328 



THE IRBIGATION AGE. 



THE SIXTEENTH NATIONAL IRRIGATION CON- 

 GRESS. 



Albuquerque is putting on her holiday dress so 

 that she may present a good appearance at the time of 

 the meeting of the Sixteenth National Irrigation Con- 

 gress which is to be held in that city September 29-30, 

 October 1 and 2. 



Albuquerque is a beautiful city of some 20,000 

 population. It is the metropolis of New Mexico and 

 the commercial capital and railroad center of an aroa 

 some 500 miles square. It is also the most important 

 city on the main line of the Santa Fe railway between 

 Topeka, Kansas, and Los Angeles, California. Here 

 are located the Santa Fe railroad shops and one of 

 the Santa Fe's splendid Harvey hotels, the Alvarado. 

 This hotel cost upwards of $200,000 and can accom- 

 modate a large number of guests, and at this hou-1 



FRANK C.60UDY 



PRESIDENT 



8.A.FOWLE1R 

 SECRETARY SIXTEENTH 



SUTICXAL JRJr.CftTION 



of Sixteenth National Irr 



rooms have been reserved for officials of the congress. 

 the diplomatic corps and others of prominence who will 

 be in attendance. 



We are showing in this connection a lot of good 

 photos of Albuquefrque and vicinity 'which include 

 some of the reclamation work in the southwest. Per- 

 haps no better point could have been selected for the 

 Sixteenth National Irrigation Congress, in view of the 

 fact that the territory of New Mexico will be greatly 

 benefited by large irrigation projects which -are now 

 contemplated or are under way. , 



New Mexico is largely an unknown territory. That 

 is to say, very few people outside of those who are 

 residents of the territory are acquainted with its 

 possibilities and resources. It has within its bound- 

 aries some of the best pine timber in the United States, 

 large areas underlaid with coal and immense tracts 

 of grazing lands as well as large areas in the valleys 

 of its streams, used now to a limited extent, for agricul- 

 ture. These stream areas will eventually be all put 

 under cultivation as soon as plans of private individ- 

 uals and Federal projects are put into operation. 



New Mexico has large reaches rich in minerals and 

 her valleys are exceedingly productive wherever water 

 is obtained for them. The lower reaches of the Eio 

 Grande valley around Las Graces and Mesilla are world- 



famed for fruit and alfalfa. New Mexico has occupied 

 a prominent part in the development of western 

 America. Within her boundaries lies one of the oldest 

 towns in the country, Santa Fe. This was a prominent 

 town when our central and western cities like Chicago, 

 St. Louis, Detroit and Milwaukee were in their swad- 

 dling clothes. The old Santa Fe trail which traversed 

 the country from Weston on the Missouri to the - - 3- 

 mote frontier of Mexico derived its name from this 

 old city. Here is located one of the oldest churches in 

 America, and there are many other structures in Sania 

 Fe that are so old as to lend romance to their name, 

 and no doubt many of those who attend the congress 

 will make a side trip from Lamy on the main line of 

 the Santa Fe railway up into the hills to the town of 

 that name. In fact, it would be folly for those who 

 have never visited this section to go on to Albuquerque 

 without contemplating the short side trip of twenty 

 miles to old Santa Fe. There are many other inter- 

 esting points within easy distance of Albuquerque. Not 

 far to the west on the main line of the Santa Fe are 

 found the petrified forests of Arizona and another 

 branch of this road reaches down to the Grand Can- 

 yon of the Colorado, one of the world's greatest won- 

 ders. From other points along the line side trips niny 

 be made to Indian reservations which have become his- 

 torical from the part these Indian tribes have taken iu 

 the history of the west. Many other interesting points 

 are easily reached in a day's travel by wagon from al- 

 most any station of the Santa Fe line west of Albu- 

 querque. So much has been written and told about 

 these various points by magazine stories and lecturers 

 that it would not be worth while for us to 'deal minutely 

 with them. It would be well, however, for all of those 

 who contemplate visiting Albuquerque to consider that 

 they may never again reach a point as near so many 

 historic localities as is Albuquerque. 



Las Vegas on the Santa Fe, which lies only five 

 or six hours' ride north of Albuquerque is well worth 

 a visit of a day or two. This is one of the most pro- 

 gressive towns in the territory. In fact, there has, 

 been more development along the line of colonization 

 around Las Vesas than in anv other section of New 



Convention Hall, Albuquerque. 



Mexico, with the possible exception of the Pecos valley, 

 which lies to the east of Albuquerque, and Las Vegas 

 which was explored and colonized manv years ago. 

 This particular valley has a national reputation and has 

 passed through the varying changes of colonization by 

 proxy, and the real thing. In recent years the govern- 

 ment has taken up some of the projects that were fail- 



