Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-03-26
SOUTHEASTERN UTAH.
A Correspondent of Colorado Pa
per Describes n Delightful
Locality.

Mr.. S. Richardson, a correspondent oil
the Gunnison Free Press, writes to that
journal under date OF March 18th, rs
follows: /
NV place is on the east side OF Grand
river, in Utah, about 100 miles below
Grand Junction by river, and something
more by rail and wagon road, or trail.
The Colorado valley, in which / live, com
mences about twelve miles. below the
mouth of Dolores river, and embraces
four distinct valleys watered by Mountain
streams. The most northern is Salt
creek, the most eastern is Fisher, the
most central, in which live, is the Bijou,
and the most southern is Little Castle.
All contain fine agricultural lands, and
nearly all are open to settlement.
| have deferred writing until the spring
opened, so that might be enabled to say
something OF the winter as it has ap.
peared to me. | have kept a record OF
the coolest weather, and found that there
was in the Bijou valley only one, week OF
frost in December, and that the last one,
when on the coolest night the mercury
fell degrees below freezing point. In
January the coolest night. 2 degrees
above zero was indicated, with about half
the month without frost. During Febru-
airy the thermometer stood about the
same as in December, and thus far in
March we have had little frost, but not
enough to freeze running water, except
one night. During all those three months
and half there has been much stormy
weather, with snow and rain-mostly
rain, with at no time over one inch OF
snow, which would soon disappear the
4 ,,,l httt al nIl
the east there has been snow line all
winter varying in altitude from 5000
| feet upwards. The altitude of these val
leys being less than 1000 feet, except
Fisher, upon which the snow line COM
mences, and which lies north OF the
La Sal mountains.
The soil in all these valleys is red
sandy loan. In fact the entire region is
red, rocks and all, hence the name Colo
RADIO valley, as given by the government.
These valleys are all connected by wagon
roads which have been made since |
came; but yet all are isolated from the
world by road, and literally walled
in by rim rock varying from 700
to 900 feet However, we expect soon
to build a wagon road from the Bijou to
Thompson Springs on the d. & r. g..
Western, ninety-two miles west OF Grand
Junction.
Little Grand valley, which is twelve
miles further down the Grand, has been
settled now about five years, although
the first settlers came seven years ago.
The valley contains several hundred in
habitants, most OF whom are Mormons,
who follow general farming, and have
done much at fruit raising, enough, /
think, to settle the matter and establish
the fact, that there is nowhere to be found
better country for fruit raising, as nearly
everything in that line can be pro-
duced, except the most tropical fruits,
and some of them can be. am blowing
and arranging to set out figs, prunes,
raisin grapes, and apricots for general
crop, besides other large and small fruits
Peaches grown there are very fine, and
not excelled anywhere. The growth Of
| trees is wonderful | have seen these
shoots grown several feet on apple stocks
,, in nursery in one year, and over m
inch through-large enough to set in an
, orchard in one year from bud or graft
i and the topmost leaves still green. Little
Castle and Bijou valleys have the same
. climate and soil, but there are NJ
Mormons in the Bijou, only Gentiles
A few settlers have come in and taker
: up land, but yet there is more to be had
just as good, with good water on it.
: Along Grand river there are place.
mines which pay, and which l am salts
fed will pay wages to practical miners
some of which have been worked durn,
the winter. Those placers below tn,
: mouth OF Little Castle creek are cspe
: cially good, and are now being worked
!, by company. A few men, however
l have staked nearly every bar along thu
g river, some Of whom are holding hall
4 dozen claims. Five dollars per day cal
$ easily be washed out with rocker il
t some places, and in others much more
4 The only reason why these valleys hav
l not been settled sooner is their inaccessi
I bility. have settled here permanently
$ 1t is my last move; and although neigh
? bors are scarce, we will soon have thirty
& ing population. Little Castle valley ha
six settlers, Fisher two, and the Bio,
four. Little Castle is named for it
= castles, Bijou for the beauty OF it
stream, and Fisher for its first settler. w
i few pioneers have everything to do, an
with but limited means at command-ye
it is only question OF labor and prov
c sons. With climate that admits {
d seven months without frost. with thou
/ sands Of deer in the hills and fish i'm TN
5 streams, the grub question is not seriou
d one, if a person will rustic only a little
:. BY the first of June full crop of vege
e tables will be produced, and two week
G after small grain will be harvested. The
+ will commence planting ior second Gro
t for winter use. The only natural pre-
: duct lacking is coal. The principal WOO
, in the valleys is cedar, pine, oak an
cottonwood. Up around the mountain
a are large quantities OF yellow pine an
r spruce, all very fine. Salt springs al
!, common, and in the lower end of Littl
I Castle valley there are some ancient eli
h dwellings, and old salt wells where tn