Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1912-07-05
SI.oo Per Year. No. l6

Congressman II. B. FERGUSON has in
troduced in the house of representa-
tives bill which, If passed, will do more
towarde velopng the esertlandsofNew
Mexico than anything yet undertaken.
There are in New Mexico today thous-
ands-even millions-ofacreso barren
waste. This land has been lying idle
snce the dawn of creation and unless
inducements On the order Of Mr. Fer
gusson's bill are held out 10 the e1ple
to develop the land it will, Ia great
measure, remain idle for all time to
come. Mr.. Fergusson proposes that
every man who develops water on the
public domain by pumping from a
depth offfp feet ormore, begiven forty
acres Immediately surrounding the well.
Which must be cultivated, no man to
be entitled 10 more than eight such
tracts or the present $40 acre desert
claim. The bill was referred to the
committee on irrigation of arid lands
and in explanation of the necessity of
such law. Mr.. Ferguson MADE the
followii & address before that commit
tee:
The first result Of this bill will be
The prospecting Of land absolutely un-
uitahle, as far as demonstrated, for
agricultural purposes orfor irrigation,
ard will induce cattle ard sheep men
II regions where they cannot graze
cattle and sheep now because Of lack
Of water- twill induce Che grazingtncn
prospect for water, and proposes to
eward them for the expense Incurred
n procuring water on grazing lands
o. absolutely ifaccesst IL tofhe hsfds
eeaese Of lack oi Nater. Shcud vat
tef he found at less tan l0. feet ii
dspth, it as teen cenotAtialed, 1T
ast IN hsw Me1ico. tEat III many
places mater v I'D ccne up to within
Y feet on tie surface tLat is rot
strictly artesian, and in five OF siA diff
ferens places IN New Mexico where it
rotjnecessafy to pump water from
further depth than fftyor sixty feet,
little farms have been irrigated from
these wells and agriculture largely
psonoted. might mention the MINI
bres valley n New Mexico, around De
ring, where tlere ere mere than
unGred farms on lard tfat was for
Fmefly ft only fcr grazing where vat
er was acceesite wilma FIVE or ak
nile drive Ey accident It was found
t at water IN ! eAhaustible quantities
csuld be pumped from wells and falm ms
could he created So that If the ca tie
man or sheer man sinks well and
has to go 100 feet or more for water.
cannot by pumping rrirate anything,
because the pumping wouldbe too eA-
pensive. but he can afford, for tie
sake of reaching the rich grass, to
spend all that is necessary in sinking
% great depth and pumping from q
great DEPTH in order to get ard mike
valuable for bis herds, ether cattle or
sheep, the grazitg lands"
The Bulletin of the New Mexico Pub
licity Association says: The citizens
of New Mexico cannot commend this
action too highly and no time should be
lost in trying to influence every con-
gresham and every senator in Wash
ington to support the measure. The
homesteaders of New Mexico and Of
other western states are indebted in a
great measure to newspapers through
out the west for agitating int strong
est terms possible the passage of the
three-vear homestead bill " was
though their aid that the western con-
gressmen and senators were able to
convince the conservative easterners
that life on homestead is not dream
and that three years residence is sulii
cient pay for any quarter section Of
Uncle Sam domain. Let us eet to-