from Roswell the night of
the discovery.
Very naturally Mr.. Bush is consid-
erably elated over the discovery of
oil in close proximity to his big
ranch, which, besides its value as
cattle ranch, containing an area of
six miles long by four miles wide,
has on it over, 1,400 mead of choice
Hereford cattle besides a large guam
tity of land in a high state of culti-
vation, together with a thoroughly
modern farming and ranching plant
and a large area of young orchard.
I was greatly delighted with my
visit to the ranch, Mr. Bush said
yesterday morning. ''It was not
merely that oil had been discovered,
though that means great deal to
us; but it pleased me to contrast the
present with what the country in
that section was when | first invest
ed in government land out there at
government prices. At that time it
three streams which watered our
ranch were what made it valuable
No one seemed to seriously regard
the possibility of irrigation by means
of artesian wells at that time and
we were all careful to secure land
we would have rights to water our
cattle there in case the streams near
er our ranches should go dry This
land fronting on the PecOS river was
worthless at that time, except for it's
possible value in watering rights sup
posing the smaller streams should
dry up but afterwards the sinking of
artesian wells settled the water ques-
ton, and then those claims on the
river were looked upon as worthless.
Now, however, those salt grass
claims have suddenly become enor-
covery is right among them
Il want to tell you, however, why
I was SO pleased with this last visit
to the rancn. The sinking of artesian
wells has changed the whole aspect
of the country out there. Where be-
fore there was nothing but desert
there are homes and farms ana or
chards everywhere, and they grow
the finest apples out there that / ever
saw. Roswell has grown from a mere
settlement to a prosperous town of
more than 5000 inhabitants, with
three strong and prosperous banks,
department stores, hotels and all the
elements which enter into the com
| position of a thriving young city on
the frontier. Mr. Hagerman (now Co
vernon Hagerman) last year shipped
| no less than 120 carloads of choice
apples out of Roswell, and this ap-
| ple-growing industry is growing very
| fast, as each succeeding year brings
great stretches of apple orchard ter
| ritory newly into bearing, while ali
the time young trees are planting in
| greater abundance year by year.
| This section of New Mexico is de-
| lightfully healthfuL having an aiti-
| tude of $500 feet greater than New
| CLEANS, while it is about $50 miles
farther north, Settlers have been sim
| ply swarming into the Roswell sec
ton ever since the success of irriga-
| ton by artesian wells mas been salts
| factorily established, and the value
of proprty has increased in proper
| ton. Some two or three years ago |
| sold twenty-five acres TO fruit
growing farmer at S25 an acre which
] cost me only S1.25 an acre, and the
| purchaser made money out of the
/ deal, and lots of it.
/ Now ever since the success of the
| artesian wells mas been established
and settlers have been pouring into
/ this section of New Mexico. we have
recognized the fact tnat the great
want of that whole section was fuel
Nothing could have been
more opportune for Roswell than