Show FROM SAN JUAN COUNTY A BIG COUNTRY AND STILL GROWING TOO MUCH WATER AND NONE AT ALL A SPLENDID RAILWAY ROUTE VOR FOR WINTER GENERAL bluff san juan vo co utah january 8 1887 editor deseret news in my last communication I 1 endeavored to describe the country situated in the southeast corner comer of san juan county in the southeast corner ot of utah territory I 1 will now atte attempt ampt a description of a portion of the country situated in the southwest corn corner er of colorado and northeast corner ot cd new mexico we will now take a trip from this place bluff situated on the san sall juan uan river up top to burnham olio new mexico a distance of about miles where we have a small ward L C burnham barnham bishop our road will run alock the course of the river most of the way we travel six miles from here in a nearly eastern course and we come to a small stream called recapture which heads in the blue mountains about 40 miles north on either side of the stream is s found excellent pasture for cattle and sheep there are now on this range about head of sheep and to head of cattle the saints own about of the sheep and about 2000 of the tae eattle cattle the r rest are owned by outsiders this min stream recapture affords an abundance of water i a good portion of the year and with skill and capital could be stored up ap in the winter and spring season and afford a water supply sufficient to irrigate ACRES OP OF LAND the land is found on the great white mesa on the west side of this stream situated in a line fine table land of most excellent sandy saady loamy soil elevated about feet above the sea no snow falls falis here to speak of in the winter and the heat of of summer ta id not oppressive we surely must occupy this beautiful location in the near future I 1 if we I 1 do not the stranger will plenty i of good pine timber is found on the mountains about ten miles distant from this beautiful town site we now resume our lourney journey and travel about ten miles over a rocky sandy road sometimes along the river bottom and then we take up over the bluffs as thuy they are called nere here for a mile or two and then back on the river bottom again in till we come to montezuma cree creek aj where our people eople a few years ago had bad quite a settlement settlement but it is now entirely deserted on account of a terrible flood that came down and earned carried away houses corrals fences orchards vineyards and in 0 one ne instance a whole farm was washed away there seems to be no safety in making improvements on the banks of this river unless you have capital sufficient to fortify the banks of the river the entire extent of your tour improvements every ever y little way along the road read are found nice mesas or benches of choice land some of them two and a half to thre emiles long and one to one and a half miles wide very beautiful sites for towns or villages andi and plenty ot of opportunities to build buila reservoirs and store water sufficient for all the good land found on ba these first benches above the river bottom all situated in one of the FINEST T CLIMATES ON ew EARTH where every kind of product can be raised that man needs the general face of all this country is greatly broken and carries a desert appearances with great dry washes coming down from the mountains to the river where at times immense bodies of water rush down carrying everything before them we will now hitch up and make a drive of 16 miles over the same kind of road and about the same kind of country when we find ourselves at river elver view vl bew ll 11 the residence of elder wm win hyde located on a bluff about feet above the river bottom he was washed out at montezuma but now is built on the rock or gravelly bluff he lost all he had in the flood but with indomitable pluck and energy he and his family went to work and established a trading post at this point the trade consists of wool and oat skins purchased from the navajo indians scat who live just across the i liver iver and own immense herds of goats sheep and horses brother hyde has put in a good ferry at this point and is doing quite an EXTENSIVE BUSINESS and also doing much good to the indians through his association with them he has a good knowledge of their language and is very highly respected by them brother hyde has a nice family and although isolated from the great centres bentres of society where meetings and schools abound he has not lost sight of these things in regard to his children but has supplied them with books and papers ers so that they are not be be eind hind but are in advance of many children brought up under more favorable circumstances as regards facilities fur for education he and family abound in hospitality their door is always wide open dusty aud and traveler we will presume our journey the road leaving the river we take an easterly e ly direction up dry washes and over dy dry plains out not as rough as it was irom bluffton bluff to hydes the country now is improving in general appearance but is entirely in baut of that in dispensable blessing water yet there are any amount of places where water can be stored and used for agriculture we travel about twelve miles when we come to a great mesa where the road forks forke the right reading to burnham left leading past the ute mountain navajo aztec springs and mtchell Ml hell springs all situated in the great montezuma valle balley we will take to the right which leaa leads us across one of the finest dist districts of country I 1 ever traveled in it is a great open rolling country lc covered with ce good bunch grass and white sage jagd a fenc winter range for stock and no now w occupied by the mancos cattle com company they ahre are running some IM bead adad of stock haae toi this 8 grand gage plain mis is situated at ai the south base of the ute mountain and stretches south to the san juan river I 1 a distance of some 20 miles and east to the mancos river which heads beads