The Cimarron Citizen, 1908-03-25

I1 xt . 't Xhrough the kindness of Burton ,'VWilliams, the Citizen is in receipt Jof t4he.'foltowing bit of hihstory pertan pertan-íin'. - íin'. pertan-íin'. to the , old Arkansas Valley '& '.iiatarron railroad, which was at one lime planned, : ; :f 'While in' St. Louis recently, Mr. .Williams ran across a book on tWe southwest, written by Elias Brevoort in 1874. There are many old pio pioneers - neers pioneers in Cimarron who can remem remember - ber remember those stirring times, and who will undoubtedly, be interested in the fol following - lowing following condensed extract from the bxk above mentioned. Elias Bre Bre-'voort - 'voort Bre-'voort was an army officer who early recognized the importance of a rail railroad - road railroad through the country surround surround-' - ' surround-' ing .Cimar.-on, and it was through his , endeavor? partly that the survey spoken of was made. It is curious to note that part of .the route out outlined - lined outlined is now followed by the St. Lou Lou-J, - J, Lou-J, Rocky Maintain & Pacific road. Í; "The survey of the Arkansas Val Val-& - & Val-& Cimarron railroad started at sorfte point of the Arkansas valley, connects with the Santa Fe, and then "rmvs southwesterly toward Capulin Capulin-fountain, - fountain, Capulin-fountain, aivl then proceeding west west-érljíthc - érljíthc west-érljíthc line begins to descend by the yitiaia, a small stream, to the Canadi Canadian - an Canadian yalley, and thence directly across a beautiful plain exceedingly well watered by the Vermejo, the Ponil and the Cimarron rivers, to the town of Cimarron in Colfax county. The route of the road has been surveyed, we Iwjlieve, as far as the town of Cim- j arron, and. although the location sur surveys - veys surveys have not as yet been prosecuted west of that point, a series of exam examinations - inations examinations and reconnoisances have been made, extending westward through the Spanish Range, to the valley of the Rio Grande, which, while demonstrating that no less ZOOLOGIST HERE WALTER RALSTON COLLECTS REPTILES FOR NEW YORK SOCIETY TRAVELED ALL .OVER THE WORLD. ' Walter Ralston, a collecter of rep reptiles - tiles reptiles and insects' (for the New York Zoological Society, of which J. Pier Pier-puint - puint Pier-puint Morgan, the financial magnate, N the head, was a visitor in Cimar Cimarron - ron Cimarron last week. The New York Zo Zoological - ological Zoological Society is the ' biggest so society, - ciety, society, of its kind' in the world, and its bin zoological park in the Bronx, N. Y. is the largest and best equipped :7.0o" in the United States. This so society' - ciety' society' is supported largely by gifts pid donations, and its annual income is over $1,500,000, It has thousands of collectors in all parts of the world, and Mr. Ralston has been an agent for it for years,; Says Mr. Ralsfon, "I have been en en-vaged, - vaged, en-vaged, in collecting snakes and rep reptiles - tiles reptiles lor the society for years- I have I rco V.1,1 around' the world and have collected every ikind of snake except that specie whicth comes out of the bottle, ,md every.' sort of reptile in most' any ' place ' you could mention. I have been all through South Ameri America; - ca; America; but ' the worst me?s I ever got into was in" , "Oklahoma. I caided" a rattle snake' den in the new tatft and took out 600 'snakes, the smallest-one captured was over four feet long. Can you beat that with any fish or bear story?" Mr. Ralston state that there are r.nly two kinds of poisonous snakes in the Territory of New Mexico. The Copperhead and the Rattler. Hefurth cvplained that we have no poison poisonous - ous poisonous liaids in the Territory with the reption of the Gila Monster in the southern part, and that a fifteen per cent solution of cloride of lime ap-

