Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-06-21
Pennington and Surrounding
Country as Viewed by
Herald Man
Pennington. June II. 1906.

Pennington, June II, 1906.
Pennington merchants say that
June Is always the dullest month In
the year, but three general merchan-
disc stores, carrying large stocks OF
goods, besides about 80 other business
houses, appear TO lie enjoying Il
healthy trade. The larger stores
probably carry an aggregate stock OF
more than $4,000. Nearly all the
business houses are of brick, some OF
them being of the building block man.
ufactured here. The business houses
employ about the same modern facil
tiles and methods employed in Du.
range While n population of only
$50 is claimed, based on the last cen
sus. one after looking over the area
and number of buildings, from the top
OF the hill on the west, would estl-
mate the population at 1900. The
city Is very substantial in it's con
struction throughout, and the longer
one remains here the more he is i'm.
| pressed with the beautiful homes.
The electric light service is good and
the water service as good as II can
be made by using the water OF the
Animas river, which of course, is
much better than II is at Durango,
having become somewhat purified In
its course of 80 miles between the
two places. No effort has been made
here TO secure artesian water. but on
the La Plata river good wells OF wa.
| ter have been obtained by boring 1870
feet, and this they call arteslan wa,
| ter.
| II is complained by active promoters
and pushers that the Farmington sec
tion is retarded In its growth and ad.
yancement by the holding OF the larg-
er tracts at prices largely in excess
OF their earning capacity. The town
is about one mile in length, from east
20 west. and u little more than quar-
ter of a mile wide. Building Is ex-
tending to the west where large tracts
| have been purchased recently and
subdivided to lots and acres.
| The transfer of real estate is not
as active as during the four or Ave
previous months. but few important
sales have Just been made and num-
her Of like deals are pending. Were
there assurance that the Southern
| Pacific would commence building at
any given time within year, or that
! the Rio Grande would soon continue
the standard gauge south, II is prob
able that the large tracts now held
from the market would double or
thrible their prices at once. and this
| would probably result in cutting up
the one, two. three and flve-acre tracts
held in the city into lots.
| Rents are not high. Houses which
\ rent for SIS to $35 in Durango are
rented here at from SIS to $25. and
these are as good as those at Duran
go. In the proportion of numbers the
average here Is best. in spite OF the
fact that nearly all the lumber. hard
or soft. was hauled so miles from Du-
range in wagons. In these homes
and blocks will be found eloquent evil
dence that there has been uniform
prosperity and steady growth for at
least 20 years. The fruits, flowers
and gardens. with the shade trees
mere. If they were in Durango. would
double the Durango rents, If anybody
could pay them.
Beginning about four miles above
Pennington, passing through the city
and on 10 near the mouth OF the La
Plata river, where 1t empties into the
San Juan, one travels through a
broad lane, shaded by trees varied In
variety, on either side or both and
all the way there are beautiful homes
never more than quarter Of mile
of open space intervening.
Here and there, passing orchards
are evidences that the people nave
been induced to buy some very infer
ior nursery stock. II would keep the
p Rio Grande busy for several months
were II TO undertake to haul away the
pIuHlHBS ana LIttS taken Out ny tHt
root during the present year. The
: people are trying to improve their or
chards and vineyards. but must con
tinue to take chances on the nursery
= mans stock They recount many cx
periences they have had during the
past quarter century with the nursery
. agent.
u
The fruit crop promises to be bis
one this year. having gotten goot
early growth. Other crops are salt
to be little late Recent hot windi
have required much irrigation, bu
, there is an abundance OF water. =
= degree of alarm has been occasione'
by the presence OF clouds Of grass
hoppers below town, working up iron
the San Juan river. The people be
low town have begun n campaign o
determination, some of tnem using
= fungus preparation. similar to one ad
: yised by the government. Other