Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1907-12-19
Waited Upon by Reception Committees
of Prominent ClSSSnS at Every Sta
-GovernorSaSetS Many Old
Friends --Som6}SS Them Ad-
dressed Him SSSieOrge.
LITTLE DOUBT AS TO THE Sues :. OF PILGRIMAGE
Whole Territory Is Enthusiastic Over Coming OF Big rrlga-
ton Congress-Los Lunas and Belen Pledge Support.
Second Train on Cutoff Making Schedule Time
The Story of Man Who Made the First Trip.

Belen, n. M. Dec. 1s.-tSpeciaD
-Onboard the train carrying Gov.
Curry and party to Roswell in inter-
est of the National Irrigation con-
gress.-Governor's party arrived in
Belen on schedule time and was Civ
en- a warm reception by large dele
cation of Belen people, and enter
tanned while the train stopped. This
is the last telegraph station between
Albuquerque and Willard.
Every member of the party Is in
good spirits and there is little doubt
as to the success of the pilgrimage.
Belen has promised substantial as
sistance to Albuquerque in caring for
the big congress.
AT Los Lunas number of promi-
nent people met the train and a
general handshaking resulted. GOV
ernor Curry met a large number of
friends at both places, some of whom
called him George" Los Lunas Will
aid in caring for the big congress In
a way betting the means OF the
people of the town and the surround
ing country.
The train, which is the second one
to leave Albuquerque over the new
road. is composed of two well warm
ed coaches and a baggage car.
In the party besides Governor Cur
ry are Col. w. s. Hopewell, chair
man of the board of control of the
IRRIGATION copgressi y. s. Marshal 9.
M. Foraker, sSoloinan Iiuna, Amado
Chaves, John March, DR. j. r. LUX
ems, w. f. Brogan and III. b. Hen
ing.
Willard, N NJ. Dec. 10, IL o'clock
-(Special.) .)-Governor Curry and
party reached here on time and are
taking dinner at the willard hotel
xnruE lu a Z
enthusiastic as at Los Lunas and Be-
len but scarcely equal to the ovation
received at Mountainair. At this
thriving city on Abo Pass, commit
tee of prominent citizens tried to
hold the train. 81
The governor said that the party
would go straight through to Ros-
we'll and make stops at all towns
along the line when en- route back.
JEFF Roberts. the engineer on the
train, sent word to Gov. Curry thai
an old friend would like TO see him
on the engine. The governor weni
TO the engine and recognized Roberts
as an old friend of his boyhood days
Reception ut Roswell.
Train is running on time and 1t Is
expected that governors party viii
reach the Pecos valley metropolis by
10:45 o'clock this evening. A tele'
phone message was received at Will
lard that If the train was on time
at Texico and would probably reach
Roswell on time, a reception com
mittee would await the arrival OF
the party.
Tomorrow will be spent at Ros.
we'll and possibly Saturday as the
governor is desirous of seeing some
of the valley in the vicinity of the
city. This journey into the country
will be made in automobiles. The
return trip will be made on Sunday
First Train Over Road.
The following is graphic des-
cription of the country through
up to the commercial interests Of
Albuquerque by a man who wen
through on the first train:
For many years the east and the
west of New Mexico have longed
and waited for the time when they
could visit each other as neighbor.
and run over for day instead oi
packing for a long trip. and &c
around through two or three states
For two years the consumation OF
that hope has seemed so near and
yet like the ignus fatus has vanished
when the moment of realization
drew near. But all things come tC
morning the first trans-territorS
train steamed out of the station a.
albuquerque. and a goOdly crowd OF
us were off for an epoch-makine
trip and a trip that does not come
but once to many, the first trip over
a brand new railroad.
Through Isleta and on through
Los Lunas and TO Belen the trip was
over the old line of the Santa Fe
down the Rio Grande. At Belen we
struck the new road bed which
makes a junction at this point with
the Ell Paso line. The Eastern rail-
way of New Mexico crosses the E
Paso branch of the Santa Fe here
and continues on to connect about
thirty miles west at Rio Puerco with
the California line Of the Santa Ft
railway.
AT Belen John Becker and the
Santa Fe railroad have started ir
10 make a city and from the looks
of the splendid old valley farms
surrounding the town and the push
of the new buildings going up with
the extensive railway improvements
the success of the plan seems quite
assured
The old mill which began ground
ing wheat and corn forty years ago
Is yet doing business and is zone OF
the prominent buildings to be noted
Three new hotels can also be SEEN
and also a number of twO-story
structures. Here the first of tht