The Cimarron News and Press, 1907-01-10

Closely following the departure of William H. Bartlett for his home in Chicago has sprung up the report ' that he has sold his handsome home and extensive holdings at Vermejo Park, north of here, to United States Senator William A. Clark of Mon Montana, - tana, Montana, the consideration named being $2,000,000, Although the report, orig originating - inating originating in Trinidad, gives Raton as the source, nothing confirmatory can be learned here concerning the al alleged - leged alleged big deal. The Vermejo ranch contains about 216,000 acres, or near ly ten townships, of land. On it stands one of the largest and finest residences in the United States, the stone for which was cut away up in the timber district, and brought down in gunny sacks and placed in position with the beautiful moss still attaching to it. Including the fine road ex extending - tending extending to Mercio, Mr. Bartlett's. total investment for improvements must have been something near $1, $1,-000,000, - 000,000, $1,-000,000, of which $250,000 to $300,000 is in buildings. The fact that insur insurance - ance insurance policies on these structures run running - ning running five years were taken out would seem to indicate that no sale had been contemplated, at least until recently. Another negative factor is that Sena Senator - tor Senator Clark is a man who would demand a clear title, free from annoying in incumbrances - cumbrances incumbrances or rights belonging to others that would in any way inter interfere - fere interfere with his peace or privacy. It is known that up until a recent date extensive coal and timber concessions were held by other parties, Mr. Bart Bartlett's - lett's Bartlett's title being only to the surface. Whether or not these rights have been absorbed by either seller or pur purchaser - chaser purchaser cannot nt this writing be learned. The rumor of the sale i& therefore given for what it is worth it may be a fact, but there is no di direct - rect direct supporting evidence available, here. NEW PLANING MILL FOR CIMARRON One of the industries which will be established in Cimarron immediately will be a planing mill. The plant will be installed as soon as the building can be finished, as the machinery is on the ground and the building start started. - ed. started. The mill will be equipped to do all classes of general mill work, building material, sashes, doors, cab cabinet - inet cabinet work, and in fact will fill all the needs of the contractors and builders of the town and vicinity. With the excellent shipping facilities the mill can supply a large territory. One of the greatest needs of the contractors here at present is the class of mill work the new establishment will turn out, and the work of building will be greatly facilitated. The new mill will be built and operated by the Cimar Cimarron - ron Cimarron Lumber company, one of the progressive business concerns of Ci- westerly direction opening up one of the most promising sections of the county. The ultimate destination of the railroad can only be surmised. Just what capitalists are backing the present project has not been ascer ascertained, - tained, ascertained, but the present plans would would-indicate - indicate would-indicate the association of very influ influential - ential influential interests. The broad, fertile ranges of the Ponil Park and adjacent country will make in ideal farming country. The climate and soil can cannot - not cannot be surpassed. The rainfall is suf sufficient - ficient sufficient for all purposes, obviating the necessity for irrigation. Frora t scenic point of view the country has no superior. That Cimarron is to be the center of distribution for so thriving a com community - munity community is of itself no malí encour encouragement - agement encouragement to those who have the wel welfare - fare welfare of the future city at heart. Every other development tending to the de development - velopment development of this action are receiv receiving - ing receiving their strongest support '

