The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1907-04-04

country from the standpoint OF
metropolitan civilization. 1t is
not thickly settled; the towns are
few and far apart; cattle roam at
will; there is a big field for the
manufacture of barb wire fences!
Yet, new as they are, New
Mexico and Arizona are the old
est sections of the United States.
Long before the Pilgrim. fathers
came in sight of Plymouth Rock
they were peopled aud ruled by
civilization of which, there are
now only slight traces and no
knowledge except that it once
existed. But here, as every
where else in this wonderful
country Of ours. mans iniquity is
at work. This lone land is rich
beyond comparison in everything
but water.
Ell Paso was a city of special in
terest, a city of 10000. The
greatest attraction to tourists is
the fact that it is only few
minutes ride by electric car from
a wide-awake town with depart
ment stores, telephones, electric
lights and automobiles. 81 You
cross the "Silvery Rio Grand"
and you are in Juarez, to all ap-
pearances in the very heart of
Old Mexico. Street after street
of one-story buildings in which
5000 swarthy inhabitants live
and do business, especially in the
matter of hats, knowi ,g little or
nothing Of our Ian. age or Of
you.
The bull ring is next in popu-
larity, and real bull fights are
pulled off from time to time, Ell
Paso is already a center for eight
railroads and is growing rapidly,
and with the recent discoveries
of coal within 15O1miles, and the
cheap oil of Texas and California,
the only obstacle which stood in
the way Of its becoming the me-
tropolis of the southwest appears
to have been removed. With the
territory and resources of two re-
publics to draw upon, and rap
idly growing reputation as a
health resort, the future Of Ell
Paso is assured.
We now turn our faces north
ward through New Mexico. The
natural resources of this state are
agriculture, mineral, grazing,
timber and climate. This state
lies near by and has an area of
122, $50 square miles, the alti-
tude averaging about 5000 feet
above sea level, giving it a eli
mate at once wild and invigorat-
ing. The surface is made up of
mountains, high table lands,
plains, valleys and deep gorges.
Here we find the tail end of the
Rocky mountains; a few peaks
rise to the height of 300 feet,
but generally the remainder only
rise a few hundred feet above the
table lands. Now this rainless
region promises, with modern ir-
1igation, to be past the expert
mental stage. People are begin
ming to understand that to con-
troll the water supply is to insure
the harvest.
The practice Of irrigation is as
old as the race. The greatest of
ancient civilizations were devel-
soped in the desert regions where
the artificial use of water was a
necessity. Notwithstanding New
Mexico's fertile soil, it's mineral
wealth and it's wonderful climate,
was despised because of it's arid
ity. The desert and not the for
est was the cradle of the race. 1t
is needless to say much about the
soil, because the soil of an arid
district is always rich and when
water is applied it bursts with
with bloom.
AS we move along we arrive at
Albuquerque. This city claims to
be commercial metropolis of
the state state. Located on the