Semi-weekly herald., 1916-02-21
= NINE iiiI.i 80.
OF OPPORTUNITY
By Z. P. Wilson


the heart of the Rocky mountains,
with 3 drainage to the south and
west. From east to west the basin
is $50 miles and from. north to south
it extends for 100 miles. This area,
containing 7,740,120 acres, abounds in
large variety of natural resources.
among, which may be mentioned gold
and silver mining, coal, lumber,
agriculture, horticulture, live stock,
abundance. of purest water and an in
comparable climate the year around.
In this region vast variety of alti-
tudes may be enjoyed. The snow
clad peaks that rise over $4,000 feet
and into whose massive sides the min
ers' pick is pounding, look down upon
valleys that are less than $500 feet
above sea level. AS may be imagin-
ed this wide range gives wide d.
versity of products. And from the
basin each year the very highest class
OF farm crops, coal, coke, wool. sheep
and cattle, fruit and Indian blankets
arc exported.
There are at present about 81 900
people in the basin, divided among the
counties of San Juan, La Plata, Mon.
tezuma and Archuleta in Colorado,
and San Juan county in New Mexico.
There are the following Incorporate
ed towns in the basin: Durango,
Silverton, Mancos, Animas City, Cor
tez. Dolores, Bayfield, Tgnacio, Pa
gosa Springs and Rico in Colorado
end Aztec and Pennington in New
Mexico. Letters of inquiry addressed
to the secretary of commercial club
IN any of these towns or to the Du-
rango Exchange will be promptly
answered
There are 1880 square miles of
coal in the region, which the United
States Geological survey reports
show to contain 152,S55, 900 900 tons
of fine coal. Coke that ranks with
the best is made. In 1914 the fig
ures Of coal production exceeded l76,-
600 tons, and of coke about 10000
tons.
Prospective homesseksrs Will be
more interested in learning the
chances to secure land in this region
than anything in the way Of statis-
tics. Excellent land, with perpetual
water right paid, and improved with
fences and buildings, sells at from
$25 to $50 per acre in the country
to the east of Durango, while near
the central portion and in San Juan
county. New Mexico prices range
somewhat higher. There are thous-
ands of vacant government acres in
this basin, some of it in national
forests, but in round figures there
are, I,760,000 acres yet open to entry.
These lands are partially susceptible
to irrigation, and in these, districts
only l60 acres can be filed on. In
the dry. farming section 320-acre
homesteads can be taken. Crops rails
ed by dry. farming are. remarkable,
tho rainfall of 1857 inches. as shown
by the government weather station,
being sufficient to mature wheat,
oats, corn, milo, maize, sudan grass,
etc.
Livestock is one Of the leading in
dustries and approximately 1,0O0,-
900 head Of sheep, -150 head Of cattle
besides hogs, mules, horses and poul-
try are raised annually here. No
disease has ever attacked live stock
In this section.
Durango, the commercial center OF
this rich territory, Is a modern little
city Of 5000. with, street cars, cleo
trio lights. sewers, beautiful resi-
denoes, business blocks, churches and
schools, and commands a splendid
view of the mountains. A high
school building to cost s176, 900 is now
planned. the ground having been Sc
cured. Over the Continental divide
between the San Luis valley and Pa.
gosa Springs, the state highway com,
mission has just completed gooo
road that opens the San Juan fol
the first time to auto travel. The
mystic cliff lruins Of tho MeAa Verde
National. park, the hot springs at Pa
gosa and Trimble, the 500 miles
Of trout streams besides numberlesi
lakes, snow-tipped peaks, pine for
ests. wonderfully colored rock form
atoms, flowers in profuSion, amoni
which have been built splendid sys
tenn of roads, offer a change Of seem
to the tourist that lures with in
creasing charm and grandeur.
Information on the Basin will b
gladly furnished by the Durango Elk
change. which repressnts the busines
men Of all sections. 80
E0x nRR0AATNM.