Delta chief., 1883-04-11
Delta has a municipal government; Mr.. J..


J. Barker is Mayor.
The Town company in September, 1851, Sc
lecied about 500 acres for town, which has
been surveyed and plated. The company is
composed of George A. Crawford, president
and general manager; Harvey A. Bailey, as-
sistent manager; VI. c. Nandeven;er, secre-
tary; together with ID. c. Dodge, general
manage. Of the Denver & Rio 6rande; w.
A. Bell, vice president of the Denver & BIO
6randc; W. i. Wcitbrec, manager Of con-
struction OF the Denver Il Rio Grande, as di-
rcctors There are also Hon. Allison White
and H. E.Rood, of Philadelphia; F. NJ. Ander-
son, w. o. Stephens and VI. +. Frcderscks, Of
Delta, and the Denver 4 Rio Grande railway
company, stockholders of the company.
THE COUNTY.
The boundary lines Of Delta county are as
follows: Beginning at point three miles
south of the third correction line extended
west to a point Of intersection with the
l07e 80 west Longitude; thence due north
along said degree of longitude 10 the divide
between the heaiwaicrs of the Grand and
North Fork of the Gunnison rivers; thence
along said divide in a southwcsicrly direction
to point on the extreme southwestern cx-
Of the Grand Mesa; thence in a southwest
erIy direction TO the mouth of the Rio
DomingueE; thence due south TO a point
three miles south of an extension Of the
third correction line; thence due east par
allci with said extension Of the third cor
rcc,ion line TO the place Of beginning. The
county seat is Delta.
THE VALLEYS.
A reccn, writer has said OF the soil Of the
valleys that it shows at least four distinct
characteristics. The first, running in a mar
row belt along the bank OF the river, is
dark. rich. sandy loan, largely covered with
cottonwocds. willows and undcrbrush. The
sagc.brush lands come next in order, in ap-
pcarancc resembling the fertile lands Of Utah
and California, carrying bnt a small quantity
of sand, are also very productive and desir-
able. The grcascwood lands, being the most
extensive of the valley lands, do not appear
to contain particle of sand. They are light
and dusty when dry, aud sticky and slippery
when wct''
The valleys propcr--of both the Gunnison
and uncompahgrc are from two to five
miles wide, back of which rises the first mesa
to u height of from thirty to fifty feet. This
mesa is an extensive bench of good land
which will in time be irrigated and covered
with farms. This mesa exists ON both sides
of the rivers and extends back to the foot of
the platcaus, or as they are generally called,
the grand mesas. The rivers run through the
central part of the valleys, so that good farms
are located on either side. An abundant
growth of cottopwoods extends along the
banks of the streams, and it is from these
trees that the settlers have for the most part
built their cottages, and for new country,
IL must be said, these places are very pretty.
Yellow pine of the best quality covers the
mountain ranges. There is II belt beginning
near Ouray and running parallel with and on
the west side of the uncompahgrc and Gun.
nison TO Utah, which is from fifty to sixty
miles long, and from five to twenty miles
wide. Il is fifteen miles west of Delta, and
can be reached by wagon road. II affords n
good opening for Aw mills. The lumber
made from this timber is as good, II not bet.
ter than the best Chicago or Milwaukee lum-
bcr.
The lands since July 2s, 1882, are open TO
prescription, to town-sitc entry, and to entry
under the mineral statutes, but not to home-
stead or scrip entries, or timber culture. A
government survey has been ordered, but the
prc-cmptor will have about three years to
pay for his land.