Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-10-08

Belen has. awakened after a sleepy
existence of many years and Is now
up and doing, thanks to the building
Of the "cut-off" through the town by
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway. The little town has great
future before it and will ultimately
be the largest city in New Mexico, ac-
cording to statements made by Will
lam M. Berger, secretary and gener-
al manager of the Belen Town and
improvement Company, while inter-
viewed by reporter OF the New
Mexican.
Mr.. Berger is likewise the working
head of the Willard Town and I'M
provement Company, and predicts big
things also for the thriving little
town of Willard, but just now he is
devoting most of his time to the not
difficult task of booming Belen. He
was for many years a resident OF
Santa Fe and has been attending to
business matters for a few days in
the Capital
Mr.. Berger's speciality is town BUILD
ing and he has been engaged in this
work for nearly quarter OF a cen
tury. AS promoter and all around
booster in his chosen field OF en-
deayor he is in class by himself.
He is a regular live wire when IT
comes to infusing new life into
community or putting a new town
on Its feet, and If he does not
eventually become the Bergermaster
of one it will not be through any
fault of his. He is an interesting talk
er and-but to return to the inter-
view. Here it is:
,Helen to Be Busting Division FONT
1T is the intention of the Atchl.
son, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Com
uany to make Belen the division point
east and west and north and south.
1t is destined to be the commercial
center of New Mexico. Upon the COM
pletion of the terminals there rail :
road travelling and traffic will be revo-
lutionized in this Territory and Belen
will finally become one of the princl-
nal distributing points n the south
west. Geographically it is about in
the middle of New Mexico.
"The Santa Fe people are now en-
gagged in building the largest termi-
mails between Chicago and San Fran
cisco at this central point on the
great Belen cutoff. These terminals
will not be completed until next May
and 1t is estimated that they will
cost $1,5O0,0O0. The railroad shops,
round house, station hotel, depot and
other buildings will all be concrete
structures and conveniently arranged.
"The Harvey eating house to be
erected will be two stories in height
and of the popular mission style. The
hotel will be very large and shaped
like the letter H. Adjacent ito 1t
will be am annex which will be uti-
lized for storage purposes and as quar-
ters for the employees of the hotel.
Nearby and in another building will
be curio establishment under the
management of the Harveys and simi-
lar ito the one at Albuquerque. The
grounds surrounding these buildings
will be beautified with lawns, shade
trees and fountain.
Berger Avenue to Be Main Thorough
fare Of Belen.
"The passenger station will be 10
Gated at the foot of Becker Avenue
which is laid out eighty feet wide and
will be the leading business thorough
fare Of the new city. The depot will
be four hundred feet long and fifty
feet wide. In addition to the wait
ing rooms, ticket Office and baggage
room, there will be space for the
United States mail department and
the Wells. Fargo Express Company
"The freight depot will be six hun
dred feet long and will have plat
forms on both sides for the handling
Of freight. In proximity to the pas
senger and freight stations will be
the division headquarters, where the
superintendent, trainmaster, train dis
patcher and other division officials
will have their offices. Further down
toward the roundhouse will be an Ice
house having capacity of $4,000 tons
The ice will be used mainly In the
fruit refrigerator cars from Callfor.
MIA.
1.-THE roundhouse will contain fifty
one engine stalls and instead of the
turn table for the locomotives being
on the outside 1t will be directly ir
the center Of the building. It will be
in truth a roundhouse, as it will de
scribe a complete circle. There will
be two entrances dividing the build
ing in half, with twnty-six stalls or
one side and twenty-five stalls on tht
other. The roundhouse Is now II
course of construction and will be tht
first Of the railroad buildings fin
ished,
Shops for Railroad Now Being Erected
"A short distance from the round
house will be the repair shops which
are also now being erected. Tht
shops will be concentrated under ont
roof, the dimensions of which are 30'
by 1,40O feet. A large force of skillet
mechanics will be employed in thes,
shops and will make repairs on al