Delta chief., 1883-03-07

to contain a particle of sand. They are light
and dusty when dry, and sticky and slippery
when wet
and Uncompahgre-a from three to five
miles wide, back of which rises the first mesa
to hight 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 plateaus, or rs 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 cottonwoods 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 a new country,
it must be said, these places are very pretty.
Yellow pine of the best quality covers the
mountain ranges. There is belt beginning
near ouray and running parallelwith and on
the west side of the Uncompahgre and Gun
nison to Utah, which is from fifty to sixty
miles long, and from five to twenty miles
wide. 1t is fifteen miles west of Delta, and
can be reached by wagon road. 1t affords a
good opening for saw mills. The lumber
made from this timber is as good, if not bet
ter than the best Chicago or Milwaukee lum-
ber.
The lands since July 2S, 1882, are open to
pre-emption, to town-site entry, and to entry
under the mineral statutes, but not to home
stead or scrip entries, or timber culture.
government survey has been ordered, but the
pre-emptor will have about three years to
pay for his land.
WHAT WILL GROW HERE?
To this question there is but one answer to
make: Almost anything in the agricultural
line and in the way of fruits, possibility
that all kinds can be successfully grown.
The first assertion has been practically
demonstrated. On one ranch was raised
corn, alfalfa, potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots,
parsnips, cabbage, onions. tomatoes, beans,
squash, peas, cucumbers, lettuce, musk and
watermelons, and radishes. The domestic
grasses all grow by irrigation--timothy, blue
top, clover, Hungarian, millet, etc. Potatoes
weighing six and half pounds were raised
on the North Fork, and green coru and mel
ems were furnished to the Gunnison market.
Last year Odessa wheat yielded over SO bush
els to the acre, oats from so to 20 bushels, and
potatoes from 200 to 400 bushels. 1t can be
safely asserted that all the cereals and vege-
tables suited to a temperate zone may be
raised. 1t may be that here, as in the valleys
on the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains,
that the intense winter warmth followed by
sudden extremes of cold, may be fatal to fruit
culture; but soil and climate matching that
soil and climate where the peach and apricot
flourish to perfection are thought to be here.
Young apple trees set out last spring grew
from fifteen to thirty-six inches during the
season.
The plateaus, or grand mesas, as they are
commonly called, drained by the tributries
of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre rivers, is
fine cattle country. There are great mesas
sloping down from the foot of the ranges,
containing hundreds of thousands of acres of
fine, rich, alluvial soil, which in summer, as
far as the eye can reach, is one great waving
sea of grass resembling bluejoint, but in
reality grama grass. Here are vast ranges
yel W DC occupieu, huu W pcSohic VIC stoSh
growing paradise. In winter stock can be
run in the valley country below these high
mesas, where bunch-grass abounds and but
little snow is met with, save in exceptional
winters Last year profit of 30 to 100 per
cent. was made on stock. Mich caws<are
from $50 to S75; stock COWS, $50; woflybxen,
800 to 1925 per yoke; beef to 10 G<hts per
pound; sheep, $3.50 to 50; horses, s75 to
500; mules, 800 to $50; ponies, $50 to $50.
GAME.
Game can be found here in great abund-
ance. 1t is estimated that last winter fully
5000 deer were killed within few miles Of
Delta. Rabbits, ducks, geese, plovers, cur
lews, grouse and prairie chickens, beside the
larger game, such as elk, deer, and several
varieties of bear, are found in every direction.
Mountain sheep can be found on the higher
mountain ranges. The streams are full of
speckled trout and salmon, aifording fine
sport for the manipulation of the line and fly.
COAL.
Delta is in the neighborhood of twenty
miles from Smiths Fork, North Fork, and
Surface creek, where coal deposits are extern
sive, and the quality equal to that of Penn
sylvania. BY analyses make by experienced
metalurgists in the East, the bituminous coal
contains rs per cent. of carbon and but
small percentage of ash and moisture the
anthracite coal contains from SS to 93 per
cent. carbon. For 800 miles east and 200
west this coal is not found As has been well