Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-03-11
GUTTER A NEW
COUNTY SEAT
Key to the Treasure
Vault Of New
Mexico
SWIFT LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Glory Of Hillsboro That Was
of the Past---New Town
site on Railroad.

site on Railroad.
The Legislative Assembly yesterday
afternoon passed measure OF consld'
cradle importance to southern New
Mexico. although it affected directly
only the people of Sierra county and
part of Socorro county. House Bill
No. 256, introduced by Representative
Julian Chavez, provided for the addl'
ton of the tornado del Muerto coun'
try in southern Socorro county, to
Sierra county, and the change OF coun.
tv seat of the latter from Hillsboro to
Cutter, on the Santa Fe System In
presenting the bill, Representative
Chavez made brief and dignified ad-
dress in which he showed that the
measure would benefit great major
ity of his constituents and therefore
asked the House to pass the bill unan-
imously. Not only did the House ac'
cede to his request, but within two
hours, the bill had also passed the
Council unanimously, and Mr.. Chavez
was being congratulated upon his sue
cess in enlarging the area of his coun-
ty and in giving 1t a more central
county seat, located on the main line
of the Santa Fe System.
Hillsboro, while picturesque little
village, and historic as a mining camp
had little to recommend it for county
seat. 1t is eighteen miles from the
nearest railroad point, Lake Valley
and to reach it from there rough
range had to be crossed. 1t is just
as difficult to reach from the mining
camps to the north of IT., and since
the burning Of it's only hotel, was
even without hotel facilities so that
the court officials and litigants at the
last term of court were subject to
much Inconvenience. In the palmy
mining days of 1884 and later, when
the silver mines of Sierra county pro
duced wealth by the millions OF dol
lars, Hillsboro was a lively but rough
frontier town and when the county Of
Sierra was created quarter of a cen
tury ago was chosen as the county
seat. But it's glory departed years
ago and each year saw 1t dWlndle
in population and in prosperity, until
the change of county seat became I'M
perative for the convenience OF the
people. While volume might be writ
ten about the stirring early days OF
Hillsboro it's existence was exceed
ingly dull of late years and with the
mining camps to the north OF 1t re
minded one more of Goldsmith's de
serted village than of prosperous
wide-awake American county seat.
AS to Cutter, that is different tale
It is brand new townsite, although
for many years it has been station
on the Santa Fe railroad. 1t is only
since the work was commenced on the
Elephant Buttes s7,0OO,0O0 government
reclamation project that it's strateg
ical location began to be recognized
by railroad and by enterprising people
From it has been built one OF the
finest wagon roads in the Southwest
which rivals for scenic splendor the
famous highway between Santa Fe
and Las Vegas. 1t cuts over the rug
ged Caballo Range and crosses the Ric
,Grande river south of Las Palomas
and then proceeds on to Hillsboro
providing convenient thoroughfare
for central and northern Sierra county
Cutter will be also the terminal OF
the Elephant Butte railroad on which
the government will begin conssruc'
tion within the next thirty days. II
is NIT only almost in the geographical
center of the county, but is also halt
way between Albuquerque and E)
Paso, and will be made division
point and will doubtlessly secure rail
road shops before many moons have
passed. An electric railroad system
is to be constructed to the rich cop
per mines in the Caballo mountains
and in which considerable develop.
ment work has been done in the last
few years. Branches are to run north
and south along the Rio Grande river
and it is to have spurs into Hillsboro
and Kingston.
Not only will Cutter be the key to
a rich mining country, but it will be
also the center Of fine agricultural
section, in fact, tributary to it are
the richest agricultural lands in
the Southwest, lands that will be
watered from the Elephant Butte Dam
which will form vast lake that
will not only bring about the reclaim
alton Of thousands of acres but will
also materially affect the climate Of
that part Of New Mexico, increasing
its precipitation materially.
The bill passed yesterday provides
that Cutter Is to erect county build
ings as good as those at Hillsboro,
CONTINUED On Page Eight.)