Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1912-04-26
WHAT A CHANGE
IN THREE YEARS!
by n. Bedichek.


Avenue to Pine Street up Pine
street to Gold Avenue and up Gold
Avenue to the p0stoffice. didn't
meet n single person on the street.
I glanced into such stores AZ were
occupied, and clerks and proprietors
were loafng. There was not single
,eam. wagon, carriage. go-cart or any
,ehicle 10 he seen upon the street.
naturally sized up the town ms II
deod one, and commenced studying
my railway folder to see how soon
could get away.
Finding that It would he several
hours before | could expect Ia take
n train for the west, ! dropped into
the office of Mai. Jas. u. Waddill.
The Major was n booster even In
those dull days, and he dwelt to
some extent upon the glorIes of the
climate, the soul-filling immensely Of
vast horizons. and the Understandable
grandeur w MlmUi'h NNt'N
Having keen appreciation of the
food.yalne Of these features, ! was
stlll disposed to drift westward with
the next train. But he told me fur
ther that people were beginning to
lake M land In the environs of DEM
ing. and described to me large irri-
cation well which had recently been
brought In by Shull Bros. three miles
east Of town. Immediately pricked
mn my ears. II there was water here
for irrigation, | could see possibili.
ties of beans and bacon In addition
10 understandable sunsets and vast
horizons.
A trim tn the Shull well with u. =.
Shull convinced me that the water
was here in great quantities, and |
could see nn reason why with recent
improvements IN pumping machinery
this water was not economically ac-
ccssible for irrigation. So | decided
10 remain for while at any rate.
and enjoy the scenery, with an eye
all the time 10 the commercial pos
sihillirs Of unimproved land took
M 500 acres of land near town, and
the price | paid for IL ought ~ make
me ashamed to look the Government
in the face. II was one deal In which
Uncle Sam was buncoed good ana
plenty. The Humid well and the Hicks
well were brought in shortly after my
arrival and they OF course increased
my confidence in the extent Of the
water area. then went rather thor
oughly into the water-supply ques-
ton. found that the valley had Il
mountain watershed Of 400 square
miles upon which there was an an
nual rainfall of at least 20 inches.
! naturally supposed that this water
must go somewhere. The geology of
the country showed conclnsively that
II must go into the underflow, and
from that II was only very short
logical step to the conclusion that an
nnderilow which took care Of those
tremendous yearly accessions must
be proportionately tremendous In en-
tent ! came to the conclusion that
there must be at least 10000 acres
In the valley susceptible of reclama-
ton. This. knew. meant ultimately
town of twenty thousand people.
So got n job and settled down To
watch It grow
incidentally | made the acquaint-
ance of a few old-timers such as u.
Y. McKees and f. u. Burdick. and
from them | learned something OF
The history Of Deming and the MINI
bres Valley. found that II was once
asplendid cattle country. T.. +. Bur
dlck told me that he had seen the
Mmbres Valley one waving field of
grass belly-deep to a horse from
'""" 'h'HH'dlHS w lH' u ioTiudS'
heard of fortunes made and lost In
the cattle business, varying with wet
ana dry cycles. From Mr.. Burdick.
especially, learned several volumes
abont general water conditions. he
having had possibly more experience
IN putting down wells In this valley
'han any other one man. found
mat he had put down two OF the
"eepcst wells In the valley, one eight
miles southwest 1865 feet deep. and
one four miles east 40 feet deep.
III the former well there were at
"ast twenty-five distinct water-bear-
'hs strata; in tho latter there were
natl as many. There Is distinct
'flesian strata mt $50 feet, but II Is
""' strong enough for use In irriga-
''on' All this. however, Strengthens
o"es faith In the inexkaustibility Of
Tue water-supply.
" one reasons frs. from the tre-
"ehdois catchment area and the
zoology and the animal nrecinitatiOn