Semi-weekly herald., 1912-04-29

Louis Wyman, vice president, and
one of the commissioners of San Juan
county, Colo; DR.. A. J. Nossaman,
vice president from Archuleta county;
R. R. Smith, vice president from Cor
tez, Montezuma county; Harry Pyle
of Dolores; Messrs. Taylor, Young and
Abrams of the Aztec Commercial club;
Walter NJ. Danburg, F. w. Hall and
+. P. Hall of the Pennington Com
association.
Among those present from Durango
were Chas. E. Herr, T. C. Graden, DR.
A. L. Davis, J. J. link, J. w. Turner,
b. N. Freeman, Frank Eldredge, A.
P. Camp, j. R. C. Tyler, W. NJ. Glib
son, 7. B. Hale, Thos. H. Tulley, Ward
barley and j. H. Woods.
Immediately President Clay took the
floor and stated the object OF
the meeting, which was the considera-
ton of the railroad question. 1t was
reported to the congress that recent
ly representatives of the San Juan
congress and many others from this
section had met the Denver chamber
of commerce and had solicited their
aid in prevailing upon the D. & R. G
to broad gauge into Durango and that
as yet no official report had been re-
ceived by the congress, but that un-
official reports had been received to
the effect that the d. & r. G. company
had decided that it would not be in a
position to do anything along this line
for some time to come. From the
remarks made from number of able
speakers it was evident that no fur
ther hopes could be entertained for a
standard gauge road from Denver.
At this point the business changed
from consideration of standard
gauge from Denver TO an outlet to the
south either by way of Gallup or AL
buguerque. The distance from Farm
ington to Gallup is 113 miles and the
cost, estimated for the building of the
road that distance, would be $2,250,-
900. The approximate distance from
Pennington to Albuquerque is arouno
two hundred miles and the cost will
be somewhere about the four million.
mark. Every phase of the question
was discussed with the result that a
motion prevailed to authorize the
president of the congress to appoint a
f.py, 10 In lot 81.
conditions and take the matter up
with the idea of effecting permanent
organization for the purpose of financ-
ing the proposition. 1t developed that
two years ago the two counties of La
Plata and San Juan county, N. NJ.
had raised in very short time tn,
magnificent sum of $4,000 as do
nation to the Southern Pacific which
at that time had planned to build
from some point in Arizona to Farm
ington and Durango. While the dis
cussion was in progress it developed
that San Miguel county desired to
join the other San Juan counties, in
this movement. The further the dis.
cussion advanced the more enthusi-
astic all became and it was quite evi.
dent that when a people get ready tc
do their own work it is going to bt
done. There was evidence on ever,
hand that there is no place to stop OF
this movement and that it must b.
pushed to a completion. 1t was dem
onstrated that the south wants oul
coal, fruit and hay; that the grow
ing section embracing southern Cali
fornia and all of Arizona is awaiting
the building of road that thos,
people may have the advantage O
the Animas and San Juan apples
pears, cherries and other fruit; tina
they may have short route to ou
coal fields, our hay and grain. Their
is sufficient reason to believe tina
the Los Angeles and San Diego peo
pie will do everything in their powe
to assist in financing this proposition
"A short route to southern Californi
will mean saving of millions o
dollars to those people who pay So
ton for coal and as high as $25
ton for hay. Wood in Los Angeles i
so high that it is sold by the sack a
we sell potatoes here. An outlet t.
the south would bring US almost a
close to Los Angeles and San Dieg
as we are to Denver at the presen
time. The fact that New Mexico an
Arizona have just entered the roll o
the states will stimulate development
and growth in population for som
years to come. They need our prod
ucts and we need their money an,
good will. The Panama Canal expo
sition at San Diego will stimulat,
growth in southern California nevel
before witnessed. All these condition.
make it absolutely necessary for the
people of the great San Juan to gel
busy and stay busy until the goal Is