The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-04-30
DOWN IN NEW MEXICO.
Some Observations Made During a Re
cent Trip Into an Arid Country.

from home, that is certain. Here | am
writing this letter from mining camp
located nearly 5000 feet above sea level
in the heart of the Black Range district
of New Mexico, more than 1900 miles
from Edgerton. 1t is long journey
but not a tiresome one in these times
of modern travel, if we leave out of
the reckoning a twenty mile ride over
a mountain road to reach this camp
from the terminus of railway connec-
ton. Here with the exhilarating eff
fleets of clear, cool atmosphere charg-
ed with ozone and the pleasant odors of
burning cedars and balsam, one soon
feels refreshed and growing appetite.
LAS place for rest or recuperation it
can hardly be equaled. 1t is only when
lone tries mountain climbing or other
Iexertion does he feel the heart throbs
lquicken or his breath shorten that
comes from high elevation. The trip
this time of year is pleasant one-no
hot days and very little dust to contend
with. The ride through Kansas with
Its green wheat fields on every side is
ALWAYS a pleasing one to those who
leone from or go into the arid country
Ibeyond There is little show left on
the mountain sides, but after crossing
the divide few indications are yet Wis
lible of spring.
There is little to be told of matters
at the mining camp. The mill was not
vet ready to make the test run which
was to demonstrate it's ability to pro-
duce concentrates both in quantity and
Iquality>the contract calls for, and in
vestors are most interested in knowing
about. A large number of Mexican
families were established in camp
awaiting operations at the mill.
A DRY COUNTRY.
To a person coming from a-country
where there are green fields and plenty
of water New Mexico looks awful dry.
The plains, foot hills and even the
mountains are everywhere parched dry
and brown. What little grass that re-
mains is dried up and has very little
fnutriment left in it, but aside from
browsing it is all stock has to live on.
People living here tell me there has
|been less rainfall in the valleys and less
snow in the mountains this winter than
usual and as result the season has
been trying one for the stock men
who seem destined to lose heavily, not
only of the original herds but Of the in
crease as well. Hundreds of dead ami
the mountains that have succumbed
either to insufficient food or lack of
water. Ranchers are selling their cat
tie or moving them out of the country
to escape disaster. An old settler in
| e. 81 fhof hn
greatly overstocked the territory and
in his opinion New Mexico was fast
losing it's prestige as grazing country.
In an early day when the grass was al
lowed to mature it helped to cover the
soil and conserve what little moisture
| fell. Now with the cattle, sheep and
goats trimming up every spear of grass
and even eating up the roots and cut
ting the sod with their hoofs it left the
hot, dry winds to carry away the moist
ure so necessary to produce this food.
Then, too, the dry farming fad-is get
ting a strong hold on many sections of
the territory. Thousands of home
steaders have been induced to locate on
the high, broad plateaus in the western
part of the territory the past few years
and to try their luck in the much adj
vertised dry farming scheme. 1t is
based on the principle that the moist
ure falling in rain or snow may sink
! into the earth if the soil be lOOSened.
| Then that there shall be kept above
that moistened bed close, fine blanket
of dust that shall prevent evaporation.
These were formerly the best grazing
districts and of course the cattle and
sheep men have been compelled to
move on. Attempting to raise crop
without rain or with minimum amount
| of moisture is at best an experiment at
present, and | must confess that to me
| it looks as if it might turn out sorry
one to many of the settlers who have
| located there. Several irrigation
schemes that are being worked out
along water courses in this section Of
fer better promise, however.
DON'T WANT STATEHOOD.
Several influential citizens whom we
approached on the subject of statehood
were frank to say they did not believe
they needed it, nor would they vote for
| it if the question was submitted to the
people. The Mexican vote was too
large and too easily controlled by de-
signing politicians to make it a safe
proposition for New Mexico to become
state. The eastern portion of the
territory along the Pecos valley and the
Belen Cutoff was fast being settled up
by white people and in few years
more they thought conditions might i'm
prove so that different phase would
present itself. They complained too
that ring has the politics of the terri
| tory in their grasp at present and would,
they feared, continue to run things in
the same high handed way if it became
state, and this was another reason
why they preferred the ills they now
have rather than flee to others they
know not of.
| STEALING A COUNTY SEAT.
They have way of putting it over
the natives down here that indicates
that the ways of the politician are not
entirely unknown even in this faroff
country For great many years
Hillsboro, located Is miles off the Santa
Fe road that terminates at Lake Val