Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-08-18
SAN JUAN BASIN
|. RICH IN WE Al I'll,
WE'LL DECLARES
Albuquerque Outlet for Great
Natural Riches Yet Un-
developed, 100 Boosters
of c. of c. Are Told.

An enthusiasm which speaks
well for the future prosperity of
Albuquerque was demonstrated at
the Chamber of Commerce boost
er's dinner held at the Y. Nj c. A.
last night. More than 100 men
We're present.
Rabbi Noise Bergman acted as
toastmaster and DR.. L. S. Peters,
president of the Chamber of Com
merce, opened the program, speak
ing briefly on the membership
drive NJ. L. Fox. who has just re-
turned from a trip east. spoke on
Conditions in the East" DR.. M.
X. Wylder talked on Drainage and
Road Building" and H. b. Wat
kins of the Chamber of Commerce,
on The Harvest Festival" Mr..
Watkins said that there would be
an exhibition of corn from every
state in the union.
We'll Principal Speaker.
The main address of the evening
was made by Sidney We'll, who un-
der the subject of the San Juan
Basin" asserted that New Mexico
is one of the richest undeveloped
states in the country, and spoke
with contagious and convincing
enthusiasm of the possibilities of
New Mexico.
There is more coal In the San
Juan basin" said Mr.. We'll, than
in Pennsylvania and West Virginia
put together. The nearest coal is
within forty-five miles of Albu-
querque." Mr.. We'll guaranteed
the building of a railroad if every
one would get back of him. In ad-
dition to the coal, he stated. there
are two and a half billion feet of
merchantable timber in that part
of the San Juan basin lying in New
Mexico and watered by the San
Juan river.
The largest deposit of pure gyp-
sum in the world was to be found
there also, not to mention the agri-
cultural products, the fruit. cattle
and wool. Mr.. We'll said.
Albuquerque Is Outlet.
Albuquerque is the natural out
let for all this wealth and | would
like to mention incidentally that
am not the originator of this idea,
nor the first person to put forward
a project to develop it. f. II. Har-
riman. former president of the
Southern Pacific railroad, formu-
lated the idea, and planned to build
railroad from the San Juan basin
to tap the Southern Pacific, to
! Phoenix, Ariz."
Mr.. We'll stated that the com
pany backing him had sold $604.-
600 worth of bonds for S750,000
and that it has underwritten $500
| 900 worth of stock There is d
great deal of sulphur all along the
way of the proposed railroad. in
fact, all through the San Juan
valley basin. and this suggested in
cidentally an additional project
! which would he made possible by
railroad and by a supply of sui
phur. that of paper manufacture.
The paper shortage is such to-
| day, stated Mr.. We'll, that within
two years there will not be al
eight-page paper printed from
Denver to the coast what this
would mean to the country can be
easily imagined A paralysis of
business. of advertising and travel
ing would result, he predicted.
Mr.. We'll said that if the rail-
roads could be persuaded to offer
low freight rate which would
enable shipping wood pulp into the
state from other states and bring
ing waste pulp from lumber mills
of New Mexico, it would not only
save the situation but open up a
/ In nt n
continued prosperity.