Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-10-11
SAN JUAN RICH
IN MANY THINGS

Editor Staplin OF the Pennington
Enterprise was recently In Santa Fe
and was interviewed by the New
Mexican. He felt positive that the
Arizona and Colorado Railroad, which
is branch OF the Southern Pacific
system, would be built through the
country within a short time. and this
will provide additional railroad facili-
ties for marketing the fruit and pro
Ducts and open up unsettled parts OF
the county He said:
San Juan county at the present
time - enjoying greater prosperity
than was ever known there before,
due primarily to the great natural re-
sources of that section of New Mex
leo and secondly to the opportunity
for more rapid development which
has ben provided by the completion
OF the branch line of the Denver 4
Rio Grande Railroad. The railroad
there was completed last fall, since
tiiHC tuClS nd6 bCCA III
crease In other sections OF the county
''The erection Of good substantial
buildings not only In the towns but
throughout the farming districts,
which has never been at standstill
In San Juan county, is increasing at
a very rapid rate. Especially is this
true In the towns Of Aztec and Farm
fngton In each OF which there are no
less than twenty business blocks and
re esidences under construction at the
present time. One Of the most not
able of these Is the large two-story
all stone structure being put up by
the, First National bank at Farming
tnn.
"The fruit crop OF the present year
IL the largest in the history of the
county, not only from the point of
heavy production. but also from in.
creased areas planted to orchards as
we'll. Large quantities of fruit are
shipped. canned, dried and preserved.
and many hundreds OF barrels are be-
ing fed to the hogs. and quantities
which cannot even be utilized In this
manner are rotting on the ground,
thus emphasizing the necessity Of fur.
ther railroad advantages to enable the
proper development of the country
and provide markets. As to the quail.
ity Of this fruit. that is too well es-
tablished In every section of the coun.
try In which 1t has been marketed or
sampled to need any further recon-
mendation. The hay and vegetable
farmors have also been favored with
bounteous crops. Sheep and cattle
men declare that they have had a
good year and every line OF business
Ia profiting thereby.
Several private companies with
amounts of capital ranging from $685.
900 to $l60.0o0 have been formed and |
are surveying and beginning the con-
struction Of irrigation canals to put |
many hundreds Of acres Of land up.
der water and cultivation. Prominent
among these are the bitches being
built by Turley Brothers, the New
Eden Ditch company. and the Ciu-
zens' Ditch company.
THE La Plata Irrigation project
embraces over one hundred thousand
acres OF land in the county which
we're withdrawn from entry by the
government for the purpose of in
vestigating the feasibility of con-
structing irrigation works. It is the
fervent hope Of the people OF that Sec
ton OF the country that II the govern.
ment does not soon begin work on
this project the land will be restored
to public entry so that private capital
may provide the necessary channels
which will bring the greater part of
the tract under cultivation. There Is
nc doubt. whatever, but what large
capital can be Interested for this pur.
pose at the present time which was
not true previously because of the
ben more isolated condition OF that
,art OF the country.
"The more recent withdrawal from
'ntry Of nine townships Of coal lands I
, also \ detriment To the country In {
'esping out private capital which
FouId develop much Of this land II
had the opportunity. The four
,wnships which were added to the
nseFvstion Of the Southern Ute In
Ians IN 11es are not used for any G
49, by thsm. Al tAoss wHo hsvsl