USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume II > Part 40
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townsite of Hagerman, where he devoted twenty-four acres to horticul- tural pursuits. The land, however, proved to be alkali and the orchard died. Experience proved a hard task-master, but the lessons learned have never been forgotten, and six years ago he came to his present place three- fourths of a mile southwest of Hagerman. He has here twenty acres, all in orchard, for which he paid twenty dollars per acre, including the water right. The land has rapidly advanced in value and he would not today take five hundred dollars per acre for the property, for he found it to be an excellent fruit-producing tract and his orchards now yield fine crops.
From an early period in the history of the development of Chaves county the name of J. M. Miller has appeared frequently upon its records in connection with one of its most important industries, that of sheep rais- ing. As early as 1878 he took up his abode within the borders of the Ter- ritory, at that time locating on a farm eleven miles southeast of Roswell, on what is now known as the Chisholm Hog ranch. In 1880 he embarked in the sheep business, being thus numbered among the pioneers in the in- dustry, for at that time the only two men engaged in the business in what is now Eddy and Chaves counties were Judge Stone and Captain Lea. In those early days the sheep business was very badly conducted, scab being very prevalent, with no preventatives whatever, for the scab laws had not then been enforced. It was not until 1893 that the first scab law was enacted, but was not even then enforced to any great extent, until finally, in 1904, the government took hold of the matter and sent representatives to conduct the dipping, and the disease is now practically eliminated. Mr. Miller continued in the sheep business until 1897, when he sold twenty- one thousand head, and was practically retired from the industry for two years, when he again became interested financially, with his sons. He now has property interests in the Pomona Farmers' Tract, consisting of fifteen blocks, from thirty to fifty acres each, making in all about five hun- dred and twenty-five acres. while in addition he is the owner of 1,920 acres along the Pecos river, eight miles southeast of Roswell, which is devoted to grazing and farming purposes.
Fred H. Miller, a son of James M. Miller, represented elsewhere in this work, has always been identified with the interests of the Southwest and for several years was engaged in the sheep industry. He is now giving his attention to the real estate business, handling his own property. He has sixteen hundred acres of fine land in the Pecos valley and lives upon a farm of eighty acres, a miles and a half west of Roswell. His at- tention is given to the development of the property, and as a promoter of the interests of this section of the Territory he has contributed in sub- stantial measure to general progress and improvement.
Noah S. West, who is the owner of two hundred and eighty acres of well irrigated land near Hagerman, New Mexico, was born February 5. 1871, at Brook, Grant county, Arkansas, and is a son of John A. and Eliza- beth (Clement) West, the former born in Mississippi, August 4. 1847, and the latter in Georgia, March 18, 1850. The father became a resident of Grant county, Arkansas, in 1849, and the mother in 1853. He was a farmer by occupation and engaged in stock-raising and in carpentering and blacksmithing.
Noah S. West attended the common schools in his youth and attended a high school for ten months after he had attained the age of twenty-two
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years. His time and attention were largely occupied by the work of the home farm, and throughout his life he has been interested in agricultural pursuits. After leaving school he engaged in teaching, but, deciding that he preferred the work of the fields, he returned to the farm.
It was after leaving the schoolroom that he married and removed to a farm in Grant county, Arkansas, where he remained for six years, and then, on account of illness, removed to the plains in northwestern Texas in the winter of 1901-2. There he lived for two years, being engaged in farming for one year and in the lumber business for one year. On the 26th of September, 1902, he went from Canon City, Texas, to Roswell, New Mexico, to visit the fair, and was so well pleased with the red apple and alfalfa farms that he purchased land before returning home. He took up his abode upon his new purchase in October of the same year and has here since resided, having two hundred and eighty acres of well irri- gated and productive land near Hagerman. He is also president of the Hagerman Real Estate Company, and is now serving for the second term as horticultural commissioner on the board of Chaves county.
Mr. West is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Methodist Episcopal church south. He was married, February 14, 1895, in Cleveland county, Arkansas, to Mattie A. Mullis, and their children are: Harvey C., born March 15, 1896; Guy A., April 15, 1898; Beryl A., January 20. 1900; Joseph H., May 5, 1902; and Roy, January 15, 1906.
