THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



345 



ALAMOSA, COLORADO. 



An impression of immensity compels the mind as one 

 enters the San Luis Valley and that impression remains with 

 greater force the more one travels through the valley. 



As you enter, whether from the east over La Veta 

 Pass or from the south over Cumbres Pass, the eye is met 

 by a vast stretch of land seemingly as level as the pro- 

 verbial table with the line of the horizon formed by lofty 

 and snow-clad mountain peaks among which the mighty 

 Blanca towers as a giant monarch. 



Geographically the San Luis Valley is located in the 

 south central part of Colorado, extends over an area as 

 large as that of the state of Connecticut and includes four 

 counties within its boundaries, viz., Costilla, Conejes, Rio 

 Grande and Saguache, which combined cover about 3,000,- 

 000 acres of as rich irrigated and irrigable land as can be 

 found in any part of the West. 



The San Luis Valley enjoys a climate peculiarly its 

 own. Protected and sheltered as it is by mountain ranges 

 on all sides winter storms are rare, blizzards are unknown 

 and the fall of snow in the valley so light that the live 

 stock graze in the open the year around without injury or 

 discomfort. 



The town of Alamosa, a thriving community of about 

 4,000 and the population of which has more than doubled 

 in the past 4 years, is rightfully designated as the "Hub of 

 the San Luis Valley." 



Located almost in the center of the valley, it is the 

 hub from which the railroads radiate to various parts of 

 this agricultural empire. 



The Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, that most effective 

 factor in the development of Colrado, through the sagacity 

 and foresight of its officials, early discovered the latent 

 possibilities of the valley. Its emissaries saw that the 

 pioneer Mexican settlers, with none or very crude methods 

 of irrigation, were harvesting profitable crops as a result 

 of desultory farming and the railroad officials were quick 

 to realize that the only requisite to the proper develop- 

 ment of the San Luis Valley was transportation facilities. 



The fourth division (one of the largest of the system) 

 of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad was established 

 at Alamosa. For several years Alamosa was the terminus 

 of the road, but with the development of southern Colo- 

 rado and northern New Mexico, the line was extended 

 southward to Antonito/rSanta Fe and Durango; a branch 

 was built running westward to Creede and serving Monte 

 Vista and Del Norte while the Salida branch, a mighty- 

 factor in the development of Mosca, Hooper, Moffat, Villa 

 Grove as well as the inland towns of Center and Saguach, 

 placed Alamosa and the San Luis Valley on the railroad 

 map from the Pacific Coast and Salt Lake City. 



Over 600 men are employed in the Alamosa machine 

 and car shops of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad; 

 the pay roll of these plans aggregate from $500,000 to $600,- 

 000 a year. 



During the past year considerable interest has been 

 aroused in a proposed electric road which is intended to 

 connect the towns of Del Norte, Center, Saguache and 

 Villa Grove ; and while the matter is in the embryo state 

 there is no doubt that the San Luis Valley offers an ex- 

 cellent field to trolley road builders. The many prosperous 

 inland towns of the valley would undoubtedly welcome all 

 propositions of that nature and support them both morally 

 and fiancially. 



The influx of new-comers from the East has more 

 than doubled the population of Alamosa in the past three 

 years. The old residents have built a modern, delightful, 

 home-like city, attractive from a social as well as busi- 

 ness viewpoint. 



Alamosa has three school buildings, a high school, 

 15 teachers and an enrollment of 650 pupils; five church 

 buildings in which seven religious denominations are repre- 

 sented, a $6,000 Carnegie library, theaters, opera houses and 

 electric light plant and a modern fire department. 



Among its business men Alamosa numbers many pro- 

 gressive, wide-awake and enthusiastic merchants, who have 

 kept abreast with the progress of the community. 



An active commercial club of which merchants, pro- 

 fessional men and farmers are live members, is ever on the 

 lookout for the establishment of new industries and to in- 

 terest capital in meritorious enterprises. 



A real estate exchange, composed of the leading land 

 and real estate dealers of the town, makes it its special 



This splendid 70 gallon verti- 

 cal suction, centrifugal Buffalo 

 Pump for only 



Larger Sizes in 

 Proportion 



"Buffalo" Vertical Suction 

 Centrifugal Pump the highest 

 pump value ever offered at the price 



We are prepared to make stock ship- 

 ments from factory of this highly 

 recommended and exceedingly popular 

 irrigation pump, used for heads not 

 exceeding over 50 feet. It belongs to 

 the trade-marked "Buffalo" Class M 

 family, which has won just recognition 

 as the highest value obtainable in 

 popular priced centrifugal pumps. 

 The outfit includes pump, pulley, com- 

 panion flanges and coupling for both 

 suction and discharge, as shown. Only 

 the finest white babbitt metal is used 

 in the extra long bearings, which are 

 furnished with brass compression 

 grease cups. Thrust bearing is of ball 

 bearing type. It may be installed by 

 attaching the suction flange directly 

 to the well casing, the pump itself be- 

 ing set between two vertical timbers, 

 which also carry the shafting, bearings, 

 etc., and is driven by pulley located 

 above the ground at top of the well. 

 Bearings, shaft collars, and steel shaft- 

 ing can be supplied at a slight extra 

 cost to suit your individual require- 

 ments. Being accurately made and 

 fitted, all parts of the pump are inter- 

 changeable and can be promptly dup- 

 licated at any time. Couplings are 

 bored same size as shaft and bearings. 

 Larger sizes also made. The price 

 quoted is f . o. b. our factory. 



Send us your order now. 



Ask for Catalog No. 2J7-C. 



BUFFALO STEAM PUMP CO. 



Buffalo, N. Y. 



Agents Wanted for oar complete line of 

 pump* for every purpote 



When writing to advertisers please mention The Irrigation Age. 



