Semi-weekly herald., 1910-01-03
SHORT RESUME OF
III Tf: Tjjfi:s.H;.;!aST YEAR.
Durango and La Plata County Make Fine
Showing With Bright Prospects for
the Coming Year

= |tI u y rs |Il
The Denver & Rio Grande has had
! in vogue a potato rate for many years
that enables this section to compete
with Greeley and other potato dis
.trircts, Titus insuring market for
surplus product
A few years ago The county was not
considered in the fruit district, but
il has been fully demonstrated that
as an apple proposition there are sew
eral sections of the county that can
not be excelled any place in the state.
For instance. the Animas valley has
not had failure for twenty years
not even a frost in the spring, and
such thing as smudge pots are not
known in,the county. and a finer apple
IS not grown than is raised by many
whose orchards are just beginning 10
,giyes splendid returns. The result Is
that in q few years the increased
arceage win bring tho county to the
front as an apple shipper second to
none. And pears, They grow as large
and luscious as any bne could wish,
aud nefer failure in The Animas val
ley. which appeaps to be protected
Plums of every variety and all the
small fruits do exceptionally well, fes
peeially raspberries and strawberries
These facts have only recently been
demonstrated. hence very little has
been said and written about the fruit
possibilities of La Plata county
In addition TO. fruit and agriculture.
stock and lumber interests ard prom
inent assets and go a long ways to
add to- the wealth of the community,
~ say oSh'peaet4s si,ls s.a;sss ,5.ai
My ifOfF N'NShTrn TIE Southern Pacific
railroad is reaching, the coal erea be.
ing recognized as one Of the largest
In the state with coal that Is not
eXcelled for coking and domestic
purposes.
And this brings us to the most i'm
portant development of the year, the
sure building to Durango of what is
known as the Arizona G. Colorado rail-
road, branch of the Southern Pacific
For the past eight months the rail-
road company has had force of so
to 60 men with three complete camp
outfits, surveying a line from Gallup
to Durango. Every foot of the way
has been cross-sectioned and ready
for the graders. The road strikes the
San Juan river about twelve miles
below Pennington. then comes up the
San Juan TO Pennington, passing
through Aztec, the county seat of San
Juan county, New Mexico, and up the
Animas valley to Durango. The com.
pany has just asked the citizens to
provide terminals, depot grounds and
right of way through the city, the lat.
ter to enable the company to extend
the line to coal holdings west of Du-
rango on ] per cent grade. The rail
road company gives every assurance
OF having the line completed to Du-
range the coming year, or fifteen
months at the farthest. This will give
Durango direct rail communication
WIN southern California, connecting
that vast territory with the nearest
fuel, which means development of our
coal fields and employment of thou.
sands OF miners In the course of a
year or two again affording market
for the products of the soil. The as
sured building of this line has en-
thused the people with new life and
undoubtedly means the broadguaging
of the Fourth division of the Denver
e. Rio Grande, between Alamosa and
Durango, in the near future, the Farm.
ington branch of the road already
being broad guage.
The mining interests of the La Plata
mountains have progressed very sat
isfactorily. There are more men en-
ployed and the mines are looking bet.
ter. The Neglected mine, famous a
few years ago until closed down
through litigation of owners and per
mitted to fill with water was pur-
chased few months ago and is being
unwatered and development work al
ready started in some of the drifts.
The purchase price is said to be in
the neighborhood OF 100000. While
the returns from ore shipments from
the different mines have not been
made public the value is largely In
excess OF any previous year. The
ores have been shipped to the local
sinelter, branch of the American
Smelling and Refining company. This
smelter is modern and capable of
treating $50 to 500 tons of ore per
day, handling the product of the mines
of l. aPlata, San Juan, Dolores and
San Miguel counties. From $50 to
300 men are employed and the plant
has been running stearily during the