The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1920-07-16
CASTING IN ON A E

WITHIN easy walking. distance OF the city limits Of Las Vegas
~ ripenine. It IS the largest wheat field in the state and one
Of the largest in the west. Probably ii is the largest compact body
too, and barring some disaster, will harvest an average Of 80 bushels
TO the acre. 1t may go as high ms 40 bushels.
wheat field, stretching along a well built, modern irrigation canal
almost as far as: the eye can record It is the tangible evidence Of
the fact that . project, long regarded as q dream, has been realized
and,that.thi dream is beginning to cash in.
This wheat fsid'is part of the Storrie irrigation project, better
known as the Las Vegas project, now practically completed, with
water enough stored in its reservoir to protect the 10000 acres under
the project for two crop seasons to come and with water sources
Completion Of this project absolutely insures the future of Las
Vegas a . an agricultural community; ii is a guarantee of prosperity
for the town and district. The success of the storrie project, and
that success is assured, means the early undertaking of two larger
hut directly tributary to it. Development Of this agricultural re
source viii double the population of Las Vegas probably before the
next cedsns IL will also double the annual cash resources Of that
The Las Vegas irrigation project was arst proposed a number
Of years ago when the Las Vegas grant board raised 100000 on a
portion of its land grant, to be employed ip the construction. The
$20A00 was made available in cash but through ~vrious causes the
dreatn, much as many Of our people continue to look upon the drain
age of the Central Rio Grande valley. At one time a proposal was
raGe that this 100000 be used for building an industrial school in
the old town Of Las Vegas. The money came very near to being used
a session of the Legislature. The diversion Of the money was pre-
vented only by the clear thinking and standpat courage Of. Senator
John s. Clark who stood out against the Legislation desired, opposing
a very strong and influential group of people in his home county. He
sooo i az ,, u, tse IT IRRIGATION ga sa project and ms Sex experience ir nsai told N mn III. dhat
tEis, school a.. He as. saved the nest egg which finally made .n the lt ding
add value to All the land in the district.
2 dttuht DuuuinB Oh ne Lhs fe1hs pfO1ect nv oeeh cdrritui
out by X. c. Storrie, a practical contractor, who has built big things
from coast to coast and is still building them. storrie has personally
directed. the work and has financed IL himself. The 2y0O0acre wheat
field is his, He proposes to develop and improve the land TO put it
into shape to produce Immediately and adequately before placing an
acre of it ON the market. He is not holding the land for speculative
purposes but vii. so develop and demonstrate it as to insure the sue
cess Of every farming family that goes onto it. The project is a
model Of practical construction; without frills, but built for lasting
use. II is a fe example Of what may be done with the iFriga5e
areas Of our state when the work is handled on q business basis by
practical men. E
II S reported that the cotton crop q the Carlsbad irrigation
project in Eddy cunty will realize ~$3,0O0O00 or more for its cotton
crop alone this season. The diversified farming of the Meshla valley,
under the Elephant Butte project will produce considerable more
than the value Of Carlsbad's cotton crop. The important Eagles
Nest project in Colfax county has been carried through successfully
Las Vegas becomes with this season the market place for a modern
irrigation farming area. These are all dreams that have been ra-
lzed and that are now cashng in.
an influential business man of Albuquerque said quite recently that
drainage of the Central Rio Grande valley is a dream; one that can
not be made a reality. Actually, however, there is more of substan-
til basis, and actual tangible value and results susceptible of advance
proof in the development Of this part Of the Rio Grande valley than
could be mustered in behalf Of any of the completed projects men,
toned above. The difference in these finished projects which have
been realized upon, and ours which is drifting from bad TO worse, IS
mainly in the fact that in each ease there came to these finished pro-
jects men with broad business Judgment and ample courage who were
willing to tackle a big job and determined to see II through.
Every necessary element is present and every condition favor
able to the transformation of the valley from a mosquito infested
chain Of frog ponds into q beahhful, thriving agricultural mint, ex-
cept the leadership that will grasp the bgness of the proposition
without being frightened by it and will tackle the job determined
to see Il through.
In the meantime Las Vegas is TO be congratulated upon having
had the men with vision and courage TO stand by the Las Vegas iri-
cation project during its doubtful days, and in finding a real builder
like Storrieto see II through.