Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-02-28
RECLA|M|NG 100000.
ACRES FINE LAND.
In Fruitful Mesilla
Valley of New
Mexico
100000 FUND READY
Selden Diversion Dam Near
ly Completed - Pushing
Elephant Butte.Pfoject.

Carter Compton, of Las Cruces is
in the city. For three years he was
connected with the United States Re
clamation Service in New Mexico.
Last year he severed his connection
with the service and located in Las
Cruces where he is engaged in bus-
ness.
Asked by New Mexican reporter
as to the irrigation work being carried
on in the Rio Grande Valley he said:
"The present condition of the Leas
burg or Fort Selden Dam as to the
progress of It's construction is as fol.
lows; Six miles of the canal from the
intake or Penasco Rock is now com.
pleted, this canal Is about forty feet
wide and five feet deep, it is a modern
up-to-date canal having all the latest
appliances for securing and keeping it
free from silt
How Dam is Built.
THE head-gate is In solid rock
known as the Penasco Rock, this canal
conveys the water down to the heads
of the Las Cruces, Mesilla and Dona
Ana bitches. The first six hundred
feet of the diversion dam across the
main channel of the Rio Grande is of
reinforced concrete, resting on piling
and will divert the water of the river
to the head-gate, when the river rises
to the height of the dam it will flow
over same, it is in no sense storage
dam. The remainder of the dam,
across to the west side of the river is
OF earth. rip-rapped with rock on the
upper side.
"As before stated this dam is not
storage dam, but will be permanent
| head works to divert the water into
the canal, thus insuring the farmers
! at Dona Ana, Las Cruces and Mesilla
water for about twenty-five thou
sand acres Of land. This work is part
OF the great irrigation plan in connec-
tion with the construction of the Ele
plant Butte or Engle Reservoir which
all told, when completed will cost
seven million, two hundred thousand
dollars.
Irrigation Projects Stimulate Real
Estate Sales.
The cost of this diversion dam is
two hundred thousand dollars and the
work has been successfully carried on
by Contractor j. P. Nelson of San An.
tonic, Texas, under the personal
supervision of Mr.. Gault, construction
engineer, and J. L. Read, assistant
engineer of the reclamation service.
Colonel B, M. Hall, supervising engi.
neer of the reclamation service for New
Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas has en-,
deared himself to the people by great
ability in putting in shape and making
possible the construction of these
great irrigation projects in the valley
OF the Rio Grande, as well as in the
Pecos Valley. Colonel Hall Is still
quite young man. he is one of the
noted engineers of the country and a
man OF great force of character he is
a man OF great ability as diplomat
as well as being great engineer. His
headquarters are at Ell Paso, Texas
1T is great mistake to suppose
that all of the low priced lands have
reached price beyond the reach OF
persons with small means. Such is moi
the case, while it is true that lands
right about Las Cruces have gone ur
as high as one hundred and seventy
nve dollars per acre, there still re
mains plenty of land which can be
mad at reasonable figures. Las Cruces
is In my opinion destined to be towr
IN the near future of from eight tt
ten thousand people. There is ne
boom at Las Cruces and our people de
not want one, the growth is steady
ana substantial and Is only retarded
by the inability of the contractors ant
the lumber yards to furnish the ma
terial as fast as required"
Million Dollar Appropriation Goo,
News.
MT. Compton was told the goot
news that an appropriation of one mil
hon dollars is Immediately available
for the construction Of the Elephan
Butte reservoir and dam system be
ing contained In the Sundry Civil
service Appropriation Law according
to dispatches and letters received
from Delegate W. H. Andrews. Mr.
Crompton expressed himself as great
Ily gratified at this news. This IL
great indeed" he said. "This appro
priatlon will enable the engineers o
the Reclamation Service to commenc,
work Immediately on the construction
OF the main dam and reservoir oppo
site Engle In the Rio Grande. I un
derstand this money Is advanced b,
the treasury out Of other funds ant
will be repaid by the U. s. Reclama
], tion Service when funds are avail
able. 1t Is the greatest and best ap
4 preparation that has ever been had 70
( the benefit of the people of southern
: New Mexico. 1t will enable the Re
! clamation Service to commence thu
. work year earlier than expecte,
7 which, as times flies and as the young
!, er generation Is coming, is certainl,
t OF much moment to the present ger
4 leration. Excavation work will b,
d first commenced. Extensive machin
i cry will be purchased Immediately an