up in the la plata mountains colorado by the way we are now in Colo colorado near the line between it and utah and ana in the extreme southwest corney of that state the corner proper being not far south just across the san SanJuan juan river this fine country is situated as to altitude about feet above sea level the soil and climate are capable of ox producing a preat great variety of products with a good market in colorado near at hand band we will now travel op on over a beautiful country 12 miles further when we come to the junction of the mancos with the san juan river I 1 may say in passing this whole country is dotted clotted over with old aztec or some other peoples people lp ruins remnants of a RUDE KIND OF POTTERY ware are found in almost every place where I 1 have traveled the ruins as a rule do not exhibit much art there are eaves caves dug out of soft rocky cliffs and sometimes a number of apartments are found in one oae dwelling place e I 1 one was discovered with 14 rooms on the river side of the bluff high up above all high water marks in other places they are constructed of stone walls laid up in clay mortar some of these are found over feet long and 80 to 40 feet wide generally with a large number of small ruins and near by or around these larger ones likely the large structures were used as places of worship labut to resume our lourney journey we had got to the junction of the mancos with the san juan river I 1 believe we will have to rest our team and lunch here as water is such a luxury in this country and while dt d ing so we will I 1 ook look about this point and see what we can discover we look north and see a pine valley lying between the ute mountain and very high bluffs which make down from the la plata and malcos mountains on the east looking k south we discover the ch chillous Chil riling lUus mountains on OB the other oth er side of san juan river in new mexico some 50 miles away with oue one very notable peak called the cathedral about 26 miles north up this beautiful valley we become come to mitchells springs situated in the great r eat montezuma hauey aley e and where tae the ditch and tunnel coil company of this valley are now engaged in BUILDING A CITY they have lot let a contract to two of our brethren to buld build a large rock building ng 80 by 50 two stories higia with a promise romise of a contract to build a otel hotel next summer this company have been engaged some time la iia out the water from the Po dolores lores river into this valley containing some acres of choice land they bring the water through a tunnel one and a half miles long from frem where they tap the river from this tunnel tile the water flows into a large cation canon well adapted for storing water in reservoirs and from here it enters canals which divide and course down both sides of the valley the length of the main canals is some two hundred miles the water will be out and ready for use by the first of may so say the company land is being rapidly taken up and houses and fences and other imp improvements rov are to be seen all over 4 I 1 the t h e valley vali ae the comp company y 0 own w u a large larg a bo Y allaud of land near the ee center n te r ao of f th the e valle valley and are offering it with w water ate r insured at very fair rates we should nave have a strong foothold here as it is a very desirable point for us to secure F fuel ea coal and wood are found in abundance all over this region as also good building rock limestone and sand and good clay for brick the hotel mentioned is to be built af brick there is also an abundance of g good 01 od saw timber with good roads to it about ten miles distant t what can hindera country from growing with such facilities we will now return to our camp at the river here will be a first class ferry put in immediately by the company who have just located a wagon road from mitchells helPs springs headquarters to this point aua ana irom the river or ferry to 11 gallop 11 a station on the A P railroad a distance of about one hundred and thirty miles over a s splendid rou route te for feed and water a and kno ino hills or mountains to pass over over this route the freight for montezuma valley and all the country contiguous will be ba hauled tiled one of our brethren has the freight contract for one year it will take eight or 10 six mule teams constantly coustau employed when the business is fairly opened the wagon route is located orr on a grade that will permit a railroad to follow which will soon take place passing on through the valley north integrand into grand an and green dGreen river valleys aud and so on to salt take lake city making the FINEST WINTER ROUTE I 1 know of entirely free from snow brethren need not hesitate to come out to this country for an abundance of labor seems in prospect for some lime in the future now Is t the time while the country is now new an and land cheap brethren Bret bren with a small amount of ready means can purchase improved places dirt cheap at mancos where we have a small mall ward of the church by writing to geo halls bisho bishop they can obtain truthful and reliable information we will hardly reach burnham olio this trip and as we are at a booi gooi good camp we will lay over and rest until next mail then we will resume our journe yup up the river and see what we can discover in that part of new M mexico ico we e had a most splendid time during the holidays aarand christmas dinner with the inevitable roast turkey w with jtb all that should accompany the same i ilal abundance some whites sat dowa to the feast after which about indians were fed they were stuffed like the turkey and then plenty left for lunch at our dance in the evening also a finely decorated tree for the children and old santa claus clans came and distributed the numerous and costi costly presents to our dear little folks all aal were appy kind regards to you and all associated with you yon in the office F A HAMMOND |