The copper era., 1907-04-04
MORMON COLONY
PROSPEROUS TN SONORA.
Six Hundred Population sac, 600 Academy
Has Just Been Completed and $4,000
BRIDGE Under Construction.


The little Mormon colony known as
Colonia Juarez on the Piedras Verdes
river about fifteen miles above
Nuevas Casas Grandes, this state, is
the most progressive settlement of
600 people in all Mexico. With its
beautiful homes and farms, its people
practically alone have built "a $40, ,OOO
academy building, is constructing an
electric light and power plant to
cost $4,000, has telephone line to
Nuevas Casas Grandes and has COM
menced building bridge across the
Piedray river at cost of $4,000.
Nothing like this little enterprising
colony can be found in but very few
cases in the United States, and yet it
is away in a comparatively secluded
nook and the most that Chihuahuans
generally know is that there is such
a place and that is about all.
The people of Colonia Juarez are
now asking the state government for
some assistance in building the bridge
Verdes river. The people of the
colony have the lumber ready for it
and three stone piers built. 1t will
be about 250 feet long with stone
abutments and one 50-foot span and
three 66-foot spans.
1. w. Wins, president of the Nor
mon colonies and resident of
Colonia Juarez, arrived in Chihuahua
last week. His particular business
was to see Governors Terrazas and
Sanchez in regard to getting the
state to contribute in building this
bridge over the river which cuts the
colony off from communication dur
ing the high water in the rainy sea-
son.
Undoubtedly the state will make
the contribution for this little enter
prising colony which has contributed
many thousands of dollars in taxes for
many years to the municipal govern
ment at Casas Grandes. 1t has no
municipal government of its own.
The electric light and power plant
is being built by a company of the
colony people, not as money max
ing proposition, but as a public con-
venience. Much of the material for
the plant and the dynamos have been
received. The turbine water wheel
has not yet been received. The
electricity is to be generated by
water power.
The colony will soon be connected
by telephone with the Guaynopa
mines and some of the mountain
colonies. This line is now being built
by the people whom it will benefit.
The pride of the colony is the S4O,-
900 academy building built and main
tanned by the local people and by
voluntary contributions from good
friends in Utah. The name of this
institution is the Juarez Stake
academy and is entirely free to stu
dents of the colonies. 1t has in at
tendance about twenty Mexican stu
maintained is four years and a stand
ard is maintained equal to the best
high schools in the states and its
students are prepared for the best
colleges.
An industrial department is main
tanned at the head of which is Prof.
G.. E. Mcclellan, an able instructor
in his line. So far this department
includes woodworking in various
lines, and is well equipped with ma
chinery. Other lines of industrial
work are to be added as fast as is
practicable.
All of the Mormon colonies main
tain their own schools of eight grades
and from these enter the Juarez
Stake academy if they so desire
Chihuahua Enterprise.