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AGRICULTURE.

The county leads in agriculture. Together with Taos County, it was the granary of the Southwest for many years, and before the advent of the railroads caravans came from far and near to secure wheat and other agricultural products. Even to-day from 25 to 50 wagons loaded with agricultural products are on the road daily from the Mora Valley to Las Vegas or to Wagon Mound. Five acres produce 13,665 pounds of oats, or 85 bushels to the acre. Potatoes yield from 3 to 5 tons per acre, Mora County being one of the few parts in the Southwest where potatoes are raised successfully. With few exceptions irrigation is needed to raise crops. But this is a blessing, for irrigation gives rain when needed and withholds it when not wanted. This insures perfect crop conditions from seedtime until harvest. The principal crops are wheat, oats, alfalfa, corn, barley, rye, potatoes, and vegetables. Horticulture is a very successful pursuit, and the fruit raised here will stand comparison with that raised any where in the United States. Its flavor is unsurpassed, and in size and color it has no equal. From the Mora and the adjoining valleys 15,000 pounds of oats are shipped annually and about 2,000,000 pounds of corn. Enough wheat is raised to supply and keep busy the year round one modern roller mill and six waterpower gristmills. As an example of what capital and energy can do in the agricultural line here, the La Cueva Ranch Company can be cited. The company purchased its lands in 1880, when there were no fences on it, only one small irrigating ditch, and only a very small portion of the land under cultivation. To-day the company owns the prettiest valley in the county. The small ditch has been widened out to an 8-foot canal, three reservoirs have been built, and over 2,000 acres are under cultivation, while there is sufficient water to irrigate over 3.000 acres. The 2,000 acres are in cereals, alfalfa, and orchards. About 1,200 steers and several hundred hogs are fed on the ranch annually, and there is sufficient fodder left to rough several thousand cattle and horses through the severest winter and spring. Sixty to 80 hands are employed on the ranch. The company owns about 100,000 acres. A flouring mill and large store are maintained by the company, which is realizing handsomely on its investment. Cabbages weighing from 40 to 50 pounds are not a rare product, and the soil seems peculiarly adapted to the raising of onions, carrots, parsnips, turnips, radishes, lettuce, celery, and asparagus. The home seeker can purchase land already under cultivation at from $10 to $40 per acre. Mora County produces sugar beets very rich in saccharine matter and yielding a heavy crop to the acre. The extraordinary purity of these beets have created a demand for them, and quantities have been shipped to the Colorado beet-sugar factories as an experiment; but owing to the cost of freight and the difficulty of taking the beets to the railroad, sugar-beet raising is not as profitable as it would be if a beet-sugar factory or two were located nearer to the beet field. Labor is cheap, water power abundant, and fuel easily secured factors which would contribute. much to the success of beet-sugar factories.

The following are the principal agricultural valleys: The Mora and Agua Negra Valley, nearly all under cultivation, is 22 miles long. In its narrowest place it is 400 yards wide for the length of about 12 miles; the other 10 miles are from 2 to 3 miles wide. The Cebolla Valley is 10 miles long and 1 to 3 miles wide. The Guadalupita

Valley is 5 miles long and 3 miles wide along the Guadalupita and then runs 10 miles to Lucero, averaging about a quarter of a mile in width. The Llano del Coyote Valley is about 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. The La Cueva Valley, including the 100,000 acres of the La Cueva Ranch Company, has an area of about 144,000 acres. The Golondrina Valley has an area of 5,000 acres. The Cherry and Watrous valleys produce alfalfa principally, although 30,000 pounds of grain is raised annually, being used mostly in fattening cattle, there being about 20,000 head of cattle in these two valleys. Besides these valleys, which all have irrigation systems, there are the Lower Cebolla, Buena Vista, Carmen, Gascon, and other small valleys that are very productive.

HISTORY.

Mora is the Spanish word for raspberry, the first settlers naming the section thus on account of the abundance of wild raspberries. Up to 1830 the county was the hunting ground of Indian tribes, who held undisputed sway. In 1832 the first attempt was made by white men to settle on the present site of Mora, but the settlers were driven off by the Indians and a number of them were slain. However, other attempts were made, and in 1840 the settlers made a brave stand against the Indians and from that day the white man held the upper hand. The Mora Valley was at that time a dense forest, and great hardship was endured in clearing the lands and building homes. Often a white man would be killed at his own door by marauding Indians, and it was not uncommon for women and children to be carried into captivity. The Mexican Government furnished no protection and the settlers had but rude weapons with which to repel the attacks of the savage hordes. The Government, however, gave a large grant of land to 76 of the sturdy men. In 1847, during the war with Mexico, these people were intensely loyal to Mexico. Newcomers from the States about this time were massacred, and the American troops who appeared soon afterwards, as a punishment, laid the town of Mora in ashes. After the annexation these people were as loyal to the United States as they had been to Mexico, and many of them fought in the Federal ranks of the civil war. In 1860 the county of Mora was created out of part of the county of Taos. It had seven precints then, one of the precints, No. 4, Rayado, later being erected into the counties of Colfax and Union. Being off the line of railroad in greater part, many primitive ways still prevail side by side with advanced civilization, adding not a little to the picturesqueness and charms of the section.

