Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-10-15
AN EQUAL OF
PECOS VALLEY
Governor Enthu
siastic About San
Juan County.
RESOURCES NOT KNOWN
Or immigration Would Be
Greater---Praises for Rio
Arriba Too.

After an absence of over a week on
his initial trip to the counties of San
Juan and Rio Arriba, during which
time he visited the thriving towns Of
Chama and TERRA Amarillo in the lat
ter county and Aztec, Pennington and
Fruitland in the former, Governor
Hagerman yesterday arrived in the
Capital City and this morning early
was at his desk in the executive Of
fees. For the first time in his life,
the Governor saw portion OF New
Mexico, equal to or riyaling the Pecos
Valley, his home, and he is loud in
his praises of the northern part of
New Mexico and the people he met
there
San Juan County a Little Garden.
"San Juan County is little gar
den," he said to reporter ut is
rich in every agricultural product to
be found in the southwest and for
fruit it may be equalled but not eX
celled. cannot say that it is better
than the Pecos Valley but IT is as
good | found conditions there SINH
lar to those of the lower Pecos coun-
try. The same difficulties were to be
overcome and the character of the
soil, the crops and the class of people
who are located there. reminded me
of Chaves, Eddy and Dona Ana Coun-
ties.
"The farms in San Juan County are
10Y for ever so to speak. The ap-
pies there are among the finest ! ev-
er saw.
"There are no arte Ian wells in San
Juan County but there is a world OF
water in her rivers, going to waste
1t is only a case of getting it onto the
lands to cultivate and irrigate every
acre of land that will yield to treat
ment. The San Juan and Las Animas
plenty of water for all purposes.
"Tha je are a few drawbacks to the
county, which as will be found every
where. For instance. that county has
reached the stage where land values
are somewhat too high for the aver
age person to buy. This is not a
good feature In any new country San
Juan peop.e know this and many own
ers of large ranches. are cutting
their lands into smaller ranches and
retailing them to settlers
Ranchers Have Made Themselves
Wealthy.
"There are number of ranchers
who apply themselves well, who have
not only made handsome returns on
their property but also have become
wealthy. AS in other places. the Pc
cos valley for instance, there are
some who do not care properly for
their lands. However, taken as a
whole, San Juan County ie little
garden spot, tucked away in cor
ner of the Territory and few people
in other parts of the Territory real
ize what splendid future is be-
fore this really remarkable portion
of New Mexico.
"The determination of the president
to withdraw coal lands from entry and
the withdrawal of other lands, under
recent irrigation acts, may have the
effect to some extent of temporarily
lessening the chances for original
land filings in San Juan County.
''The people are bright, hustling
and up to date, and business in all
lines seems to be at top notch and
moving right along ! was entertain
ed by people at a number of places in
San Juan and cannot speak too high
ly of the courtesy and good will shown
me.
There are a number of irrigation
projects in San Juan and undoubtedly
great headway in this field will be
made in the next few years. The
Eden Ditch Company, which has for
its object the irrigation of some 25,.
600 acres of fine red soiled land on
the Crouch mesa, was an object of
particular interest to me. | drove
over the mesa one afternoon and in
spected it thoroughly. 1t is my be-
lief that this portion of San Juan
County when irrigated will be one Of
the most productive anywhere in the
Territory. I can see no reason why
1t should not be.
"The ditch, as I understand it, is
to start near the Colorado line, taking
its water supply from the Animas
River and distributing it through
net work of acequias, over that fine
gently sloping mesa.
Did Not See All Of Rio Arrba County
But Was Well Pleased.
GAS to Rio Arriba County, can
only say that did not get to see half
as much of that district as I should
have liked, and will go there again at
my earliest opportunity. From what
! saw and from the advices of those
residing there, Rio Arriba is we'll to
the fore. It's towns are prosperous,
its farms while small are well cultivat-
ed and very productive while its
ranges are among the best in the
southwest. The Chama Valley be-
tween Chama and TERRA Amarillo is
beautiful, highly productive and I
think more carefully farmed than any
equal area of land have ever seen in
New Mexico.
Il am glad nat had this opportuni-
ty of visiting San Juan and Rio Ar