The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1912-03-06
1890 ooooeooa 100000 $685.
Netss From Lamar Register Of
TWENTY YEARS AGO +
March 8, 1892
March 8, 1892

Dan Mclean, a Baca county cat
tleman. left this week for Canada.
Lamar Lodge A. F. & A. NJ. will
hold its first regular meeting to-
night.
Born-TO Mr.. and Mrs. ]. w. Ball
last Sunday. boy.
sydney Finn had taken a sheriff
deed to what is now the Fort Lyon
canal and was trying to get possess
sion.
Among those who went to Las
Animas this morning to attend the
Henry ditch meeting were c.. H.
Mcvey. Jesse Wright. Ed Steward.
J. o. Stream and Fred Williams.
Fourteen Years In the Arkansas
Valley
(The following interesting early
day history and data was paper
read before the first Prowers ooun-
ty farmers institute by NJ. ]. Nc
Millin and published in the Regis
ter of February 81. 1922
We arrived here on the Sth day
of March, 1878. At that time the
great Santa Fe Route only had one
passenger train each way day.
This train consisted of one mail and
baggage car combined and two very
common coaches. About twice a
week a short freight train each
way. This was in the spring: be-
fore fall more trains we're added.
This 10 quite change from one
regular train a day at that time.
to over 40 schedule trains at the
present time. Then there was on
ly one telegraph line up the valley.
with only one telegraph wire. Now
we have two lines with eight wires.
Quite an Improvement you will say.
Yes, certainly; but no greater i'm
provement according than has been
made in our valley by the farmers
and men who are developing this
great country.
At that time the improvements Oh
a claim usually consisted of 10
by IL log or adobe shanty with dirt
roof and floor. with one room: gen.
orally a pretty good pole corral to
hold your cattle. " you were q stock
raiser, or to hold some one else's
II you were u farmer (for at that
time we had a herd law in force) /.
Today you see fine houses and all
necessary outbuildings on most OF
our farms. and we have some barns
In the county that very few east
ern farming communities could beat
Granada at that time was quite
a lively town, the second largest in
the county. 1t was the principal
shipping point for stockmen for
Bent county and all the country
south to the Texas line. also the
end OF a division on the Santa Fe.
Large roundhouses. sidetracks and
stockyards were located there. They
were later on removed to Coolidge.
Kansas. The only possibilities in
tile valley tnen were al Granada
ard West Lis An.mss. So miles
apart.
The only fence in the valley at
that time between Granada and Las
Animas was one small horse pas
ture of James Graham and one rs
acre farming field of Schmitt Bros.
both near where Carlton Is now.
Notice the change. Today there
are hundreds of miles of fence
which enclose some of as fine farm
ing and hay land as the sun ever
shown on. There were only three
bitches in operation in what is now
Prowers county at that time. These
were known as the Berkeley and
Gould ditch, the Vineland ditch,
and Slower and Baxter ditch; the
first two being taken out of the Ar
kansas river a short distance east
of Clay creek. and the last named
was taken out about three miles
east OF where Byron is now loeat-
ed. The total length of these three
bitches would not exceed 10 miles
and irrigated less than 500 acres.