Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-11-20
Durango and Farmington to Be
Connected With Outside
World by Standard Gauge;
Million Dollars Pledged.
ALBUQUERQUE STANDS
CHANCE WITH GALLUP
Proposed to Open Up InIand|
Empire, Development of
Which Has Heretofore Been
ThWarted.

Albuquerque has chance to get on
the map--to get another railroad. \
railroad from the San Juan basin
Durango, Colorado, Farmngton, New
Mexico and intervening points-for
thirty years the dream, the hope, the
prayer, of the residents of that vast in
land empire, is soon to be built, either
to Albuquerque or to Gallup. The dis
tance from Pennington to Gallup is
112 miles, from Pennington to Albu-
querque, 40 miles. Connections will
be made with the main line of the
Santa Fe either at Albuquerque or
Gallup. If Albuquerque is fortunate
enough to secure the extension, the
railroad through Tijeras canyon to
Moriarty, over the old Albuquerque
Eastern right of-way--a distance of
thirty-two miles, there forming con-
nections with the New Mexico Central,
there is the extension, now being talked
of very much, from Torrance to Ros-
well---and eventually a tidewater ter
minal by connections with gulf roads.
Unknown to Albuquerque.
The San Juan basin, conceded to
be the richest in undeveloped re-
sources in America, is practically a
stranger to the people of Albuquer-
que, and of New Mexico generally,
because of the lack of transportation
facilities. For years the basin has
been developed under the most trying
Circumstances. Farmers have planted
wheat and corn and potatoes. Thou
sands of the finest apple trees in the
country have been grown. Sheep and
cattlemen have raised large herds.
And all because of the fact that the
basin has but a narrow gauge railroad
to transport the produce, the people
have become tired and discouraged.
The wheat and corn have not gone to
market. The potatoes have frozen on
the ground because cars were not
available to ship them out Sheep
and cattle have shrunk So greatly in
transporting them that growers have
almost quit shipping by rail. Sap
Juan apples. the best in America,
have fallen from the trees and become
rotten on the ground for want of a
market
But the people of San Juan are
game. They are going into another
big fight for a railroad. For thirty
Years they have listened to rail
road promoters, to engineers
They have seen surveys made
to Gallup and to Albuquerque. And
each time promises Of railroad have
failed when it came time to lay the
steel.
This time the people of Durango
and Pennington and of every little
town in the San Juan basin-every
farmer, every cattle grower, every
sawmill owner, every banker, every
merchant and every professional man
broad gauge railroad--either to Gal
lup or to Albuquerque.
Hereby Gets Active.
A few nights ago at mass meeting
of San Juan county people held in
Pennington, an even million dollars
was promised to NJ. b. Hereley, of
Chicago, for a railroad extension out
VI tilt DdSlIl. IulS ulIOulil VI IIlOHtN
is to be paid, at Mr.. Hereley's own
request, after the extension is COM
pleted and not one cent paid before
that time. The people Of the San
Juan country are backing their prom
ises by liens on their lands.
A survey of the San Juan basin
some years ago developed facts that
are almost unbelievable. There are
of acres of the finest agri-
cultural lands IN the United States
now lying idle-waiting for the till
ing of the soil. There are 5000, ,000,-
COO feet of saw timber standing in
virgin forests-ready to be cut. The
United States geologists say, in re-
port, that there is vast coal region,
which would require 25,000 years to
exhaust, if 10000 tons of coal were
mined every day in the year for that
length of time.
A Railroad Builder.
NJ B. Hereley, railroad builder, who
Is making his home and headquarters
in Albuquerque while engaged in pro-
noting the enterprise, returned home
Sunday from the San Juan country,
enthusiastic over the interest shown
by the people in the proposed extern
sion. Mr.. Hereley is a mans man. He
has square jaw and fighting face,
Nephew of Barney Lantry, one of