Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-11-05
$4,000 ACRES
UNDER ERCULTNAT|ON
By French Land &
Irrigation Co. in
Colfax County
RESERVOIRS AND D|TCHES
Being Constructed.-- Tracts
Very Fertile c. r. Hartley
Outlines Plans.

Colfax county the past few years
has been the scene Of wonderful de-
velopment in material conditions and
the prospects are that by the time the
next federal census is taken it will be
the most populous section in New
Mexico. 1t has manifold resources to
draw from and on every hand there
is evidence of prosperity.
Millions of dollars have been ex.
pended in opening up the extensive
coal fields and constructing railroad
lines which not only provide market
for the coal but are aiding in the set.
tlement of the country which
they traverse There has also been
marked advancement in an agricultur-
al way and several large irrigation en-
terprises are now either under way or
projected. AS far as the soil itself is
concerned analysis has proven that
there is none more fertile in the en-
tire Southwest and it is only neces.
sary to secure sufficient water to
raise abundant crops adapted to the
climate.
G. e. Hartley, OF Springer is vice
president and territorial manager Of
the French Land and Irrigation COM
pany which was recently incorporated
with capital stock of 100000. Mr..
Hartley was visitor yesterday in
Santa Fe, having come to this city to
see Territorial Engineer V. l.. Sullivan
and attend tie meeting of the Terri,
torial Board of Water Commissioners.
Blue prints descriptive of the reser
voir and ditch system which it propos
es to construct to place an immense
tract of tillable land under irrigation
have been filed In the territorial en-
gineer's Office and the actual work OF
construction will be started next week.
Big irrigation Project.
The French Land and Irrigation
company purchased $4,000 acres of
land from Captain William French and
Of this tract 1t is the intention to have
large part of this ready for planting
crops by April /, 1908. The land was
originally a part of the famous Max
we'll land grant which formerly
embraced good share of Colfax coun.
ty. Captain French purchased 100000
acres about ten years ago for a cat
tie range and still retains 10000 acres.
Mr.. Hartley is disposing of the land
owned by the French Land and Irriga-
tion company in farms of from 40 to
160 acres at the rate of $40 and $45
per acre. He has already sold num-
ber of these small tracts and expects
to have all of the land now on the
market sold by the time the bitches
are ready to receive the water. Him
ois capitalists are behind the project
and they are sanguine of it's success.
Sophus Richards, of Rock Falls,
Illinois, who is secretary and
general manager of the com.
pany, was a comrade Of Gov
ernor Curry while the latter was in
the Philippines. The other officers of
the company are G. H. Hubbard, Of
Rock Falls, president; G. E. Hartley,
of Springer, vice-president, and H. L.
Maxon. of Rock Falls, treasurer.
"Our land lies two miles northwest
of Springer along the main line of the
Santa Fe Railway, and $4,000 acres
OF 1t will be put under irrigation" Mr..
Hartley stated last evening to re-
porter Of the New Mexican. Three
reservoirs will be built on the south
half of this tract which will have
combined capacity Of $4,000 acre feet
of water, which will be taken from the
Cimarron, Ponial and Carrizozo rivers.
There will be no trouble at all about
the water supply. In fact there will be
more than enough to 60 around.
Building Reservoirs and bitches.
"We expect to commence work on
the reservoirs and bitches next week.
A force of about sixty-f1ve men and
forty teams, together with the ditch
digging machines will be employed in
the construction. There will be four
large dams and thirty miles of bitches
on the southern half of our tract of
$4,000 acres. The main canal will be
8 10 miles in length The surveys on
the northern end have not yet been
We will not attempt to do
anything with this part of the land
until next year We expect to have the
reservoirs and bitches on the southern !
half completed by April 1 next year in
time to put in crops for the season.
"The dams will be built of earth !
which will be reinforced by concrete
The headgates will also be |
set In concrete so as to make them alb |
solutely secure and flood-proof We