Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-02-16
PROGRESS PLENTY
IN PECOS VALLEY.
Buildings Needed
At Military In.
stitute
NO COUNTY DIVISION WANTED
Treasurer Lea of Chaves
Paints Glowing Picture of
Prosperity and Thrift,

Prosperity and Thrift.
j. Smith Lea, treasurer and eXoffi
clio collector of Chaves County reach
ed the city yesterday from Roswell on
official business and also TO learn
something about Legislative doings
He returned home this evening via
the Santa Fe Central Railway and the
Automobile line from Torrance to
Roswell. Treasurer Lea is one of the
oldest settlers of what is known as
the Pecos Valley in New Mexico and
came TO Roswell twenty-six years ago.
For a number of years he was a depu
ty sheriff in Lincoln County, there
after engaged in sheep raising and in
mercantile pursuits. He is one of the
best known citizens of the section
and from the date Of his arrival there
has done yeoman work in its advance
ment and growth.
Being thoroughly acquainted with
conditions, Mr. Lea was asked by a
representative of the New Mexican
about his section of New Mexico. Said
| he:
Prosperity on Every Hand.
"The counties Of Chaves, Eddy and
Roosevelt are prospering as never be-
| fore in their history and great patches
of newcomers are a daily event The
Santa Fe Railway System is running
excursions twice week from Kansas
City and Chicago via Amarillo, Texas,
to our counties and these bring many
| homeseekers and settlers of whom a
| considerable number remain and
| either purchase property or enter
homesteads. Many have come from
Illinois, Iowa and Indiana and other
central states They are very fine
class of people and generally bring
sufficient money to buy land or irrl-
gated farms. They come with the ex-
pectation of being permanent residents
and from the day of their arrivals take
hold actively to make the new homes
comfortable and to improve them.
They generally have some ready
money which they put into our banks
and thus increase the banking facili-
ties in the three counties named. Al
most every small settlement or town
in our section of 500 people has
bank; all these financial institutions
are doing we'll and it means that there
is much money on hand.
The larger towns in the three
counties named are constantly grow
ing and improving at a remarkable
rate. Handsome and large business
blocks are going up and many COM
Portable and commodious residences
costing from two to five thousand dol
lars are noticed in every town Of any
size one goes to. As far as my own
city is concerned can say consistent
ly that we are more than satisfied
with its progress. It is modern In
every way, 1t is peaceful, 1t is order
~, lIo buoibCp6 tNlillpiy ID Noiioh"A'Ni|
on the increase and it is doing bet
ter than even the most sanguine of
us old timers ever expected 1t would.
The city now contains thirty-two miles
of fine cement sidewalks which is GER
tainly gratifying and will compare
very favorably with the record of
many cities of the same size and
larger not only in this Territory, but
for many hundreds of miles around.
Many new buildings are going up two
and three stories in height, construct
ed either of brick. stone or cement.
New Building Badly Needed.
81 was very glad to see that the bill
introduced by Delegate Andrews legal
izing the issue of bonds for the erec-
ton of additional buildings at the New
Mexico Military Institute voted in
1905 by the New Mexico Assembly
has passed the House OF Representa-
tives and as the New Mexican said
will become law, We absolutely need
new buildings. The want of these
has hampered the advance and growth
of the New Mexico Military Institute
very much. Especially great is the
need of new academic building; had
we such a one the regents could take
the building now used for academic
purposes and turn it into barracks.
Upon the passage of the bill in Con
gress validating the action of the New
Mexico Assembly, am sure that the
Territory will be able to sell the bonds
at handsome rate and from the pro-
ceeds the buildings that will be nee
essary should be erected although I
fear that the amount will not be suffi-
cient and our people would greatly
like and would fully appreciate an ap-
preparation of $4,000 by the present
Assembly for the construction of
buildings absolutely necessary at the
Institute. ! have talked to a number
Of the Councilmen and members of
the House and l find that the senti-
ment Is very favorable and friendly to
our educational institution of which
we are justly proud and which is a
credit to the entire Territory. have
done all the work / possibly could to
obtain pledges for an additional ap-
preparation but cannot say that | have
received absolute assurance. Still
the situation looks very bright and
| hope that our friends and the
friends of education generally in the