El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-27

made his orchard pay as high as $1e67
an acre.
In addition to this big spring, the ir
rigaion company is preparing to buy
what IS known as Phantom spring. a
mysterious cavern in the mOuntainside,
where springs bubble up and then disap-
pear again IN the ground, after forming
lake several hundred feet in area. An
effort will be made 20 draw off this
water instead of allowing il to sink
back into the earth. Then dam is TO
be built across q series of draws thSt
have their confluence in the upper ekd
Of the valley and catch enough rain
and snow from a 25-mile watershed on
one side OF the Davis mountains to ir-i-
gate another large acreage. All this
wafer viii be turned upon the lands
in the valley to make them bloom; TO
make the town of Balmorhea grow, and
TO make Pecos a greater Pecos.
On the Plains.
Meanwhile, the people on the plains
country covering the 40 miles between
Pecos and this valley paradise, are pre-
pairing TO develop their land with arte-
sian and shallow wells. The country
is beautifully level, covered Scly by a
small growth of brush. bright and
green even in the heat of summer,
showing that the soil is even moist
~ A@AipCA III ASdIlOu mere IS no region
IN the southwest that has greater
promise than that surrounding Pecos.
This is proved by the fact that the state
of Texas selected this as a location for
its experiment station, at which it will
test the plants that are likely 10 grow
and thrive here, work out the problem
OF water consumption, evaporation and
cost and help the people TO work out
their own salvation in a region that is
most promising.
Because of the development of water
by pumping from this shallow water
which underlays over 1905 acres trib-
utary TO Pecos City, lands which one
year ago were slow TO sell at SO per
acre are now being sought by home
seeker and investor at $40 TO $50 per
acre SufficientN work has been done
by those having the development work
in charge to prove the cost of produc-
ing the water and the cost of delivering
it 10 be about the same as that under
Plenty of Water.
With water in great auantities-the
strara of gravel bearing water aver
aging 20 feet deep-Tound at an aver
age depth of 40 feet, and which rises
to within 10 to 20 feet of the surface,
the first cost and fixed charge for deliv-
cry are reduced to a minimum
Men who have had experience in
this sort of development are quick to
appreciate the opportunities, and as
result there is great activity along this
line Almost daily are seen pumping
plants or casing for wells being taken
to the ranches. which, with the proper
development of water. Will at once be-
come attractive to the man seeking
home.
Prof. Welborn, formerly of the A. &,
NJ college, is entitled to great credit
for the impetus given this work He
has had years Of practical experience
in well construction and operation. and
his demonstration of first cost and
operation expense have done much TO
attract the attention of the local land
owners.
Cheap Pumping.
In a well recently tested, sufficient
water was lifted 10 Jrrigate 32O acres.
with A six-inch centrifugal pump and
a 15-horse power gasoline engine This
well was 135 feet deep and the total
cost Of the well was $3.50. Add to This
the cost of the pumping plant. enxire.
pump, etc, which will be about 1910
and you have a total cost of 1920. or
81 ger acre for your water rights
With system of this sort the irri-
gator becomes entirely independent of
the canal company, and free fl on the
friction which so often accompanies the |
dealings between the water user and the |