Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1907-01-29
FROM ESTANC|A
TO WILLARD
Councilman Dalies
Favors the County
Seat Change.
STRONG PETITION SIGNED
Gives Reasons For Torrance
Proposition.--Nea 1000
Voters Favor Project.

I'VE, the undersigned petitioners,
actual male residents of the County OF
Torrance, Territory Of New Mexico
and Of the age of twenty-one years or
more, respectfully petition the enact
ment of such legislation as will cause
the removal of the county seat Of Tor
rance County to Willard chiefly for
the following reasons: .....
1--WE fully recognize Willard to be
the central and most important city
! in Torrance County.
"We recognize Willard as not only
the natural center of Torrance County
but the only city In Torrance County
having railroad lines placing it within
easy reach of all portions of the
county enabling the citizens thereof
to reach their county seat in the least
possible time and at the least possible
expense
Willard is located on the AtchisoE,
Topeka and Santa Fe cutoff, one Ut
the greatest lines Of railroad construr.
tion in the United States. and the
Santa Fe Central Railway which cou
meets with all points on the Denver
and Rio Graude and the Rock Isand
lines.
willard is most emphaically the
center of Torrance County geograph,
ically, commercially and by circum,
stance Of settlement.
Therefore your petitioners earnest.
ly request that justice be done the
citizens of Torrance County and that
| the county seat be changed and that
| the same be established at Willard.
Convenience to the general public
and the saving of many dollars to
every citizen as well as the saving Of
such valuable time to them demand
| the change"
Petition in Hands of Councilman
| palies.
The foregoing petition has been
circulated in the parious precincts Of
Torrance County. The original is
now in the hands of Hon. Carl A.
| Dalies, who is a member of the Legis.
ative Council from the district CON.
prising the counties of Otero Lincoln
and Torrance Close to thousand
signatures are affixed to the docu.
ment, which when stretched out fln!
length is about fifty feet long, and
when rolled up tightly is nearly three
inches in diameter
Mr.. Daies Is putting in his best ef-
forts to have the county seat trans
ferred from Estancia to Willard,
Personally he says he believes that
Willard can get along well enough
without being the county seat. as its
future is already assured. But he
declares the sentiment is 50 over
whelming in favor of having the
county seat changed to Willard that
he has become convinced himself that
it is the logical place from every
standpoint for the county scar.
In addition to the petition which
has been SO largely signed, Mr.. Dalies
has prepared a large map of Torrance
County showing the relative positions
and railroad facilities of the 1nveral
towns. This he is exhibiting to his
colleagues in the Legislative Assem-
| bly,, as little persuasive argument
in favor of Willard.
Popular Demand for Removal Of
County Seat.
u have a very unusual petition to
present to the Legislature" he stated
last evening to a reporter of the New
Mexican in discussing the proposed
change of the county seat. 1T Is un-
usual because of the fact that it is
absolutely genuine and any man
whose name appears on this petition
Will come to Santa Fe if necessary
and make an affidavit that his sentt.
ments are truthfully expressed in the
petition.
| THE petition bears the signatures
of 969 male residents of over twenty
, one years of age In other words,
, taking the usual ratio and taking for
{ granted that it was impossible to Sc
cure very man In each precinct it Is
safe to say that the petition repre-.
sents the demands of not less than
5000 people. Torrance County being
new county and now heavily popu-
lated, this petition is one of the most
, stupendous that was ever presented
to Legislature in the Territory of
New Mexico on an issue of this kind,
1t is an appeal which if justice is to
. be done, dare not be denied.
Willard Precinct is ThickIy Settled,
The total number of votes cast for
, both the Republican and Democratic
candidates for Delegate to Congress
1 at the last election in Torrance
+. County was S92, while the names on
/. the petition as stated heretofore of
male residents over the age of twenty
= one years number 969. More could
nave been secured had the time not
been too short.
The names on the petition from
r willard precinct alone are in the
neighborhood of 200 which would indi-
;, cate that the precinct has popula.
ton In the vicinity of 1000. | make
mention of thic Fact FOR tho uo,,.