O. R. Tanner, clerk of the newly organized town of Hagerman, came to Hagerman, October 1, 1894. J. J. Hagerman, through the Pecos Irri- gation and Improvement Company, had laid out the town site here and named the place. Mr. Tanner had come to the Territory in 1891 and located in Carlsbad, where he had followed farming until his removal to Hagerman in 1894. He put up an office in the town, it being the second building erected liere, and he established a real estate and insurance busi- ness. He engaged in that individually until the fall of 1905, when he or- ganized a company known as the Hagerman Real Estate Company, with N. S. West as president; S. Totzek, superintendent of agencies; John B. Reeves, general salesman and O. R. Tanner, secretary and treasurer. The company lias general offices at Roswell, New Mexico; Monmouth, Illinois, and Hagerman, New Mexico. The company is engaged in immigration as well as local work, and handles listed property throughout the valley from Roswell to Lakewood. Mr. Reeves came to Hagerman in the fall of 1902 from Texas, and Mr. West arrived in the same fall from Texas and lives upon a farm three-fourths of a mile northwest of Hagerman, where he has eighty acres of land and one of the finest orchards in the valley. Mr. Reeves has a place of forty acres adjoining the town site on the north, and of this twelve acres are in orchard. Mr. Tanner has a place adjoin- ing the town site, and all these gentlemen are demonstrating through the conduct of their business interests the wonderful possibilities of the Pecos valley. They are also doing much to induce immigration and thus pro- mote the rapid growth and development of the district, and their efforts are being attended with excellent results.
W. D. Ames came to New Mexico, January. I, 1895, from Nebraska, and located on a place about one-eighth of a mile west of Hagerman, at which time he purchased from Mr. Hagerman ten acres of land and began improvements, planting an orchard and otherwise transforming the tract
Oscar R. Tammer
Fr. DAmis os Wife
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into one of fertility. In 1898 he bought an adjoining ten acres from Mr. Hagerman and now has twenty acres, all in fruit, his orchards yielding an excellent return. He has a very fine place with about sixteen hundred apple trees, and he has water right from the Felix Irrigation Company. He is managing his orchards in a way that indicates the successful results which can follow effort along horticultural lines here.
Born in Indiana, in Vermilion county, in 1835, Mr. Ames went to the first gold excitement at Pike's Peak in 1859, and has always lived in the west since. He was lately offered for his twenty acres $10,000 in cash, which he refused. He says this suits him better than any place he ever lived, and as he is getting old he proposes to remain here.
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
GUADALUPE COUNTY.
Guadalupe county is situated cast of the central portion of New Mex- ico, and the legislative act setting the territory to form it aside from San Miguel was passed in 1891, but was not signed by the governor. In 1893 a supplementary act was passed, confirming the former, which received the executive approval, and Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mex- ico, was thus given a place on the territorial map.
As then constituted, the county had an area of 3,125,160 acres, was sixty miles wide from north to south and 110 miles long, from east to west, being a perfect parallelogram with the exception of a little square of nine townships in the northwest corner, which was added so as to include the town of Anton Chico. In its reduction to its present dimensions, Roose- velt and portions of Quay, Lincoln and Chaves counties were carved from the Guadalupe county of 1891-3. In 1902, by legislative enactment, the name of the county was changed to Leonard Wood, but in 1904 the legis- lature granted the demands of the majority of the citizens of the county, and restored the original name of Guadalupe, changing the location of the county seat from Puerto de Luna to Santa Rosa.
County Officers :- The Board of County Commissioners was organized and held its first meeting May 4, 1891, its members being as follows : Ramon Dodge (chairman), Matilde Chaves, Placidio Baca y Baca; the last named was also probate clerk, the body serving through 1891 and 1892. The officials since have been as below :
Probate judges :- 1893-4, A. Grzelachowski; 1895-6, Jose Pablo Sandoval ; 1897-8, Julian Sisneros; 1899-1900, Desiderio Jaramillo y Aragon; 1901-2, Jose Dolores Gallegos; 1903-4, Florencio Garcia : 1905-6. Nicacio C. de Baca.
Probate clerks :- 1893-4. W. B. Giddings; 1895-8, Perfecto Baca ; 1899-1900, Ramon Aragon; 1901-2, Luis Aquilar ; 1903-4, Manuel B. Baca; 1905-6, Crescenciano Gallegos.
