Semi-weekly herald., 1912-07-15
SAN JUAN CONGRESS ENTER
TAINS CAPITALISTS

the auspices of the San Juan congress.
The occasion was the reception of the
Los Angeles committe: Charles Weir,
George H. Stewart and A. II. Naftz-
ger, who have been sent as represent
atives of the Los Angeles chamber of
commerce to make a report on the
San Juan country.
At the appointed hour large num-
ber of business men from all parts
of the San Juan sections gathered in
the commodious Elks lodge rooms Be
cause of the absence of President Clay
of the congress, occasioned by de-
yuma county points, Mr.. Edgar Buch-
anan, the former president of the
congress, was called upon to preside.
Mr.. Buchanan in calling the meeting
to order announced its purpose, and
outlined the program of the evening
in stating just what had bene done
by the congress in the way of getting
the Los Angeles people interested. He
stated in brief that the Los Angeles
chamber of commerce had ben invited
to come to the San Juan country for
personal inspection of the resources
and prospects of the country that it
was the mission of the congress and
all others interested to give the com
mittee just such facts as they could
profitably use in making a report to
the Los Angeles people upon their re
turn.
w. N. Searcy Introduced.
After Mr.. Buchanan had fully out
lined the purpose for which the meet
ing was held he introduced Mr. Searcy
of Silverton, whose mission, he said,
would be to inform the commtte as to
the resources and possibilities of this
great section of Colorado and New
Mexico.
Mr.. Searcy in a most logical and
interesting manner set forth the many
claims of the people who live in the
great San Juan. He gave as the
boundaries of this section lines, in
cluding Chama and Pagosa Springs,
on the east, with Silverton and Tellu-
ride on the north. He said it extended
to Utah on the west and far into New
Mexico on the south and comprised
an area as large as several of the
smaller states of the union, territory
one-fifth as large as the great state
the magnificent coal feds largely yet
undeveloped; the valuable mines of
gold, silver, lead, zinc and other pre-
cious metals. He insisted that this
territory had long been neglected by
capital and that it was only in its
infancy and related many incidents of
recent occurrence, such as the chas-
ing of deer, not long since, by
coyote, into the very limits of the
city of Silverton and the approach of
huge bear to the railroad and the
camps between here and Silverton.
All this he claimed was evidence that
the country is yet undeveloped and
waiting for the agency of man to
make it what is should and would be,
He explained how impossible it is
under prevailing conditions to make
Denver the local market when it is
800 miles away with rugged mountain
ranges in the way. He claimed with
the proper railroad facilities thou
sansd of families would come here to
make their home, that factories and
smelters would be built to handle
the product of the farm and the mines
for which at the present time there is
no market. He insisted that with the
establishment of factories here there
would naturally arise a demand for
products that cannot be produced here
and that, naturally, Los Angeles would
become the market place for this great
country if there would be built di-
rect route to the western coast. He
predicted that the great iron fields
of Utah would be developed to the ad-
vantage both of Utah and the great
San Juan country when conditions
were made favorable for their devel-
opment.
Mr.. Searcy explained that we are
shipping as far east as the Atlantic
coast and that according to all rea-
son this trade belongs to the western
coast and particularly to southern
California.
He insisted that there S no more
beautiful scenery in all the world and
no better place for a seasons outing.
He felt satisfied that when the Los
Angeles people knew about what we
had in store for them they would be
active in assisting us in securing rail
road connection with the Pacific
coast.
Mr. Searcy did not base all Of the
claims of the San Juan country upon
its mountain scenery and mineral in
dustries. He stated that we had the
best source of water for irrigation to
be found any where, that our vallies
and mesas can not be surpassed in
fertility, that the agricultural pros
poets are no better or brighter any
where on the face Of the earth than
here. In fact, he was ready to give
his opinion that with proper railroad
facilities thara ig po riehar eottptry