The lands in the Cimarron country lie at an altitude of some 5,100 to 6,000 feet, and slope gently away from the heavily timbered foothills. Good streams, with never-failing water sup supply - ply supply cross these lands at intervals of every few miles. The lands are pro protected - tected protected from the storms and blizzards by mountain chains rising to altitudes of from nine thousand to fourteen thousand feet. The Cimarron coun country - try country is on the sunny, southern slope of the range. Farmers raise good crops of wheat, maize, oats, kaffir corn, alfalfa, blue glass, sorghum, sugar beets, and in fact, all grain and vegetables common to the climate of the temperate zone. Fruits are particularly fine. No local locality - ity locality in the world can surpass this vi vicinity - cinity vicinity in the growth of apples, I peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and kindred fruits. The country is par particularly - ticularly particularly adapted to the culture of sugar beets. Experts have for years pronounced the climate, soil and gen general - eral general conditions ideal for this crop, and analysis by experts covering many localities and many grades, show the percentage of sugar in the Colfax product to be from four to fif fifteen - teen fifteen per cent greater than the product of the Colorado fields, which are at attracting - tracting attracting the attention of the world. As long ago as 1894, Colfax county fruits were attracting national atten attention. - tion. attention. An exhibit of fruits raised by J. B. Dawson, on the Dawson ranch, received the world's first prize at the Columbian exhibition at Chicago in that year, and their excellence was a source of wondering comment. Other fruit growers all over the district are keeping up the reputation of the country. No other localities can lay such title to the claim as the "Land of the Big Red Appl" as our own Ci Cimarron - marron Cimarron country. Apples from the different ranches this year were of excellent flavor and enormous in size. Varieties were exhibited in Cimarron weighing more than ounces each. twenty-five connected with a number of exciting events during the seventies the times which tried men's souls, and brought out all the good or all the bad in the character of the individual. In some manner the News and Press incurred the displeasure of this gen gentleman, - tleman, gentleman, and one night, accompanied by some half a dozen of his friends, Allison paid the town a visit. They stopped a few moments at Lambert's hotel where they put a few marks on the blackboard, and then went across the plaza to the newspaper office. The editor and those connected with the paper at the time were absent, but the door yielded to a few well well-directed - directed well-directed jars from a pole, and the party entered. When they got back to Lambert's again they were cov covered - ered covered thoroughly with printers' ink. Whether they believed in the efficacy of this medium or not, they were daubed with a goodly quantity of it. Lambert's facetious query as to their having been to the printing office was cut short by the threat that some something - thing something would happen him if he men mentioned - tioned mentioned the occurrence, and the party left. The press of the Cimarron newspaper was found battered to pieces, and every movable thing in the office, including cases, stands and type, were found dumped in the Ci Cimarron - marron Cimarron river. .Years after, when the youth of Cimarron wanted ammuni ammunition - tion ammunition for their b.ean shooters, they went down to the river and gathered up the silent messengers of thought, ruthlessly scattered among the sands. Even this rude criticism of the paper did not deter the publishers of, the paper, and we find the paper contin continued - ued continued for some time after with new ma material - terial material and part of the old. Some of

The mining regions of the Cimar Cimarron - ron Cimarron country have for many years been a source of great income, even though the methods employed were crude and the means of transportation limited and extremely expensive. In the tidier days the placers of the district produced millions in free gold, and some of the older mines, worked even ii the nióst crude manner, turn turned - ed turned thci tide of wealth toward the old mining and cattle town of Cimar Cimarron. - ron. Cimarron. But getting out a few hundred pounds of high grade ore and pack packing - ing packing it on burros off to the nearest shipping point, or milling it on the property with the laborious arrastra, is not mining, in the modern sense of the word, and it is an absolute fact that the mining resources of the county have never been touched. The territory, aside from a few easily ac accessible - cessible accessible points has not even been well prospected, and one of the needs of the country now is a number of ex experienced - perienced experienced prospectors. Long before the days of the mod modern - ern modern dredge the old sjstctn of sluices and rockers was taking out millions in gold from the rich gravel of the Moreno valley, Ute creek, I'onil, and other streams and basins. The gravel of these districts is now richer than the placer grounds of California. Only a few rich pockets in these dis districts - tricts districts have ever been worked, and the great area of medium and low grade grounds yet remain untouched. Placer mining in the district has always been done in a desultory manner. The old old-time - time old-time miner was content to make a modest tortune, sell out and leave the country. No large amounts of cap capital - ital capital have ever been expended in the county, and no extensive develop development, - ment, development, such as makes great mines out of low grade, propositions, has ever been done. In placer mining, the Oro Dredge company cleared up a great many thousands of dollars in a short time, but owing to internal dis dissensions - sensions dissensions in the company the property went into the hands of a receiver, and has lain idle for a long time, in the midst of a wealth of rich mineral. There remain in the Ponil, at the head of Ute creek, and in the Moreno, valley, immense deposits of placer gravel, hundreds of feet deep, adja- cent to an unlimited water supply, which can be handled either with the material of the seventies now forms a part of the Raton Range plant, where we understand it is care carefully - fully carefully preserved, for the good it has done in years past. The heading of this paper, though rather unique and old-fashioned, was set from the orig original - inal original type in which the heading of the paper of the seventies was set. Some of the letters are somewhat battered, but the head appears very much as it did more than thirty years ago. Old residents of the county will, we hope, recognize the old heading. DAWSON ITEMS. From the Raton Range. Christa Clark, 15-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Clark, died Tuesday morning, Jan. I, of a com complication - plication complication of measles and spinal .trou .trouble. - ble. .trouble. The funeral was held Thursday evening -and the remains were taken to Walscnburg, Colo., for interment. T. C. Hill, manager of the S. W. M. Co. store, left Thursday morning on a two weeks business trip to Kansas City and other points. The work on the excavation for the $20,000 opera house has started and the work will be pushed rapidly to completion. 1 L. W. Storm, C. E. and wife, expect to leave soon for Denver, Colo. Joe Serrano has resigned as sales salesman - man salesman for the S. W. M. Co. and ex expects - pects expects to leave about the tenth for El Paso, Texas. D. L. Lucas has returned from Las Vegas and reports a pleasant and profitable session of the teachers' association. Gypsy. Jack

