Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-08-17
MAKING SUCCESS
OF Big INDUSTRY
A Constant Stream of Railroad
Ties From the Santa Barbara
Grant viii be Kept Coming
Down the River as Fast as
They Can bt Gotten Out.

Using the waters of the Rio Grande
for greater part of the distance, the
Santa Barbara Tie and Pole company,
composed of Albuquerque men, A. B.
McGaffey manager. is bringing 20O,-
600 pine railroad ties from the Tru-
chas mountains in Taos county TO AL
huquerque to be treated at the local
tie treating plant. and thus accom-
rlishing a feat in log driving never
before attempted in New Mexico.
Natives of New Mexico said that 1t
could not be done, but an experiment.
al drive of few thousand ties made
last fall proved that it could, and in
the future for some time to come the
Rio Grande will figure as a chief fac
tor in one of the largest industries
centered in Albuquerque-that of
marketing and treating railroad ties.
The ties are cut on the Santa Bar
eara land grant, which lies in the
southern end of Taos county and is
owned by the Santa Barbara Tie and
Pole company. 1t is estimated that
there Is timber standing on 1t suffi-
oient to cut 20,000,000 ties and to
keep a constant stream of ties COM
ing down the Rio Grande as fast as a
fC rec of 200 men can cut and drive
them, with the aid OF a sawmill that
Will turn out 1000 ties a day. Such
a mill Is being erected on the grant
now for the purpose of cutting the
larger trees. The smaller trees are
hewn. The ties OF the present drive
we're hewn.
The grant is very mountainous and
IS penetrated by four small streams.
The ties are cut and piled along these
waterways. a large flood water res
ervoir has been established in one
canyon for the purpose of flushing the
ties out of the mountains down 10
the Rio Grande, out storm waters are
depended upon to carry them out IN
the others.
The ties travel about seventy miles
by water, leaving the mountain
streams short distance north of EN-
budo, the station where the Rio
Grande railroad leaves the Rio
Grande. About thirty men are N
charge of the present drive.
The ties fill the river for twenty
miles. The van, consisting of about
10000, reached the companys big
noom ten miles north of Pena Blanca,
a couple of days ago. The rear Is at
Buckman's crossing, opposite the city
OF Santa Fe. The outfit herding the
drive is scattered along the river be-
tween these two places. Men with
long poles police either side of the
river, poking out lettering ties and
breaking up jams. The company has
l number of river men from the pine
Grives of Michigan in charge of the
work. Frequently they ride the ties.
There are no falls in the river,
making the driving mostly smooth
sailing. The rear is brought up by
the chief part of the outfit and boat
in which is carried the provisions. AS
the rear moves forward so moves the
camp evey day. Every evening the
boat is hauled up on the bank and
mp struck. The march begins with
the morning and continues through
the day, the MONDAY lunch being
taken by the men while riding a raft
Of ties or pacing the shore looking for
stragglers.
The boom, which has oeen con-
structed by the Santa Barbara Tie
and Pole company, was one of the
most difficult but successful parts ot
the project. The boom is composed
OF a string of logs chained together
end a line of five cribs of ties filled
with rocks, running diagonally across
the river at the outlet of White Rock
canyon. The logs follow the boom
INTO a substantially constructed pocket
Of piles, from which they are fshed
end placed on the bank. At present
they are being piled on the river bank
by wagon, but in the near future the
whistle of a locomotive will be re-
sounding in White Rock canyon.
road is to be built to the boom
from a point three miles north Of Do
mingo station, on the Santa Fe, for
the purpose of hauling the ties. This
road will be built at once and will Je
constructed under the direction of Mr.
bcGaffey, vice president and man
ager of the company. The Santa Fe
will operate the trains on the road,
but the tie company will build it, 1t
will be ten miles long when COM
pleted.
At present the Santa Barbara Tie
and Pole company has 500 men EN-
ployed in various capacities A small
town has sprung up al the boom, and
smother is starting at Santa Barbara,
the tie cutting camp in the mountains.
4 store Is being established at the lat
ter place by the company and perma-
nent improvements made.
The work Of the com pany has been