El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-08

" HREE years ago the 14th Of this
April G912), at 10 o'clock a. m.
1 walked from the union station
up Silver avenue to Pine street, up
Pine street to Gold avenue and up Gold
avenue to the pOstoffice. 1 didn't meet
a single person on the street. / glanced
into such stores as were occupied. and
clerks and prOprietors were lOafing.
There was not a single team, wagon,
carriage, gocart or any vehicle to be
seen on the street 1 naturally sized
the town up as a dead one, and COM
menced studying my railway folder 10
see how soon / could get away
Finding that it would be several
hours before 1 could expect to take
train for the west. / dropped into the
office of Mai. Jas. r Waddill. The
major was a booster and he dWelt 10
some extent upon the glories OF the eli
mate, the soul filling immensely of
vast horizons, and the indescribable
grandeur Of the Mimbres valley sun
sets. Having a keen appreciation Of
the food value Of these features. 1 was
still disposed TO drift westward with
the next train. But he told me fur
Their that people were beginning TO take
Up land in the envirOns Of Deming. and
described to me a large irrigation well
which had recently been brought in by
Shun Bros, three miles east Of town,
] INN ediately pricked up my ears. II
there was water here for irrigation.
could see possibilities Of beans and
bacon in addition 10 indescribable
sunsets and vast horizons.
Great Quantities of Water
A trip to the ShUll well with B. p.
ShuIl convinced me that the water was
here in great Quantities and I could
see no reason why. with recent i'm
prOVements in pumping machinery, this
water was not economically accessible
Tor irrigation. So decided to remain
for awhile. at any rate, and enjoy the
scenery. with an eye all the time TO the
comm erlcal possibilities OF untmprOved
land 7 took up $50 acres of land near
town, and the price I paid for it ought
10 make me ashamed to look the gov
eminent in the face 1t was one deal
In which Uncle Sam was buncOed good
and 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 I then went rather
thoroughly into the water supply ques-
ton.
Has Mountain Watershed.
found that the valley had a noun
tain watershed of 1900 square miles
fall OF al least 20 inches. l naturally
supposed that this water must 20 some
where The geology of the country
showed cOnclusiVely that il must go
into the underflOw and from that il
was only a very short. logical step to
the conclusion that an underflOw, which
took care OF those tremendous yearly
sccessiOns. must be propOrtionately
conclusion that there must be at least
100000 acres in the valley susceptible
Of reclamation This, / knew, meant
ultimately A town OF %, 900 people. So
I got a job and settled down 70 watch
il grow.
Learns Some History.
incidentally 7 made the acquaintance
OF a few old timers. such as B. Y Nc
u
them I learned something of the hislO-
~ Of Deming and the Mimbres valley.
found that 1t was once splendid
cattle country F. E Burdick told me
that he had seen the Mimbres valley
one waving field of grass. belly deep
20 a horse. from Cooks mountains 20
the Floridas. I heard of fortunes made
and lost in the cattle business. varying
with wet aid dry cycles. From Mr..
Burdick. especially. learned several
volumes about general water cOndi-
tons. he having had possibly more eX-
perience in putting down wells in this
valley than any other one man. I found
that he had put down two Of the deep
est wells in the valley, one eight miles
southeast 1865 feet deep. and one four
miles east. 10 feet deep. In the for
mer well there were at least % distinct
water bearing strata. and in the latter
half as many. There is a distinct ar
.tesian strata at $50 feet but is not
strong enough for use in irrigation
faith in the inexhaustibility OF the
water supply.
II one reasons first from the tremen-
dOus catchment area and the geology
and the annual precipitation that there
must be somewhere under the valley an
lneXhausuble water supply, and then
reasons from the strength. thickness, I
pressure. etc, of the actual water
bearing strata encountered in wells.
there can be no doubt left in his mind
concerning the permanency and amount
OF the underground water. It is Just
the character Of demonstration which I
meets fully the demands OF the severest /
logic.
valley Very Productive.
My attention was first drawn to the Z
prOductiTeness OF Mimbres valley soil Z
by a visit TO the truck garden OF (
Wah Bros. a mile northeast Of the T.
postOffice. Here was a Chinaman /
pumping a small stream OF water with 4
a very expensive and inefficient outfit, Z
using electricity, paying an exhOrbi- /
tant rate and still making money so ]
fast that IL made YOU dizzy I have
visited and investigated a great many
irrigation districts, but I have never /
seen a truck garden any finer than this
20 acres developed by the sagacious Orf-
entail It is a reveal ton. an inspiration.
an eloquent recommendation OF the
thrift. intelligence and industry =
the Chinese farmer. and an irrefuta Bile
testimonial to the superb agricultural
=
and OF the soil of this valley in par
ticular I heard a husky railroad man I
who had in the face Of much ridicule .
filed on claim southeast OF town saw ;
that If a Chink can make II pay. I !
can" And. II anyone happens TO in
GUire he has made II pay 10 the extent
OF some $4,000.
Gets a Good Newspaper.
So things went along slowly at first
Tor about a year, about which time an
editor. Ralph c. Ely, from Michigan.
with an irresistible inclination TO
boost everything and everybody,
dropped into town, and his alert fam
cies were for several days under the
alert training OF Ralph C. Ely. The
apt words and cunning phrases which
clothed the brilliant speculations OF
this latter gentleman concerning the
possibilities of the AIimbres valley. so
moved the susceptible editor from !
Michigan that he paid In good hard !
cash IL is rumOred. a handsome sum Z
or the junk pile which then went bv
he name Of the Deming Graphic This !
Milady's Toilet Table