Many inquiries come to the residents oí the Cimarron Country from friends in the east concerning the resources, climate of the local locality. - ity. locality. The story cannot be told in one newspaper, but the News and Press will in each 3sue treat of some special feature of Colfax County The; climate is delightful. The sum summers - mers summers arJfcool, yet warm enough for the matw'ing, each season, of all crops ciftimon to the temperate zone. With tlft altitude, the atmosphere is such tlif t it is never too hot for com comfort. - fort. comfort. Jpie nights are always cool. In winter, while the sun shines nine days out of every ten, the air is fresh and bracing, and the occasional light snows insure a never-failing water supply for irrigation, to supplement the rains which under the improved systems of dry farming will in any case iisure good crops without the necesiity of irrigation. However, the fact that water for irrigation is abun dant (insures excellent crops. There are, hi course, many advantages for the farmer using the irrigation sys system, - tem, system, over his neighbor who follows the Jry farming method, but both are suciessful. With irrigation, a greater variety of crops may be raised, and the acreage is a great deal smaller. Thfre is every advantage in the world in flavor of the farmer on the irrigated farns of Colfax county, even over the farmer of the eastern states. The New Mexico farmer need never worry a !)!' the rainfall. , He makes hi ifwri, and adapts the supply to the lieeds of the season and the soil. He teed never fear a drouth, nor a del deluge. - uge. deluge. Rainy seasons do not deter his planting, and crops mature thorough ly, watered at will. The soil in the Cimarron country, and in fact, over the greater portion of Colfax county, is a deep, ricM sandy loam, with a clay subsoil, and comprise some of the most fertile agricultural lands in the great south southwest. - west. southwest. The soil has been constantly enriched by the natural overflow water from the streams, and from ir irrigation. - rigation. irrigation. In the Taos valley, and the Moreno valley, to the west, only about thirty miles, the same soil con conditions - ditions conditions and the same irrigation possi- cipal actors, some of whom are still living in Cimarron and vicinity. On one occasion the Cimarron News and Press was put entirely out of active service by the unkindness of certain citizens of the locality. Many of the older inhabitants of the town remem remember - ber remember well the incident. Clay Allison a well-known character who was and familiar with the timber business considerable anxiety. The old, ex extravagant - travagant extravagant methods have been rele relegated - gated relegated to the past and preserving plants are now the order of the day. The Continental Tie and Timber company, one of the largest com companies - panies companies operating in the southwest, have decided to put in a plant at Ci Cimarron, - marron, Cimarron, for the treatment of ties and timber from its extensive forests in Colfax county. Grounds have been selected for this purpose in East Ci Cimarron, - marron, Cimarron, and work on the plant will begin in a short time. We have not been able to learn just what the ca capacity - pacity capacity of the new plant will be, but it will require one thoroughly modern to handle their extensive timber in interests. - terests. interests. It is a happy coincidence that among the many modern devedop- ments launched and contemplated by the people of Cimarron, this preserv ing plant should be a feature.