Sheriffs :- 1893-4. Carlos Casaus ; 1895-6. Ramon Casaus: 1897-8, Placido Baca y Baca ; 1899-1900, Ramon Dodge declared elected; office contested by Placido Baca y Baca, the courts deciding in favor of the latter; 1901-2. Benigno Romero: 1903-4, T. Casaus; 1905-6, Felipe Sanchez y Baca.
Treasurers :- 1893-4. Jesus y Hinjos ; 1895-6, Juan Chavez y Garcia ; 1897-8, Vicente Sanchez ; 1899-1900, Camilo Sanchez ; 1901-2, Joaquin Gutierrez; 1903-4, Deopoldo Sanchez ; 1905-6, Camilo Sanchez.
Assessors :- 1893-4, Leandros Casaus, 1895-6, Juan Hinojos: 1897-1900, Camilo Sanchez; 1901-2, Joaquin Gutierrez ; 1903-4, Juan B. Giddings : 1905-6, Pablo M. Padillo.
County commissioners :- 1893-4. Melquiades Ramires. Jose M. Baca. Francisco Aragon : 1895-6, Robert Mingus, Pascual Baca, Manuel Uroste; 1897-8. Ezequiel Sandoval, Florencio Garcia, Juan E. Lena : 1899-1900, Bernable Gallegos, Juan Mar- quez. Luciano Ulibarri ; 1901-2, Benigno Padilla, Miguel Martinez, Randolfo Aragon ; 1903-4. Benigno Padilla. J. C. Thomas, Reymundo Hariso : 1905-6, Pablo Aragon, J. D. Mott, Jose Pablo Sandoval.
Natural Features and Towns .- The county lies chiefly in the valley of the Pecos river, which, with numerous small lakes and living springs,
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is its principal source of water supply. A few unimportant streams flow from the northeastern portion of the county toward the Canadian. The climate of this section is mild and the altitude about 4,000 feet above the sea, making it a desirable locality for the farmer, the fruit grower and the stock raiser.
All along the Pecos are great flocks of sheep, most of them of the improved breeds, and there is no section of the Territory where this in- chustry has been more successful than in Guadalupe county. It is also de- veloping very rapidly as a fruit country, which is the cause of much of the late prosperity of Puerto de Luna. the old county seat, and Santa Rosa, the new. With the formation of the new counties to the east and south, Puerto de Luna was too far south of the center of the county. Therefore the change was made.
Santa Rosa is growing into a substantial town, and its orchards are an important source of the fruit supply of Las Vegas. The orchards of Don Lorenzo Dabadie and Don Celso Baca are to be particularly men- tioned, the proprietors being progressive natives of the Territory, who showed great enterprise years ago in planting these beautiful and valuable grounds. The apples from their orchards have earned especial praise and taken many premiums.
Don Celso Baca, now living retired at Santa Rosa, was born in San Miguel county, New Mexico, April 6, 1836. and is a descendant of Cabeza Baca. He acquired his education in the Catholic schools of the Territory, and from 1858 until 1866 was engaged in freighting with wagon trains between Kansas City and Santa Fe over the Santa Fe trail. From 1853 until 1858 he had served as a private in the United States army, partici- pating in the Navajo Indian war. In 1866 he went to Fort Sumner, and upon his return secured his present location in San Miguel county, made a claim and settled upon the ranch. He originally held the townsite of Santa Rosa. He made the first timber entry in the Territory, his patent being No. 1.
When the Civil war broke out Don Celso Baca, in 1862, organized a company of soldiers for the northern army and was commissioned its captain. He served in the battle of Val Verde and other skirmishes, and was a loyal defender of the Union cause until the supremacy of the Union arms was established. Since 1866 he has made his home in what is now Guadalupe county, and has engaged in farming and stock raising. He is interested in the First National Bank of Santa Rosa and in his varied business affairs has conducted all of his interests in a capable manner, re- sulting in the acquirement of very desirable success. He served for sev- eral terms as senator and representative in the territorial legislature, and has been very prominent in Republican politics, exerting considerable in- fluence in both the county and territorial rank of the party. He was also sent as a delegate to the national convention which nominated William Mckinley for the presidency in 1896. He has had many experiences with the Indians during the early days of his residence upon his ranch, and is familiar with pioneer history and early development in the Territory.
