La Junta tribune., 1915-01-02
Mckinney
DoDe

AsS AssOsS u0V0b TIC OcStcb 14te
isfied am 70 live In La Junta. I
have Just returned from I trip to
Durango and Southwestern Colora-
DO and the Arkansas Valley looks
better to me than ever before.
There are two reasons why La Jun
q and vicinity are ahead OF Du-
ranso and tributary territory. La
Junta II on 4 main line and the
average farmer here can make .
eood living by growing beets and
other sure crops. He knows approx.
imately what he will get for his
bsets. and n he can farm At all he
b sure TO make at least q good liv-
ing. On the contrary Durango 10
q the far end Of 200 miles Of narrow
gauge railroad. and there IL nothing
that the farmer can raise that he
can be certain Of selling for q good
price. Practically nothing can be
shipped out except live stock. They
can't ship hay or grain or fruit prof.
itably.
One Of the finest fruit growing
sections In the west is In the Farm
ington-Axtec district south Of Du-
range. and another II in the Monte
suma Valley west Of Durango. But
~ there IL practically only . local
market. most Of the big crop goes
to waste. From the train. I saw be-
tween Aztec and Farmington. thous-
ands Of apple trees loaded with sp-
pies which had rotted on the trees.
Only . little more than one-half Of
the fruit crop was picked. the rest
being left on the trees. Some Of
the farmers who had hogs shook the
fruit off for the hogs.
was talking on the train with
W. r. Shelton. the superintendent Of
the San Juan Navajo Indian Reser-
walton at Shiprock. thirty-five miles
west OF Pennington. He said that
every year he bought for the agency
between ten and twenty tons Of
evaporated fruit. and as he could not
buy II at home. he had to send TO
California for II. There Is not an
evaporator or canning factory In the
district. An evaporator and few
canning factories would save all Of
he fruit that must otherwise rot
- the trees. but there apparently ID
not eaoogh snterpfise In that section
10 90 ahead and put them In. When
ths D. 4 r. q. Railroad broad saus-
= their road 70 Durango. then Tie
agricultural products can - shipSsd
oct and fasn laad which b not now
10 eultivatioa Will b fasnsd. and
thea Southwestern Colorado Will
psospsr.
Durango and Silverton both own
their own water systems. Both
have gravity systems which furnish
pure mountain water. II We had
that kind Of water here In Ia Junta,
water would probably come into
greater use o. . beverage 10 this Vi.
cinity. Durango gets her wates
from the Florida river. fifteen miles
norshsasa Of the city. II would nat.
urally seem that the cost Of main
taining the system would b low,
but the Durangoites have been rats.
ing an awful roar about Il this year
They have q water commissioner
assistant water commissioner. reser'
voir tender and pipe line and head
safe tender. and this summer the
pipe line had 70 be replaced. In theiI
budget for the next fiscal year. ~
7oo vas allowed for the water works
and The taxpayers said Il vas too
much aud wanted Il lowered. and
The water commissioner said Y
vasa't enough snd wanted II raised
Ths Weateru Colorado Powell
Company sslIs electirc currsnt d
eoasunsFs In Dufaneo q Is csuts Z
Z. ". hour. iess 10 per ceat dis
oounl THIS name company. which
has 90 immense plant run By vssei
powsr at Tacoma. half way betwees
Durango and Silverton. sells current
e the town Of 6ilverson. and thu
tovn rstai1s Il 70 coasumers. ~
oas tina ollvsssoa had . municipal
eosctsie light plant. but thsy cas
ny n cheaper from The COMPANY
than they can produce u. - The mu
nleipal plaat II . thing of Tie past
0llvestou 10 what 10 kn0wn ~
vS1s oDes town. Il has tveaty.fou'
saleoas as1 more thaa half q Ties
are eambllng housss. II ne nsvll
eoeesel Gevesnoe caa stop ops'
esnbiias h ollvssten. TslIsFid'
- ouray. 1uFins bic fIrst ysas
~ I wil1 eslisve hat ~ 90 uak'
~ s1ole ~ h 1915. Bat I a.
. 49, naa~nn.u fenaA Ranann fleV n