Mrs. Charles Springer met with a most distressing and dangerous acci accident - dent accident on last Monday night, -and was seriously injured. Mrs. . Springer spent the evening at the Chase ranch, and at a late hour started home, with her driver, a trusted servant. When about a mile from the Springer home the spirited hoses became frightened and at a bad place in the road turned the buggy over, throwing the driver out. Mrs. Springer was thrown un underneath - derneath underneath the vehicle ,,and dragged along on the frozen road and in the snow for some distance, before she was released by another turn of the buggy. The team continued on their run to the home, but no one about the premises heard them, and there was no knowledge of the accident until Mrs. Springer, assisted by the driver, reached home. When she was released from her dangerous position, Mrs. Springer was bewildered by the accident, and the pain from her many bruises, and started in the opposite direction from her home. She had gone consider considerable - able considerable distance out of her way before she was found by the driver, who had escaped serious injury. She was as assisted - sisted assisted to her home, with much diffi difficulty, - culty, difficulty, where it was found she had sustained many severe bruises. She was also badly cut about the head and face. One shoulder was badly bruised, and both eyes were bruised. Mrs. Springer has recovered remark remarkably, - ably, remarkably, considering her injuries, and is now about the house, and it lieved no serious results will the accident. is be- follow THE CIMARRON NEWS AND PRESS The history of Colfax county, when fully published, will contain many a. chapter devoted to the thrill thrilling - ing thrilling vicissitudes of the old Cimarron News and Press. The paper was es tablished in 1870, and told of the )oyJ and sorrows, the fortunes and failf tires, of those, stalwart pioneers of ih early days, who, realizing the massivd fortunes latent in the hills and the wealth of the valleys and mesas of Colfax county, struggled against all the odds of fate, in the days when th land was young. The equipment qt the old-plant was not as complete as the present business needs would de demand, - mand, demand, and .often the editor was office boy, compositor, stenographer, book bookkeeper, - keeper, bookkeeper, pressman, local hustler and job man. At other times the paped flourished and boasted of a mechanif cal force, and an able corps of ei'tj tors. The names of well known Cot fax men at the head of the editorial columns of a period of the issues of ibc old paper, and some of the most able editorials we have ever read ap appeared - peared appeared in these issues. Some of the old papers tell of stilling events, now

scratched. Copper is also found in abundance, and in values sufficient to make min mining - ing mining profitable, even under the condi conditions, - tions, conditions, existing in the past, without transportation facilities either for sup supplies, - plies, supplies, materials or product. Now that supplies and materials may be ship ship-ped - ped ship-ped by rail into the very heart of the district, and the ores may be loaded onto the cars in many instances from the mines, and in any event, after a short wagon haul, the resources of the Cimarron mining district will be soon opened to the world. The News-Press will, in a special issue to be printed soon, tell specific specifically - ally specifically of the mining industry, past and present, and give a history of some of the most famous mines of the Rocky Mountain region. This issue will be announced through these columns, and will be one of the most interest interesting - ing interesting of a series of specials which will inform the world of a territory which has lain without development for three centuries while the resources of the entire nation have been devel developed - oped developed and in many localities ex exhausted. - hausted. exhausted. COAL. A special issue of the News-Press will be issued in the near future, cov covering - ering covering the coal resources of the coun county. - ty. county. Colfax county coal fields are the greatest in the southwest. The foot foothills - hills foothills are underlaid for many miles with three seams of the finest coking coal in the world, and the supply is absolutely unlimited. All this coal is Con.inued on last page. The Sullivan Trust company of Goldfield, Nev., is reported to be financially embarrassed, several drafts made on it having been protested. In the stock market there were heavy declines in the shares of the Lou Dillon, the Silver Pick and other companies promoted by the stock company.

Cimarron will soon have a wpod wpod-preserving - preserving wpod-preserving plant. In Hese days of rapidly decreasing timber supply, every effort is being made to , pre preserve - serve preserve the forests from wasteful de depredations, - predations, depredations, and to preserve the') tim timber - ber timber of all classes. Of late years rail railroads - roads railroads and large users of timber have striven to find a means of preserving timbers of all kinds, so as to got the longest life of usefulness out of the materials used. Tie-pickling, or timber preserving has been carried on, ex experimentally - perimentally experimentally and practically by the large railroads and timber companies for the past few years, and found to jonomical and practical, especi especially - ally especially i" the case of railroad ties and timbers. It has . been conclusively demonstrated that the preservation of timber is an economical profess as well as a necessity. The continually diminishing supply of that mst im- j portant commodity has given those in J

Another railroad for Cimarron. This is the latest happy news to the residents of the western part of the county. The Continental railway will be built into Cimarron from the north, tapping the wonderful resour resources - ces resources of the Ponil, and opening a new territory to commerce. Surveys and estimates are finished and actual work will commence 011 the building as soon as contracts can be let and men and material secured. The unlimited resources of the vast area of the country to the north of Cimarron, especially the Ponil Park oistrict, in the way of timber and agriculture, have long been realized. Lack of transportation facilities alone has delayed the development of this vast storehouse, and the development now will be rapid, indeed. The new railway is to be built through the Ponil Canon, into the Fiinil Park, thence in a northerly and