than three available passes exist with in Cfty.,miles of Cimarron, that one- fhe Taos pass was eminently prac practical. - tical. practical. ' To reach this pass, a line with comparatively light work and easy grades is found running directly from Cimarron up the valley and the canon of the Cimarron river, to the" Moreno alley. Thence, keeping up the val valley - ley valley to the summit, across and down Taos creek to the city of Taos, mak ing the distance front Cimarron to iaos only about hfty miles, and by far the cheapest and the best cross crossing - ing crossing of the mountains between Albu Albuquerque, - querque, Albuquerque, Santa Fe and the Black Hills in Dakota. And at the same time passing the entire distance through a country that will afford im mense local traffic. Not only is the country east of the Taos pass ex exceedingly - ceedingly exceedingly rich, but, reaching the Rio Grande valley, the line will open up the immense area of agricultural, mineral and pastoral country to the westward." From the above it seems that even at the early date Of 1874, when rich land throughout the United States was plentiful arid could be Durchased lor wnat would now be considered a mere song, Elias Brevoort. recognjsed the' exce"eding richness of the South Southwest - west Southwest and the Cimarron Valley,- and the importance it must some daytake in the development of the country at large. When one stops to consider that the above was written when little Cimarron yas the County Seat of Col Colfax - fax Colfax Caunty, before the town of Springer existed, and also before Ra Raton, - ton, Raton, now a city of eight thousand was started, it makes one . better recog recognise - nise recognise that we really have something here to develop; an immense herit heritage:' - age:' heritage:' something of .wealth beyond imagination; something to work and toil for. COX WILL BUILD HOTEL CIMARRON MAN WILL ERECT HOTEL AT NEW . TOWN OF COLFAX- TWO STORY AF AFFAIR. - FAIR. AFFAIR. " ' With opening up of Colfax, comes the announcemnt that A. C. Cox of Cimarron will build a hotel in the new town. Mr. Cóx will erect a two story building, modeled on the Ox Oxford - ford Oxford hotel here in Cimarron . and owned by Duckworth & Marling. The new hotel will be about the same sire and the arranjgiement will be almost identical with the Oxford. Mr. Cox expects to put in a bar room in the front floor, and also a first class up to date restaurant oh the same floor. The second story of the building will be taken up with rooms for sleeping, and it is thought t;hat there will be ample space for at least ten -commodious rooms. As soon as the business of the new hotel justifies such a move, Mr. Cox will build himself a residence at Col fax, and move his family there. He docs not,- however," intend-to dispose of his interests here jn Cimarron, and it js, more than likely that he will continue (o .make-Cimarron hs head? quarters for some time to come. This is another case of the enter prising Cimarron .business man taking advantage of business opportunities that may be offered. There is every rea son to think the new hotel iwill do very nicely, because of the fact that a large number of trancients are forced to wait at Colfax in order to make connections for either Cimar Cimarron. - ron. Cimarron. Dawsoa or Raton and the south. The Citizen is informed that Mr. Cox has already made his contract for the construction of the building and that work will be begun at once.

If you had followed mining and prospecting for years, enduring all the hardships incidental 'to such a life, and then woke up some morning to learn that you had fallen heir to an estate .valued at $17,000,000, and that it was no dream, but a fact, wouldn't it make you feci glad that you awoke? This might look at a glance as though it was a cheap story of the Sunday newspaper, savoring of the pipe that induces dreams of wealth which end in nothing but disappoint ment, but happily it is not. It is a fact undisputed and came to light in Cimarron. Little did our people think one of our quiet, unassuming citizens was a multi-millionaire. Little did this quiet, unassuming citizen think so either, for he didn't know it himself until a few days ago. ., Baron Phillip von Zuylen is the name of our fellow townsman and not one in our midst but what hear heartily - tily heartily congratulates him on his good fortune. A few days ago Baron Phil Phillip - lip Phillip received notice from counsellors in Holland that through the death of an uncle he was one' of the right rightful - ful rightful heirs to an estate valued at $17,- 000,000. "Von," as he was known to his friends here, had often said that lie came of a wealthy, titled family in Holland, but he pitched his lot with many thousands of other from across the ocean and decided to make America his home. He hns resided in and about Cim Cimarron - arron Cimarron for a number of years, en gaged in prospecting, and is interst interst-cd - cd interst-cd in many valuable claims. By his jovial, honest and upright ways, he made friends of everyone with whom he came in contact. He left here Monday for Holland to claim his share of the vast estate, OLD TIMER IN CIMARRON SOLDIERED THROUGH THIS COUNTY TWENTY YEARS AGO. TELLS INTERESTING STORIES. Mr. G. Romer, who is now travel travel-ng - ng travel-ng salesman for an eastern house, Aisited Cimarron last week, and while here had some very interesting tales of the old times in the southwest to 1 elate. Mr. Romer went into the United States regulars soon after the civil war, and served as trooper and soldier in both the cavalry and in fantry throughout the west and southwest. For fifteen years he serv served - ed served as private, corporal, sargcant and sargeant major in the and cavalry and the Sth infantry, and later he won his commission as a reward of merit. With his regiment, he soldiered all through Colfax county in the early and rough days, protecting railroads, fighting Indians, hunting out despera desperadoes - does desperadoes and policing' the country. He says that he was in Cimarron (when it was a center of roughness, and in the mountains' when wild ' turkeys could be killed with a stick, back in the mountains. Mr. Romer nr. very much interested in .the development of of the southwest, .Vind considers Colfax county, with' its ' rich lands, and plentiful (water supply to be the cream of the whole southwest, and he considers the Cimarron Valley to be the choice section of Colfax county. Coming from a man who has traveled all over the west and southwest, this expression should be entitled to great weight. Mr. Romer further stated that in his opinion, the opportunities for making money here in Colfax county to a young man iwith brains, energy and a little capital, are unequalledl by any other section of the whole United States.