His two sons, Placido Baca y Baca and Crescenciano Baca, were born in San Miguel county and educated in the Jesuit college at Las Vegas. They are associated with their father in farming and stock raising inter- ests. The former practically has charge of all of the father's business, for
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the elder Baca has retired from active life. He is also engaged in the management of a paper, having in 1898 established the La Voz Publica, which he continues to edit and publish. He also manages his father's in- terests in the town site. In political affairs he has been prominent and influential, and from 1897 until 1900, inclusive, filled the office of sheriff of Guadalupe county. He was also one of the county commissioners ap- pointed by the governor upon the organization of the county, and in 1901 he served as deputy county clerk. For sixteen years he was postmaster of the town of Eden on the present site of Santa Rosa before the latter town was founded. He has been notary public since the age of twenty-one years, and in these various political positions has discharged his duties with capability and energy, making him one of the leading and representa- tive citizens of the community. The business interests of father and son are extensive and profitable and they have long maintained a prominent place in agricultural, commercial and financial circles in this part of the territory.
P. B. Baca was the third sheriff of Guadalupe county. During his first term he acted as collector. During his second term as sheriff, 1898, he assisted in the capture of the gang of desperadoes who had killed Flor- entino Gonsales. The gang is now broken up, having all found their way to the penitentiary.
Crescenciano Gallegos, filling the office of probate clerk and also en- gaged in the live stock, brokerage and commission business at Santa Rosa, is a native son of the southwest and has displayed the spirit of enterprise and progress that have been the salient elements in the substantial develop- ment of this section of the country. He was born and reared in Guadalupe county, New Mexico, where he acquired liis early education, after which he spent two years as a student in St. Michael's College at Santa Fé. He is a son of Antonio Jose Gallegos, who was prominent in Republican circles in the Territory and exercises a wide influence in the ranks of his party. He represented San Miguel county in the territorial legislature in 1877, and from 1884 until 1888 was assistant postmaster of Las Vegas. In 1889- 90 he was county superintendent of schools in San Miguel county, and in the latter year he took up his abode at Puerto de Luna, where he engaged in teaching school for about five years. In 1904 he was elected county clerk of Guadalupe county. Several years previously he had served as deputy assessor of the county, and in 1896 he was a candidate for the terri- torial legislature and was elected, but the election was contested and he was unseated. At one time he was a candidate for the senate against Charles A. Spier. In 1905 he entered the live stock, brokerage and com- mission business in partnership with W. T. McIntire.
Following the completion of his education, Crescenciano Gallegos em- barked in the sheep and cattle industry, which has claimed much of his attention since he has attained adult age. Called to public office, he is now serving as probate clerk and is also engaged in the brokerage business at Santa Rosa.
Charles W. Foor, who came to New Mexico in 1881, arriving at Fort Sumner on the 29th of October, is a native of Kentucky, and removed from that state to Texas in 1873. He left Mitchell county, Texas, en route for New Mexico, driving the second bunch of cattle ever brought across the plains from the Lone Star state to the Territory. The destination was
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Fort Sumner, and after reaching that place Mr. Foor began working for the Littlefield Cattle Company, to whom the cattle were sold, continuing in that employ from April until August, 1882. He afterward returned to Fort Sumner, where he located and engaged in the saloon business from August, 1882, until December, 1883. He next turned his attention to mer- chandising, continuing at the fort for one year, after which he went to Cedar Canyon, near Bar V ranch. He was afterward engaged in ranching until August, 1887, when he removed to new Fort Sumner and opened a hotel, which he has since successfully conducted, and since 1891 he has been postmaster of the town. In August, 1905, he established a hotel in the new town of Sunnyside, where he is now located temporarily. He also has a ranch in Roosevelt county, four miles east of Fort Sumner, on which he expects to take up his abode at an early date. It is situated two and a half miles southeast of the new town of La Lande on the Belen cut-off of the Santa Fe road. Mr. Foor has been watchful of the indications pointing toward success and improvement in the Territory, and has directed his efforts along lines leading to gratifying financial results.
W. C. Burnett, who is engaged in conducting a meat market at Santa Rosa, is a native of Kansas and was at one time a student in the State University at Lawrence. He came to the Territory in 1892 and, locating in Socorro, engaged in the publication of the Socorro County Advertiser. Later he was in newspaper work in Albuquerque and at La Junta, Colo- rado. In 1894 he took up his abode in Elizabethtown, New Mexico, where he founded the New Mexico Miner, remaining there in active publication of the paper until 1897. He was afterward employed in old Mexico until 1902, when he came to Santa Rosa and established the Guadalupe County Democrat. He also secured the franchise for the water works and the electric lights and has been an able factor in promoting the welfare, pro- gress and substantial upbuilding of the city, his labors in this direction being far-reaching and beneficial. In 1903 he established a meat market in Santa Rosa, which he is still conducting and this is his present business connection with the town. He is, however, a public-spirited man, and one whose efforts have been of conspicuous benefit to the community.
