The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-02-19

]. Smith Lea, treasurer and ex-offi-
clio collector of Chaves County, reach
ed the city yesterday from Roswell on
something about Legislative doings.
official business and also to learn
He returned home his 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 t~we1ty-six years ago.
For a number of years he was a depu-
ty sheriff of 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 arrived there has
lone yeomal work in its advancement
n 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:
The Counties of Chaves. Eddy and
Roosevelt are prospecting as never be-
fore in their history and great patches
of are a daily event. The
Santa Fe Railway system is running
excursions twice a 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 ave come from
Illinois, Iowa and Indiana and other
central states. They are a very fine
class of people and generally bring
sufficient money to buy land or irri-
gated farms. They come with the ex-
~pectation of being permanent residents
and from the day of their arrival 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 a
bank; all these financial institutions
are doing well and it means hat there
is much honey on hand.
The larger towns in the three oun
ties named are constantly growing
n improving at a remarkable rate.
Handsome and large business blocks
are going up and man comfortable
and commodious residences costing
from two to five thousand dollars are
noticed n every town of any size one
goes to-. As far as my own city is con-
cerned I can say consistently that we
are more than satisfied with its prog
ress. 1t is modern in every way, it is
peaceful, 1t is ordssly. its business ter
ritory is constantly on the increase
and 1t is doing better than even the
most sanguine of us old liners ever
expected 1t would. The city now con
tains thirty-two miles of fine cement
sidewalks which is certainly crafty
ing and will compare very favorably
with the record of many cities of the
same size IN larger. not only in this
Territory, but for many hundreds of
miles around. Many new buildings
are going up two aid three stories in
height, constructed either of brick,
stone or cement.
New Building Badly Needed.
Il was very glad to see that the bill
introduced by Delegate Andrews legal
izing the issue of bonds for the cree
ton of additional buildings at the
New Mexico Military Institute voted
in 1905 by the New Mexico Assembly
has passed the House of Representa-