Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-04-24
LARGEST ATTENDANCE EVER
RECORDED
To Investigate Resources and
Character of Public Lands
for Maintenance-..Prop-
erty of Institution.

College OF Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts at Mesilla Park, who has been in
Santa Fe for several days obtaining
data on the lands owned by the insti-
tuition preparatory to making an in
vestigation trip over the tracts, re-
turned home at O'Clock last evening.
Before his departure he had the fol-
lowing to say concerning the institu-
ton with which he is connected, and
the Mesila Valley generally:
"The New Mexico College of Agri-
culture and Mechanic Arts is in much
better condition at present than 1t
was last year. There are enrolled
about 240 students, which is the larg-
est number that ever attended the
college. We have a great many more
college students and fewer pupils in
the preparatory school now than ever,
and by next year we expect to even
further diminish the number taking
the preparatory course. This condition
is due to the fact that the public
schools of the Territory are giving bet
ter and more complete courses, so
that when the pupils have completed
courses in the public schools they are
ready to take up the college work,
without going through our preparatory
course.
Most of the students are taking
what is known as the general course,
which includes various branches OF
study. The agricultural class is large
and mechanical engineering seems to
be a favorile course. A number OF
young women are doing some work in
agriculture, but the greater part OF
them are included in the general
course. The number Of students is
almost equally divided, there being
practically as many girls as boys,
President Luther Foster has a
competent corps Of 25 teachers, who
have been chosen for their ability
along special lines, and the work they
have done during the past year OF
two has been very gratifying. The in
stitution's equipment is excellent. The
chemical laboratory has accommoda
tions for Is advanced students in ana
lytical chemistry and an equal number
in assaying. The mechanical depart
ment is well equipped with five en-
gines, number of lathes, planer
saws for wood work and in fact ev
erything needed to do practical work
The electrical department is provld
ed with good dynamo and motor and
it is the intention to enlarge the cleo
1rical equipment materially during the
coming summer. Taken as whole
the institution is in splendid shape
and the work done there is very sat
isfactory.
4 I'm the Mesilla Valley, all eyes are
turned towards the construction O.
the Elephant Butte dam, which will
/ it's diversion dams, when completed
: will mean the reclamation of 11O,OO'
acres OF land in New Mexico and 70,
900 acres in Texas. The Water Users
Associations of Mesilla Valley, New
Mexico and Ell Paso, Texas, hav'
signed contracts with the department
of the interior which practically com
pletes their part of the contract fo
the Elephant Butte dam construction
y ut is the intention of the govern
ment to first construct the Leesburt
diversion dam, and it Is understood
that the board of consulting engineer
is to meet soon to approve the PLAN
of the engineers who have had charg'
of the work so far. AS soon after thu
meeting as possible the actual worl
Of construction will begin.
"The PROJECT as 1T stands at presen
is to so construct the Elephant Butte
dam that 1t. will store the water flow
ing down the Rio Grande River in
huge reservoir near Engle. Fror
that point It will be brought down tn
river bed, and led into the various d
version dams which will be construc
ed along the river at different points
From these diversion dams the waite
can be conducted to the irrigatio
bitches and the system will be pei
feet.
"One of the remarkable features Q
the valley is the manner in which tn
price of real estate has advanced dul
ing the last few years. Land tina