El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-05
WOULD RECLAIM
M ALLEN LANDS
Statistician Blanchard Says
Valley There Wonder
fully Rich Place.

o. j. Blanchard. statistican Of tho
federal reclamation service, with
headquarters at Washington. ID. c.
arrived in EI Paso Tuesday evening
from LcAHen. Tex where he and a
government photographer. j. C. Car
ter. attended a meeting Of prominent
Americans and 1Iexicans who seek to
construct in the extreme southeastern
section Of the state. one Of the largest
conservation projects in the west
Under the proposed dam and series
or canals, which VIII interlocE with
larerals now in existence. millions Of
acres said TO be capable of producing
three ordinary crops a year. or il
planted 20 alfalfa VIII permit Of from
eiEl- TO il cuttings year. VIII be re-
claimed
jim that section. fin close proximity
10 McAlau. there are now under Guilt
walton Do excess Of 10000 acres. and
more than luG0 LeNicaus are engaged
ln clearing other lands, which are ir-
riEated br q canal system supplied
with water pumped from wells
Proposed Dam Near 1IcAueu.
The project under discussion calls
for a dam on the Rio Graude above
LcAueu- From 10 VIII run a series
Of canals connecting with those now
operated bg Is colonization com
uaules-
Nothing can be done in the premises
until the consent OF president Car
-luZa az Mexico. is first secured. bee
cause much Of the water proposed 20
be imuouuded viii come from streams
on the opposite side Of the Rio
mountains Of Mexico
Lay II Before Ncxicans.
The object Of the meeting was 70
Jay before the Mexican attendants The
scope Of the project. how lands on the
Mexican side Of the river would tene-
III equally with those on this side,
ana what concessions would have 10
De -aade by the Mexican government
relative TO lesseaiug passport cOuci-
tlous during preliminary survey
work and actual construction Of the
d IS conceded that the majority Ct
the water I'M the Rio Grande ~ chat
point comes from Mexican sources.
American engineers working eth
those Of CarrauZa. viii first have TO
survey the Mexican rivers 10 deter
mine just what proportion OF the inn
pounded waters would rightly belong
f0 Mexico and what portion could lee
claimed by the American government
Think Carrauza Favorable.
The Mexican delegates 10 the meet
ing. said At Blanchard this morning,
expressed themselves as confident
thar Carrauza VIII look with favor
upon the proposed conservation end
utilization OF the now waste waters OF
che lower RIO Grande- They said they
would lose no time in laying the
whole matter before him and urge
upon him 20 make a final announce
mer soon as possible
llr- BIaucard said that in two days
81 McAllen he witnessed the sale Of
more than 100000 worth OF land 10
new settlers u four minutes, one
day. he saw $4,000 worth cf land
change hands. bringing from $3.50 TO
$3.50 an acre according to location,
and others fighting 20 make FUR
chases-
Water at SO Per Acre.
This land IS under a most perfect
system OF canals and bitches, the
pumped water selling for SO per sore
per year. Under the proposed dam.
the cost viii be considerably less end
the flow more assured. for as Mr..
Blanchard very terselv put it; -YO on
can't alWads depend upon a pump"
The fertility Of the soil In that ser
tlon OF Texas said the statistican- Is
roha1lT the most wonderful in the
United States What several years
ago was a barren waste is now a YER
table garden Of Eden. farms stretch
ing for miles in every direction. Csttle
feeding upon grass that grows faster
than they can elt IL. truck gardens
everywhere miles OF land devoted OK