Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1907-01-18
A CORRESPONDENT WRITES 80
TEHTaiNas0LS OF SAN
JUAN COUNTY
NATURALRESOURCES
clinasss s0rpassss That Of cassteFnas
and Sell Conditions Are Eaual %
These Of tire PeeoS Valley.
tny Charles blanchard,

Snow IL ehe EamansaAns at C0aoFadn.
with a temperature gay down Ia IN"
frlEid reg,uns Ut the Thermometer. !
aruped into the rruitland valley ota
the 3rd. where | was first greeted b.
farmers In their shirt sleeves. plough
ing the ground for fall wheat. and by
Others packing The t.lg RID apples. In
the oren air. fof shipment
This was no news 10 na~. after M
tao years residence here, bat ah"
contrast was enough Ia Impress rne
and would "a ~ many others wh"
may enjoy the agreeable. experience.
| found AZ the p0stoffice a letter
from my wife at LAS Vegas saying
that the q wear there was uSh"Tet
I'm on the wings ~ a most terrific
blizzard, and when I reached my
camp the next day. being allowed t"
sleep through the night with screen
In the door Of my hut, how could I
help enjoyIn the natural gifts VI this
favored section Of New Mexico. that
no other climate Of my knowledge
can snrpass. II you take into cco"n
the 30 per cent Of sunshine days this
~fairyland can boast OF.
No part Of California will compare
with this Incompatible climate. AZ
soon as railroad facilities make II
known abroad: the possibilities of
this soil being also far superior fer
producing flavor and compactness In
peaches. apples. pears and all kind
Of small fruit. will leave California
far In the shade,
A rancher below Fruitland In the
proud owner Of two peach trees that
yielded last fail Is and sc boxes re,
spectively, that brought him 90 m
per Dor or $4,000 per tree, His orch.
ard Of a fraction over three acres
gives him a steady income Of $1,000
a year. ID such land az this hig,, at
one hundred dollars an acre? Wei
good farms with same soil and posi-.
biilties can be bought for $50 10 so
per acre.
Governor Hagerman. while here
last fall. expressed himself w"'l
pleased with San Juan county and
went so far as 20 say that 1t Is equal
10 the Pecos valley. Considering that
the pecos valley Is the governors
home, | consider his opinion was p
high compliment to San Juan rom
ty.
I have. by personal investigation,
watched the progress OF the pecoA
valley for the last forty years. took
the initiative In 1866. In the settle.
ment OF the old mission town on N,
Hondo river. the present site Of III"
government reservoir. and I must
say that n the San Juan had enjoyed
the benefits Of railway commnnlca
tons for twelve years past. II would
be far ahead. today. of the Pecos val
ley.
While the curse OF the western
arid districts is the lack OF water. or
the prohibitory expense of procuring
water. the San Juan valley Is a most
fortunate exception. The San Juan
river. that has an average flow of
three thousand cubic feet per second,
with a fall of twenty-five feet TO tho
mile, provides for a large surplus Of
water at all seasons.
II Is also admitted that Fruitland
with Its monstruous deposits Of coal
can furnish the cheapest electrical
power known anywhere In the west.
and Will" II Il proposed 10 utilize this
power towards Increasing the area q,
farming lands in the valley, over
utItS thaH h' SAatHN INV van lFatI
by several thousand acres Of the very
choicest soil, as well AS to felicitatc
the transportation Of the various pro,
ducts Of the valley. II Is vet difficult
to measure the possibilities of ST.
many elements that nature has CON
centrated in this favored region.
II Is also worthy of the attention
of capital seeking safe and perman,
ent investments, to know that thu
San Juan river has opened a natural
outlet into the high mountains of
Tunicha and Carisu towards th,,
southern part Of Utah, where solid
mountains of almost pure iron exist
and 1t is not surprising that the st
Louis, Rocky Mountain 4 Pacific
railroad Is heading this way toward
the Pacific. that will encounter in It's
course but few natural obstacles. This
new road having for its birthplace
the three important connections with
the Colorado Southern q: Dcs Ma:nc".
the Santa Fe at Englewood and the