Any set of hustlers and. rustlers have to get up early in the morning to beat Cimarron, business men but, and the truth of this is shown by the swiftness, and dispatch with which the Cimarron Lumber company has established a new lumber yard at the newly platted town of Colfax. Quickly recogniting the importance that the new town will be in the de development - velopment development of the Cimarron Valley, the company at once decided that no time was to be lost in establishing i branch yard there. Accordingly land was obtained, and lumber was shipped in by the car load. If this enterprise is indicative of what will be done in the future, Colfax will in deed be a success. There is a demand for lumber at Colfax already, and the new post post-office - office post-office has been started. There is every chance for the new yard to make a good thing for its owners, and the Citizen sincerely wishes the Cimarron Lumber Co. every success in its new enterprise. time. As soon as this development starts on a large enough scale, the St. Louis. Rocky Mountain & Pacific railroad is ready to extend its line into whatever portion of the district is warranted.' Already the Cimarron Cimarron-citodistrict - citodistrict Cimarron-citodistrict has taken on new life. Big plans were made for develop development - ment development even before the news nf this deal became known, and with this new incentive, there can bi no Hoiiht but that the railroad will soon be called upon to extend up the Cimar Cimarroncito, - roncito, Cimarroncito, because eastern capital will no-' have every inducement to place large 'development sums into the dis district. - trict. district. The Cimarroncito properties, which comprise some of the very richest in the whole district, is about twelve rniles from the railroad at the nresent time. In the Cimarron dis trict in even shorter distance are to be found other rich deposits. . May Have Smelter, With the coming development of the minina; districts around Cimar ron, will come the building of a smelter here. There can be no more ideal location for a smelter than right here in Cimarron. We have the water for its use. Water is plen plenty - ty plenty and never failing. The great de deposits - posits deposits of coal in the hills to the west ward and the location of the mines to the westward, will make a down hill haul for both coal and ore. 1 hus the frietrht rates will be small and the. expense but; nominal. . With, the oncnina- of the smelter, and tne open ing r,f th rn.il mines to the west to supply coal for the smerter, -will,-of necessity, come the establishment ot big coke ovens in Cimarron. Every thing' points to a new ami rapia orowth for Cimarron, and the dis tricts surrounding it. " When ene stops to consider tnai tli new district now opened up is one of the richest in gold, silver, cop per and lead in the whole southwest, and that it exceeds in area the tam- ous Cripple Creek district of Colora Colorado, - do, Colorado, and also the famous Goldfield dis district - trict district of Nevada, that the railroad fa- cilties are of the best, that the meth methods - ods methods for acquiring title to rich min mineral - eral mineral lands is easy, and that the lands can be purchased at small cost at the present time, he ean readily see what the value to Cimarron will be.

Since the building of the St. Louis, Rocky Mountain & Pacific railroad, no deal of such inestimable value in the development of Cimarron as the deal that has just been consum consummated - mated consummated by Hugo Seaberg and the Maxwell Land . Grant C. This big deal involves over $1,000,000, and throws open for purchase , by the general public, over 97,000 acres of the richest mineral land in the whole southwest. This big district lies along the Uracca, the Cimarroncito, the Cimarron and the Ponil and cov ers their heads, running from Town ship 31 N., of Range 15 E. south to Township 26 N, of Range 15, E., and running west almost to the west line of Range 14. Hereafter, all mineral . rights or claims will be handled . by Huaro Seaberg of Raton, or his agents, and instead of the antiquated methods heretofore in vogue, in stead of being forced to do location and develop development - ment development work year after year, the pub lic can now buy script in very much the same manner that script is pur purchased - chased purchased from the government, and lo locate - cate locate on the claim. After the expira expiration - tion expiration of a certain period, about thir thirty - ty thirty days, the owner of script can de demand - mand demand a deed to the . property which he has located upon, and thereafter that property is his to do with as he wished. The owner of each certifi certificate - cate certificate is entitled to locate on ten and one-third acres for each certificate he may own, and these certificates are transferable as often as may be desired. "". They are nothing mor or less than a cantract to give a deed to the land located upon complying with some minor, regulations. This big deal which has just been completed, -takes in nearly all of the more valuable mining or mineral lands of the Maxwell Land Grant Co. and the opening up of such a large tract for location by mining script will be of great value to Cimarron in its development. The district has heretofore been inaccessible on ac count of the absence of railroad fa facilities - cilities facilities and the inattractive methods of acquiring title or mining rights. Now that the new regulations ao away with the last objection, there will undoubtedly be great develop development - ment development in the district within a short

