Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-10-02
SAN JUAN RICH
IN MANY THINGS
Big Crops, Irrigation
Projects, Substan-
tial Buildings.
many VOTES FOR ANDREWS
Among Both Republicans and
Democrats...Editor Staplin
Tells of Conditions.

Tells of Conditions.
Frank Staplin, editor OF the Farm.
ington Enterprise, left this forenoon
for his home via the Denver & Rio
Grande Railroad He was a delegate
from San Juan County to the Repub.
ican Territorial convention which
was held at Las Vegas and stopped in
the Capital for two days on bust.
ness while en- route from the Meadow
City.
Mr.. Staplin tells the same story of
unprecedented prosperity that has
been related by others hailing from
the prolific San Juan Valley, which is
one of the greatest fruit raising Sec
tions of New Mexico. A New Mexican
reporter interviewed him this morning
at the Claire Hotel and he gave some
interesting facts concerning San Juan
County. He felt positive that the Ari-
zona and Colorado Railroad, which Is
a branch of the Southern Pacific
system. would be built through the
county within short time, and this
will provide additional railroad facil-
ties for marketing the fruit and pro-
ducts and open up unsettled parts of
the county. He said:
Prosperity Greatest Ever Known.
"San Juan County at the present
time is enjoying a greater prosperity
than was ever known there before,
due primarily to the great natural re-
sources of that section of New Mexico
and secondly to the opportunity for
more rapid development which has
been provided by the completion of
the branch line of the Denver & Rio
Grande Railroad. The railroad there
was completed last fail, since which
time there has been an increase of
at least twenty-five per cent in the
population of the precincts along the
line with material increase in other
sections of the county.
"The erection of good substantial
buildings not only in the towns but
throughout the farming districts,
which has never been at a standstill
in San Juan County, is increasing at
a very rapid rate. Especially is this
true in the towns of Aztec and Farm
ington in each of which there are no
less than twenty business blocks and
residences under construction at the
present time. One of the most notable
of these is the large two-story all
stone structure being put up by the
First National Bank at Pennington.
"T'he fruit crop of the present year
is the largest in the history Of the
county, not only from the point of
heavy production but also from in
creased areas planted to orchards as
WELL Large quantities of fruit are
being shipped, canned, dried and pre-
served, and many hundreds of barrels
are being fed to the hogs, and quanti'
ties which cannot even be utilize in
this manner are rotting on the ground
thus emphasizing the necessity OF
further railroad advantages to enable
the proper development of the coun
try and provide markets. AS to the
quality of this fruit, that is too well
established in every section of the
country in which it has been marketed
or sampled to need any further rec
ommendation. The hay and vegetable
farmers have also been favored with
bounteous crops. Sheep and cattle
men declare that they have had
good year and every line of business
is profiting thereby
Several private companies with
amounts Of capital ranging from $25,
900 to $15O,0O0 have been formed an(
are surveying and beginning the con
struction of irrigation canals to pu
many hundreds of acres of land un
der water and cultivation. Prominen
among these are the bitches being
built by Turley Brothers, the New
Eden Ditch Company, and the Citi
zens' Ditch Company.
"The La Platte Irrigation prOjec
embraces over one hundred thousan,
acres of land in the county which
were withdrawn from entry by th'
government for the purpose of inves
tigating the feasibility Of construct
ing irrigation works. 1t is the ferven
hope of the people Of that section o
the country that II the government
does not soon begin work on this pro
ject the land will be restored to pub
lie entry so that private capital ma.
provide the necessary channels whicl
will bring the greater part OF tn
ltract under cultivation. There is M
doubt whatever but what large cap
| ital can be interested for this pur
pose at the present time which wa
not true previously because OF tn
then more isolated condition of tina
part of the country.
"The more recent withdrawal from
entry of nine townships of coal land
Is also a detriment to the county Il
keeping out private capital whicl
would develop much of this land IT
had the opportunity. The four town
ships which were added to the resel
walton Of the Southern Ute Indian
in 1898 are not used for any purpos
by them. All those who have the ir
terest Of the county at heart are hoT
ing that the government will soon Sc
Its way clear to restore to the publ
domain the lands mentioned.
Navajo indians Live In Land Of Plent