Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-03-14
EIGHT MILLION
DOLLAR DEAL
Merger IF Four Companies
Into Worlds Biggest Pri-
vate Enterprise
TO IRRIGATE 10000 ACRES
viii Be Rival In Size of the Great
Elephant Butte
Project.

An irrigation deal. involving eight
million dollars and which will mean
the consolidation of four irrigation
companies making it the largest pri-
yate irrigation enterprise in the world,
is believed to have been closed yes
terday Or is about to be closed.
Sophus Richards. the general mana
, ger of the French irrigation Company
of French Colfax county, was in the
city yesterday and it is rumored
that his visit here was to arrange to
have an extension of time granted the
French Irrigation Company to COM
plete its works. Mr.. Richards left last
night for his headquarters, after con
sulting with Territorial Engineer
Charles D. Miller,
This proposed consolidation was
mentioned in the New NJ %ican sever
al weeks ago. This consolidation has
for its object the placing under one
management in one company and as
one financial undertaking, four big ir-
rigation enterprises in Colfax county
making it the largest private iri1ga-
ton enterprise in the world, cover
ing something like 10000 acres. 1t
will he a rival as TO size of the Eie-
phant Butte project.
The works of all projects efcept
one are already completed and part OF
the land under irrigation and there
fore the proposition is more than
promoters scheme.
! The projects to be included are the
French Land and Irrigation Company
at French. the Maxwell Irrigated
Lands Company near Maxwell, the
Springer system in the vicinity OF
Springer and the huge Eagle Nest
iproject near Cimarron.
What They Are.
! The French Land and Irrigation
Company's project embraces what is
known as the Antelope Valley. A
trife over 10000 acres Of land have
been sold on the South Tract and the
construction work for the reclamation
of this tract already provided CON
sists of three reservoirs having ag.
gregate storage capacity of 5000 acre
feet. The entire system as contem.
plated will have complement of
seven reservoirs with total storage
capacity of $1,000 acre feet of water
/ derived daily and directly from the
following streams; Cimarron, Ponil
Vermejo, Cerrosozo and Van Bremen.
There are approximately 5000 acres
of land in cultivation this season.
The Maxwell Irrigated Lands Com
tpany owns about $4,000 acres of land
of which $500 have been sold to set
tiers and also the water rights of the
Vermejo Ditch Company. The com
pany also has water rights on the
Red River and is constructing the
Eagle Tail Ditch therefrom with 9
capacity of 1000 second feet. The to
tai available reservoir capacity is ap
proximately 10000 acre feet of which
about one-half will be in operation be
fore next spring.
The Springer Ditch Enterprise
takes its supply from the Cimarror
nVer and was the first irrigation enter
, prise to be completed near Springer
now the active center of many big ir
rigation enterprises 1t converted
| $500 acres of the valley range into
| productive farms and orchards.
/ The Eagles Nest project is one o.
, the largest private projects under con
' sideration and will utilize one of the
best natural reservoir sites in the
United States not far from Cimarron
1t is the greatest irrigation project il
l northern New Mexico and would re
claim 100000 acres of land.