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Show MEXICAN VILLAGES TD BE OBLITERATED Big Elephant Butte Dam Will Wipe Ancient Towns GIF the Map. : j EL PASO,, Texas, Now 27, Prepara- 1 Hons are being made by the government govern-ment to remove nearly 2i00 peoplo from their homes In order to mako room for tho grent Elephant Butte reservoir near Engle, N. M. Six Mexican villages, ranging In population pop-ulation from GO to 700. will, bo Inundated when the water Is turned In. Among tho .towns lo bb obliterated is Perajo, oncu an Important station and distributing point on the old Santa Fo trail, with a population then of ."000. Some of the towns are among tho most analont In America, their origin running run-ning back sevoral conturleR. From Perajo Per-ajo the trail entered upon the fnmous Jornad del Muerto (Journey of Death), where scores died with thirst In tho old freighting days. The government Js now engaged in buying up the farms and village property prop-erty of the native residents, and by the tlmo water In available, tho great, basin of 40, P00 acres will havo been deserted. The ranchers will bo allowed to till their land until driven out by the water. wa-ter. A government agent, who returned here yesterday after spending throe weeks in that region, stated that he met but ono American during tho time and that the most primltlvo conditions prevailed everywhere. |