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
OTERO COUNTY.
Prior to the organization of Otero county, in 1899, Lincoln county extended south to the Texas boundary, and prior to 1889, when Chaves and Eddy counties were carved from its territory, it contained about 30,000 square miles, being then the largest county in New Mexico.
As now organized, Otero county contains 6,874 square miles, and is bounded north by Lincoln and Chaves, east by Chaves and Eddy, south by Texas, and west by Dona Aña county and Socorro county. Its county seat is Alamogordo, which has a population of about 3.500. It is situated on the El Paso & Northeastern railroad, and is one of the best towns in South- ern New Mexico.
Natural Features .- The average elevation of Otero county is 4,500 feet above sea level. The San Andreas mountains form a barrier near its western border, running north and south and acting as a drain from that section. The Sacramento mountains extend directly east and west through the central portions, with the Jicarilla mountains as a western extension. All these ranges are well forested. Gold has been discovered among the Jicarillas. In the latter district placer mining was worked successfully by the Mexicans with the use of melted snow, in winter.
Referring more particularly to the timber of Otero county, it is an- ticipated that it will eventually constitute one of its chief sources of wealth. The wood consists of pine, pinyon, juniper, ash, cottonwood and oak, and makes excellent building material. It is estimated there are some 700,- 000,000 feet awaiting the ax and saw on the Sacramento mountains, which also contain rich deposits of marble, onyx and lithographic stone.
Geologists claim that Alamogordo is in the center of a great artesian basin, which underlies the valley about 1,000 feet. It is estimated that reservoirs could be constructed at Temporal canyon capable of irrigating from 3,000 to 5,000 acres of land, and at Tularosa canvon of about the same capacity. Experts also have seen that La Luz canyon is wasting water that might be utilized to irrigate several thousand acres, and that at all of these points valuable water powers might be developed.
With these natural irrigation advantages, it is thought that the coun- ty-especially the districts around the centers mentioned-will eventually develop into a fine fruit region ; and wheat has already yielded enormous returns per acre. Home seekers are being attracted to these localities, and since the building of the railroad to Alamogordo, in 1898, several hundred homesteaders have located in the valley; in fact, most of the land is now homesteaded within a radius of ten miles north, south or west of that point.
Fruits and Vegetables .- In their native state grapes and currants mature in great abundance, while cultivated vines, as well as apples, peaches and pears naturally thrive. In the mountain districts the wild
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potato is found in large quantities, while the cultivated article is astonish- ing in its production. Indian corn, wheat, oats, barley and rye, have all been tried with flattering results, while millet, clover, blue grass, alfalfa and other kindred forage crops and fertilizers have developed to perfec- tion. Alfalfa is notable in its yields, four cuttings being often made in a year with a yield of five tons per acre,
Vegetables, such as cabbage, lettuce, turnips, parsnips, carrots, radishes, peas, tomatoes, pumpkins, squashes, onions, melons, celery, and cucumbers grow to astonishing size and perfection. Beans of various sorts, raised for the market, produce from 900 to 1,500 pounds to the acres.
Live-stock .- As is the case in districts where neither the artesian nor irrigation systems are developed, the live-stock interests of the county depend largely upon natural conditions. Its various grasses are abundant and nutritious, and afford an unlimited supply of feed, while the moun- tains and foot-hills furnish winter protection. Stock of all descriptions usually subsist on the range summer and winter. It is estimated that the profit on cattle is at least fifty cents monthly per head from the time they are calved, while the profit on sheep is not less than fifty per cent.
The Mescalero Apache Reservaion .- In the northern part of the county is the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation of 575.000 acres, on which there are about 600 Indians: this gives each Indian some 960 acres. or a section and a half. The country is well watered and grassed and abounds in game. The Indians are making good progress in farming and the industrial arts, and many of their children are attending the terri- torial schools provided for them. The principal town of the reservation is Mescalero.
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