Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-02-20
MES|LLA VALLEY
FORGING To FRONT
Irrigation Has Re-
claimed Vast
Area
las CRUCES GROWING
City Of Crosses Proud of
Agricultural College,
Banking Facilities.

Fay Sperry, cashier of the Firs
National Bank, at Las Cruces, ha'
been in the city several days on legis
lative business. Mr. Sperry repre-
sents important financial and lan'
owning interests in the Mesilla Val
ley. His sojourn here was for th'
purpose of watching legislative pro
ceedings and imparting his views OF
pending financial legislation to mem
bers of the Assembly. He is twenty
nine years of age, was brought up il
bank and as a banker. He came tt
New Mexico three years ago and set
tied in Las Cruces, the pretty ant
thriving county seat of Dona Ana
From the first day Of his arrival h,
has taken an active interest in public
affairs and is closely connected witt
several projects for the advancement
and progress of the Mesilla Valley
He impresses one as young man OF
energy, OF bright mind and Of eX
cellent business qualities, He is a ma
tive of Iowa in which state he re-
ceived a thorough business education
and served his apprenticeship in the
banking business.
In answer to inquiries from repre-
sentative of the New Mexican con
cerning conditions in his section, Mr.
Sperry said:
Big Increase In Acreage.
Much progress has been made in
the Mesila Valley, especially during
the last three years in adding to the
area of irrigated and cultivated land
l presume that the increase in acreage
in the valley, say from Fort Seldom ia
the Texas line, has been fully SO pei
cent. There are two concerns that
are now actively engaged in placing
the big tracts of land which they own
into shape for sale to farmers and
fruit growers in 10. 20 and 40-acre
lots, These are the Brazito Develop
ment Company and the Mesilla Valley
Realty Company, the first owner of the
Stephenson or Braz,s.o Lard Grant and
the second owner of the Santo Tomas
Land Grant, both containing about 90
600 acres. The agricultural land in
the river valleys in these grants is
being cleared, supplied with irrigation
bitches, leveled, put into alfalfa, grain
or fruit and then put upon the mar
ket to actual purchases. Forty acres
in the Mesilla Valley will give the
right kind Of a man better living and
enable him to lay by more money
year in and year out in the same
space of time than 160 acres of good
farming land in Illinois, Iowa, or Mis-
souri, In addition our climate is Of
the finest, our fruits are of the best,
our alfalfa, wheat and other cereals
take first prize and bring high re-
turns. With a constant and sufficient
supply Of water for irrigation, dan
ger of crop failures is small.
Irrigated Farms Valuable.
Lands under irrigation with good
title In alfalfa or in fruit in the val
ley for fifty miles and more sell all
the way at from $40 to $3.50 per acre
and upwards. Price depends upon To-
cation, upon water supply, upon Char
acter of soil, upon nearness to rail
road stations and towns and the like.
While there is no boom, people with
money who desire to make the valley
their home are arriving constantly and
considerable land is changing hands.
Reservoir Nearing Completion.
I'VE expect that the Fort Seldom
diversion dam will be completed in
time to secure for the farmers In the
valley from Fort Seldom to the Texas
line an ample and speedy water sup
ply this year. Already crops are be-
ing put in as the weather is quite
warm and nice and it is time to plant.
Favor Macadam Highway.
Our people favor the quick con-
struction of macadam road between
Las Cruces and Ell Paso for the pur-
pose of facilitating the growing bust
ness between the two places. The val.
ley sells to Ell Paso fully three times
In the value of its alfalfa, fruits, veg
etables and live stock products, than
its people buy from Ell Paso mer-
chants. With quick communication
this ratio will be greatly increased,
With the construction of a trolley or
electric road between the two places
business will be still better and the
production Of the valley in cereals, in
vegetables and in fruits will be pow.
erfully stimulated as a ready and
profitable market awaits them at Ell
Paso. The distance would be about
forty-two miles and the road would
pay from the start. Our people are
heartily in favor of the project and
are doing what they can to make it
reality.
Las Cruces Growing.
Las Cruces, the county seat is
steadily and nicely. We
have two fine brick school buildings
with modern improvements and be-
tween six and seven hundred persons
Of school age attend them. The
town also contains a we'll known and
well administered academy managed
Continued on Page 81.