Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-06-25
Wonderful Progress Made by
Actec--.ExcelIent Busi.
ness Conditions

Hltcu lWO nOISeS IN, small frame
school house and two other small
structures. Today she has about 1926
buildings. most of them of substan-
tial and modern character The court
house is two-story of brick and large
enough for probably 20 years yet.
The school house is two stories OF
brick and while quite large will have
to be made bigger soon. There is
one creditable church edifice for the
Baptists and two other church con.
eregations mold services in the court
house.
Only the drug store and bakery
were open last Sunday. and It was
/ learned that hereafter the latter will
be allowed to sell only medicine on
the Sabbath When the train arriv-
ed from Pennington at 2:1O in the
afternoon. most of the people of Az
tee had had their dinners and had
laid down TO take nap, or else they
were out on the grass in the cool OF
the shade trees. few country boys
who had come in Saturday night were
waiting for their horses to eat hay
till the evening would be cool enough
to go home.
Aztec is a pretty place and has
some very enterprising people Il
needs more of them 1t needs much
more new blood 1t needs a $4,000
hotel, which will pay a handsome reu-
tai and make money for the manager
or renters There is plenty of idle
money in Durango for building this
motel. There appears to be none in
Aztec.
Aztec needs an electric light plant
and an artificial ice plant. Durango
has plenty OF non-earning money 10
build these with and they can be op
Grated by the same power under one
roof
Aziec needs street grades estab.
iished 50 that those who will can
build sidewalks; some will not
Aztec needs more new people who
will look alter Aztec's business and
let all otier towns attend to theirs.
There ia plenty of room in 30 miles
Of the great Animas valley for five
OIL six cities. and it will not matter
much which is the biggest or the
smallest
Aztec is getting away from the
frontier conditions she suffered 15
and 25 years ago. There is little II
any of the border ruffian left. Sunday
is observed much as 1t is in other
civilized communities. and though the
place has three saloons, they appear
TO be quiet and orderly and drunken
people are not seen on the streets
While Aztec is trying to grow she
should not be disturbed much with
politics and factionalsm in that ex-
tent which damns larger places.
II matters little whether man is
new timer or an old timer If he
is progressive citizen, ready to lend
little effort to progress his com
mnnitly These ideas were suggest
ed in Aztec.
There has been one excellent fea-
ture in Aztec for which the pushers
should be praised. II was learned by
careful investigation that the price
of lots and small tracts in the town
nave been kept reasonable and within
reach of the investor, so that he could
either afford 10 build or pay taxes
awhile and make some money. Some
OF the choicest orchard tracts have
been cut into lots of 50x15O feet, with
two rows of bearing fruit trees, run
ming with the length. and sold at $50.
About 20 new residences to be built
fx,,. l,rto biob
Will he burned in time to complete
the buii .ings by fall
Mer.h ants who desired to be con
servat've estimate the trade OF the
place at $4,000 per month; an aver
age the year round. They gave the
aggregate o, stocks carried in sum
mer at $4,000; in winter 25 per cent
more There are four general stores
and but one hardware store.
Business places rent at from SIS
to $25 per month; residences at 81
10 SIS. One of the latter would cost
SIS to $50 in Durango. The take rate
is given at about 4 per cent on 30
per cent valuation. Coal sells at 80
per ton and is brought from Durango
fields.
1t will not be long until there will
be $4,000 brick available for building
mere; 115,0OO were cooling last Mon
day, and the other two kilns of 20O,-
900 were nearly ready for burning.
Two little chaps tbless rneir gizzards'
were seen at one OF the yards, on
bearing. Neither was over 16 years
old. All three yards will make a sec
ond kiln of about the same numbers
for the fall work.
The foundation of one store build
ing, 25x90. has been laid and will
soon have the brick for the walls
Thomas Brothers will build a store
room 25x60 Burlington and Thoriai
will erect building 5Ox60. two-story
of brick. The upper floor will b'
suited for modern offices. In one o
the rooms below Iowa people viii
place a $4,000 stock of general mer
chandise.