The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-01-31
ANOTHER LETTER FROM Mr.. KELSo
What Garrett CGuntian Observed in
the Southwest.

iiCiieAOli tHnI lioNSfS were III DiOOHl anu
the thermometer registered 70 degrees
in the shade.
When about 20 leave San Antonio
gentleman said ''hsw far are you going
to travel on the Southern Pacific rail-
rosd?' answered, ''to Ell Paso." He
said his name was Hansley and that he
had private car, conveying a pros
pecting party to Valentine, Texas, 45O
miles distant, to look at large tract Of
land, and that ne would be pleased to
have me travel in his car. accepted
the inyi alton and upon entering the car
found thirteen Jolly Illinois and Indi-
ana farmers. After supper we retired.
When we awoke the next morning the
sky was bright and the air much cooler.
Upon inquiry We ascertained that we
were $50 miles from San Antonio, and
that the altitude was 1000 feet.
/ As we viewed the landscape it APP
peared like grand panorama with great
stretches Of table land, with mounds
and mountains in the back ground This
is a great grazing country, as evidenced
by thousands Of cattle
/ Before reaching Valentine the gentle
man conducting the party insisted upon
me stopping with the rest and take
drive over the country. We arrived in
Valen tine in the forenoon. It is a small
town at the end Of railroad division
and has an altitude Of 4,424 feet.
/ After securing conveyances our par
ty, eighteen in number, drove thirty
two miles over the country. There are
two or three hundred thousand acres of
land in the Van Horn valley, surrounded
by picturesque mountains.
/ We visited several cattle ranches,
containing thousands of HEREFORD cattle,
also quite number of ponies and
donkeys or burros. The stock are in
/ fine condition. Stock ranching here is
very profitable. | was told of man
who came here twenty years ago, five
hundred dollars in debt, and he is now
rated at a quarter of million dollars.
/ Ranchers rent land at four cents an
acre.
Land here has been On the market
only since last April. Very little farm
/ ing has been done here, and it has not
been fully demonstrated to be success
full on account Of the light rainfall.
However, | say some fine fruit trees.
Land sells from two dollars and fifty
cents to ten dollars and fifty cents an
acre.
We continued our journey to FL Paso
next day, passing through country
containing cacti by the thousand acres.
When about ninety miles east of Ell Pa
so an altitude of over five thousand feet
was reached. We found Ell Paso a
thriving city of forty thousand people.
My observations here were few, as
took an early train to La. Cruces, New
Mexico. On my return | shall stop off
in FL Paso, and may in later letter to
THE REPUBLICAN tell of this town and
the interesting little city of Juarez,
Mexico, which is just across the river.
Las Cruces has an altitude Of 1876
feet. The climate is delightful, the
days clear and warm, the nights cool
and pleasant. The air is light and dry.
1t is so clear that the Organ Mountains,
eighteen miles away, appear to be not
more than three mile. distant.
Las Cruces contains about four thou
sand inhabitants. 1t is the county seat
of Dona Ana county 1t takes its name,
which means THE Crosses" from an
early conflict of the Mexican settlers
with a band of marauding Indians. A
battle took place near where the town
now is. Nearly all the Mexicans en-
gagged were killed and buried where
they fell, Crosses were erected at the
graves, hence the name.
Las Cruces is situated in the center of
the Mesilla Valley. The valley is about
forty miles long and from one to six
miles wide. 1t is watered by the Rio
Grsnde river. There is system of ir-
rigation bitches carrying the water to
the farms and gardens. In the early
history of the valley water was plenti-
full and the people were prosperous,
but in later years considerable portion
of the water has been consumed in Col
orado and in dry years the people in
the Mesilla Valley, in the Texas Valley,
and in the Republic of Mexico, have
suffered greatly.
The water of the Rio Grande comes
from the melting mountain SHOWS. In
May and June when the SHOWS are melt
ing fastest disastrous floods sometimes
result. The trouble is not that there is
not enough water, but in getting it at
the right time. During flood waters
which are Of inestinable value if only
they could be used in the hot, dry sum-
mer months, go rushing madly by, over
flowing valuable farms. To prevent
this waste of the flood waters and tc
protect the country from floods, a large
dam is necessary. Private capital has