'brought to light and make Cimarron the "Goldfield of the Southwest." This man who has humbly traversed every foot of the country adjacent to . CimarrQii has unbounded faith in its richness, "a'inf through him, more than any .other one man, the Citizen feels free to predict that our hopes wilt at last be fully realized and Cim Cimarron - arron Cimarron will occupy the position it de deserves - serves deserves at the topmost round of the hilder, and which has so long heel, denied her. "God speed to Baron Phillip von Zuvlen.' SURVEY 18 COMPLETED FOURTEEN THOUSAND ACRES AROUND COLFAX IS NOW SURVEYED AND IS ON THE MARKET. The New Mexico Land Sales Co. who recently laid out the new! town of Colfax, has completed the survey surveyor - or surveyor a big tract of land which is now open and ready to be placed on the market. This big company emms about forty thousand acres of rich land around Colfax, and its engineers have just finished laying off a por portion - tion portion of it into forty acre tracts En Engineer - gineer Engineer E. II. Fisher, who was in charge of the survey work, hai re returned - turned returned to Cimarron with his party.'' He states that the land surveyed con sists of about fourteen thousand acres, and that this tract lies to the east and northeast of ' Colfax, - and that over two-thirds of it is now tra der (water. The old Vermejo High High-line - line High-line ditch will, probably be repaired, and this will put a large portion1 of the tract under water, without more or 'further" trouble: Mr. - Fisher states that on can get water by'.driv by'.driv-ing - ing by'.driv-ing iwells on almost anyf portion of the land, and ' that because of tMV reason; all of the land' is suitable for dry farming. It is the plan of the company tn put one hundred forty acres tracts on the market at once, and batches of other hundreds of forty acre tracts' will be placed for sale as fast as the necessity arises. Gar. Hughes got in line with St Patrick's Day by recalling his Irish great-grandfather who fought tte British in the Revolution, but he is still a long way behind Mr. Roose Roosevelt's - velt's Roosevelt's classified assortment of ancestor.

but that is all, his home is in! Ameri America, - ca, America, and no place has more attraction for him than Cimarrón where' he fcas spent so many years of his life and where he expects to remain to fhe end. Before leaving here he said: "This is my home and always will be. I would be foolish not to return to my native land and secure what rightful rightfully - ly rightfully belongs to me. But I would be equally foolish to remain there. Hol Holland - land Holland is nothing to me now any more than it has been since the first day I set foot on American soil. I will re return - turn return to America and to Cimarron just as soon as possible. I will bring my share of the fortune here and in invest - vest invest it in Cimarron and vicinity, be because - cause because I expect to end my days among people who I know from year of intimate association, are my friends.' Baron Phillip von Zuylen is a man of high education and culture, and his declaration to return here means much for Cimarron. He will npw be in a position to develope his prop property, - erty, property, which we all know is valuable and only needs the infusion of cap'r tal to prove it to the satisfaction of everyone. With the vast sum' which v.ill be at disposal, 1 the hidden re resources - sources resources of this vicinity will be

The following item taken from a. farming journal will give some idea M ' what can' be expected from the Cimarron Valley, the item doe's not. my where the seed was Rlanted, but for the sake, of argument, we will say that, (he Cimarron . Valley produced the result noted below, since it is the best part of northern New Mexico "In the year 1906, a sinngle grain of corn was found in the Aztec ruins in northern New Mexico. Last spring that grain was planted and it appears to be a new ' variety: . Its stalks have grown eighteen feet high, bearing ears averaging seventeen inches long.' " The kernels are large and sweeter than ordinary corn. This is creditable, for seeds of various sorts found in ancient Oriental ruins on being planted have demonstrated their vitality. The Aztecs inhabited the highlands of Mexico and are sup posed to have been conquered by Cortez early in the sixteenth cen tury." -. '