TOWNS AND SETTLEMENTS.

Mora is the county seat, and was first settled in 1832. It is situated in one of the prettiest valleys of the United States; is surrounded by mountains on all sides except where the valley runs southward to Rociada and San Miguel County. The Mora River supplies the valley with an abundance of water, and furnishes power for three grist mills. The town has good roads connecting it with outside points, and is connected by telephone with Las Vegas. There are 4 general stores, carrying large stocks of goods; 2 hotels, with good accommodations; 3 blacksmith shops, 2 physicians, and several saloons. Mora also has a nice court-house, one Roman Catholic church, one Protestant church, a

Catholic convent, conducted by the Sisters of Loretto, who also maintain an excellent school, a public school, and quite a number of pretty homes. The population of the settlement is about 700. It is a pleasant summer resort, and many fishing parties from Las Vegas and other points go there to fish for trout. The Rio de la Casa, which comes tumbling from the mountains, contains the speckled beauties. Promising mineral prospects are in the mountains near by, and healthseekers often go to Mora for rest and health. All that Mora needs to become a large and prosperous town is railroad connection with the outside world.

Wagon Mound is the largest town in the county. It is the principal station of the Sante Fe Railway in the county, and therefore a shipping point for cattle, sheep, wool, and agricultural products.. There are 4 large stores in the town, 2 blacksmith shops, 2 churches. 2 schoolhouses, several bakeries, and 1 carpenter shop. The railroad at this point has a large steam sheep-dipping plant and a large stock yard. As high as 2,000,000 pounds of wool are shipped annually from Wagon Mound. Most of the cattle of the Red River and Ocate country are shipped from this point, and hundreds of wagons come and go weekly, carrying the produce of the country. Population, 850. Watrous, on the San Miguel County line, is next in importance as a shipping point, being the second largest settlement on the Sante Fe Railway in the county. Alfalfa and fruit are raised to a large extent around Watrous. There are 2 large stores, a blacksmith shop, 2 churches, and a schoolhouse. One and a half miles from Watrous the Sante Fe Railway is operating a stone quarry, which at times employs from 300 to 400 men, supplying ballast for the railway track. Two train loads of stone are shipped daily. Population, 350.

Cleveland, better known as San Antonio, lies 4 miles west of Mora, in the Mora Valley. Two stores, a sawmill, and post-office are here. Population, 600.

Agua Negra is 4 miles west of Mora, also in the Mora Valley. It has a post-office, 1 store, a Protestant church, a mission school, and a sawmill. At this point the main road to Taos starts. Population, 500.

Rito de la Agua Negra is 15 miles west of Mora and is the center of the best oats and potato producing valley in the county. It has 2 stores, a Protestant church, a Catholic church, and a Protestant mission school. Population, 600.

Sebolla lies in a rich valley divided from the Mora Valley by a mountain range. A large reservoir supplies irrigation water to the many fertile farms, wheat, hay, and oats being the principal products. Population, 400.

La Cueva is situated 5 miles east of Mora and is supplied with water from the Mora River. It is the headquarters of the La Cueva Ranch Company. A Catholic and a Protestant church and a Protestant mission school are maintained. There are also 2 blacksmith shops at the place. Population, 500.

Golondrinas lies 13 miles east of Mora and 15 miles west of Watrous. The surrounding valley is watered by the Mora and the Cebolla. Farming and stock raising are the principal industries. Alfalfa and other hay, all kinds of cereals, legumes, and fruits are the principal products. The settlement has 1 store and a post-office. Population,

250.

Cherry Valley is 15 miles east of Watrous, and farming is pursued

here in accordance with the most modern Eastern methods. The valley is watered from the Mora River, ditches being taken out on both sides of the river and watering thousands of acres. Alfalfa, corn, oats, and all kinds of fruits are raised. Vegetables attain an immense size. Hundreds of cattle, fat and sleek, roam on the adjoining mesas, while sheep graze peacefully by the thousands in this section. Population, 150.

Ocate is 25 miles west of Wagon Mound, near the dividing line between Mora and Colfax counties. There are 1,200 settlers in this fertile valley. Ocate has 5 general stores, each carrying a stock that would do credit to a city store. There are 2 churches, + schoolhouses, and several blacksmith shops. The town is most beautifully situated, being surrounded by high, well-timbered mountains. The Ocate Valley is dotted with beautiful meadows, and about 5,000 tons of hay are harvested annually. The Ocate Creek is the dividing line between the Mora grant and the public domain. Many thousands of cattle, sheep, and horses can be seen grazing around Ocate, making a picture of peace and plenty. The valley was settled fifty years ago, every foot of ground being disputed with hostile Indians, and to-day a certain part of the valley is known as Corral de los Apaches. The valley is exceptionally well watered, the Ocate Creek being formed by several sparkling mountain streams which come down picturesque canyons.

