The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-14

The following is the report OF the
civil engineers on the proposed rail
road from FL Paso to Carlsbad, as
published in the Ell Paso Herald:
Ell Paso, Texas, Feb. q, 1907
Messrs. A. C~Ourchesne, T. T. White,
and Others:
Gentlemen:|I herewith submit the
following report of observation taken,
over the proposed railroad route from
San Elizario, Texas to Carlsbad N.
NJ, between January oath and Feb
ruary 6th, 1907, together with a pro-
file map of the route. The elevations
were taken from barometer readings
and were taken along the old San Eli
carlo and Salt Lake road. TO the east
side of the Salt flats, and from h lat
ter point to Pine Spring Canyon along
the old Butterfield stage road and
from there on to Carlsbad, along the
old Ell Paso and Carlsbad road.
About 20 miles from San EliZario
we cached an elevation of 5100 feet
which is $50 feet higher than San
Elizario, which gives an easy grade
of about Is feet per mile; the course
of the route 10 this point being almost
due east. This elevation of 800 feet
was reached in what is known as
San Lorenzo Pass. From San Lorenzo
pass 10 the Sdll ldhC. d uASIduCC VI III
miles, the course is a little north of
east, with a gradual grade of o
25 feet to one mile or about 5-10th of
1 per cent. From Salt lake to the
east side of Salt fiat basin, the land
is almost level, the elevation being
about 1000 feet above sea level. From
the east side of Salt flats to the east
side of Guadalupe Canyon at a poilt
near the lower Guadalupe spring. a
distance of about ten miles, the up
grade is a little over 2 percent, but
this grade can be greatly due by
increasing the distance, which | think
can be easily done. About two miles
east of the south point of the Guada-
lupe mountains, we reached the sum-
init, being about 5000 feet above sea
level. from the summit we took a
course for Carlsbad of about north As
degrees east, crossing Pine Spring
canyon, Nichols Spring canyon: La
mar creek canyon in which are locat-
ed the group of five springs known as
Ash Springs; McKitrick canyon. at
the head of which is a large spring
and at about ia miles from San Eli
carlo we passed the well known Crap
vine Spring; and at 119 miles. the
head of Black river, where there is
also a large spring. At 125 miles
is the Rattlesnake Spring; and about
Is miles this side or southwest from
Carlsbad is he famous Blue Spring.
The Guadalupe canyon, where a rail-
roar would cross it is from 500 to
500 feet wide and from 100 to 200
feet deep.
Country and Soil.
From San EliZario to Carlsbad. is
mainly a grazing or stock country. al
though there are valley lands all along
tho -nrfn uhiah anrI1d ho fornnnl and
would produce good crops if a supply
of water could be obtained for irriga-
ting. The entire Salt flats will undoubt
eddy be farmed in the near future, as
the water there is very shallow and
in many places the lands are very
productive. From a EliZario to the
west foothills OF the Guadalupe noun
tains the soil is generally sandy and
is well covered with gramma grass.
From the point of these mountains
to the line of New Mexico the land is
rough, with numerous ridges extend
ing eastward from the foot of the
mountains with intervening draws or
valleys varying in width. At the head
of these draws-and in some of them
several miles out from their heads
are some 35 or 40 springs between
the point of the mountains and the
New Mexico line. These springs
coul easily be piped out to the fertile
valleys and the water used for irri-
CATION From the New Mexico line
to Carlsbad, the country is a gentle
slopes towards the northeast and con-
tains some good farming land. At pre-
sent there is very little farming done
along the entire route as shown upon
the profile, except in the vicinity of
Grapevine Spring, Rattlesnake Spring
anu some parts of Black river and
Blue Springs valleys. In the Pecos
river valley farming has been carried
ON and fine crops of alfalfa, fruits, etc
grown o a number of years.