Fort Union lies 8 miles north of Watrous. It has a romantic history. The caravans of the Santa Fe trail, in the early fifties and sixties, often made it a haven of refuge. A stage carried the mail from and to Kansas City once every two or three months, and later on monthly. Freight wagons and the prairie schooners made the trip in six months, and some took a whole year to make a return trip. The place was to the traveler an oasis and a bulwark against the marauding Indians. The old fort is 6,700 feet above sea level and situated in a valley 25 miles long and 5 miles wide. The Turkey Mountains lie to the east, while to the west rise the majestic slopes of the Rocky Mountains. The fort was abandoned in 1891. An extinct crater lies between it and Ocate, and for many miles around lava is piled up.

Guadalupita is situated 12 miles north of Mora in a beautiful valley surrounded by high mountains. The valley roundabout is well watered by several small streams, the chief of which is the Coyote, which gets its flow from the Black Lakes, in Colfax County. There is a sawmill, general store, a church, and a school in the settlement, which also has a post-office. Hay, grain, potatoes, and legumes are raised in large quantities, but the chief industry is stock raising. Many thousand sheep graze in the hills and on the mountains browse many herds of cattle. Grass comes very early in the spring, and therefore cattle do exceptionally well. The winters are mild. The road to the Black Lakes, Cimmaron, Elizabethtown, and Taos passes through Guadalupita, crossing the Coyote 23 times in the canyon. Many a fishing party finds its way to this canyon or to the Black Lakes, where trout fishing, as well as hunting, yields excellent sport. Population, 250. Turquillo is 6 miles north of Guadalupita. There are 2 sawmills in the valley, with an almost inexhaustible supply of timber to draw on. Hay, grain, and the legumes are the principal crops. Potatoes, however, are grown to an immense size. A number of promising mineral prospects are in the near-by mountains, but not developed to any extent. Population, 350.

Coyote is 7 miles northeast of Mora. It is in a narrow valley about a mile wide with high mountains and bluffs on all sides. Stock raising and agriculture are the main industries. A general store and a postoffice are found here. There are several fine orchards in the valley. A concentrator situated there is idle at present, although considerable work is being done on the fine mineral prospects in the vicinity. Copper is the principal ore, some of it assaying as high as 85 per cent, besides carrying gold, silver, and lead. Population, 200.

Llano del Coyote is 2 miles east of Coyote. Its resources are chiefly stock raising and farming. It has 2 stores, 1 church, a school, and a blacksmith shop. It is situated in an open valley, watered by the Coyote. Population, 300.

MORA COUNTY'S FUTURE.

Now is the time to settle in Mora County. The building of branch railroads into the county will greatly increase land values and will bring many opportunities for the establishment of new industries, the development of latent resources, the building of new towns, and the growth of the older settlements. With its ideal climate, its abundance of water, its undeveloped resources, Mora County promises in the near future to become one of the most densely populated and richest sections of the great Southwest.

OTERO COUNTY.

Less than five years ago the part of Donna Ana, Lincoln, and Socorro counties which is now comprised within the area of Otero County, was practically an uninhabited, arid country, excepting the small agricultural settlements at Tularosa, La Luz, and Weed, a few prospectors in the Jarillas, and several widely scattered cattle ranches, there being but a few over a thousand permanent settlers in the whole region. In the fall of 1898, however, several Pennsylvania capitalists and promoters, seeing the great possibilities for future wealth which the timber in the Sacramento Mountains, the coal beds in Lincoln County, and the mineral indications of the Jarilla and other mining districts in Otero, Lincoln, and adjoining counties offered, built a standard-gauge railroad from El Paso over 100 miles of almost barren country, founded a city in the desert, and touched the whole section as if with a magic wand and awakened it from its slumber into an active life and growth, for to-day, mainly owing to the enterprises inaugurated by these men, the county numbers at least 6,000 people and has an assessed valuation of over $1,000,000, in which the railroad is not included. The legislature which met in 1889 created that section into Otero County, named thus in honor of New Mexico's progressive governor, the Hon. Miguel A. Otero.

Otero County is bounded on the east by Chaves and Eddy counties, on the north by Lincoln and Socorro counties, on the west by Socorro and Donna Ana counties, and on the south by the State of Texas. Its main development has thus far been in its northern half, the southern and southeastern parts being still mostly an arid grazing plain broken by low hills, several isolated mountain groups, and but very sparsely

inhabited.

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