The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-08

some adobe and brick houses, the bricks
be ng mainly at Sanford.
AT Sanford they have succeeded in get
ting twenty or thirty flowing wells. SO
far there has been no success attending the
boring for wells here.
There is still some farming done at the
old site of Richfield, and the soil there is as
good as any in this vicinity. Sanford and
Richfleld are little better for the raising
of grains and vegetables than this place,
although all kinds of hardy small grains do
well here and
IT is WONDERFULLY GOOD COUNTRY
for vegetables; one party here claiming
that out of large crop of cabbage which
he raised there was not single head that
would not weigh twenty pounds. The first
lands that our people purchased were sold
to them by the state at so cents an acre,
and the last lands purchased at So. This
gives some idea as to the relative value
placed on the land before and after it has
been proven good for grains. The same
class of land as that owned by our people is
now held by the state at $40. The state
officials, as a rule, give our people the
credit for demonstrating that the valley is
really capable of maturing grains and
raising vegetables.
If the great Colfax were alive l suppose
all the credit in his mind would have to be
given to Mr.. Water, as to the water alone
would be due the credit for taking out the
canals, blowing the ground, etc. The Utah
people tell me that they look upon the land
here as being equal to that at home. Eras
tus Snow was about the first of our leading
elders to visit this valley. Capitalists have
purchas ed immense tracts of land here and
there have been made three canals that are
forty feet wide on the bottom and will carry
five feet of water. That is, they are forty
feet at the head; of course, as the water is
taken out they get less in size. These
canals are supplied from the Rio Grande
and the Conejos rivers. The country is
wonderfully level and all that is neces-
sary to run a canal is to scrape
out the soil, which can be used for good
share of the cana. bank. ! think it is safe
to estimate that there is but three feet of
excavation needed to make canal that
will carry five feet of water, as the dirt
from the ditch will answer for two feet of
the bank. The canal companies have been
active in getting
PEOPLE TO COME INTO THE VALLEY
and there are vast farms being opened up.
The companies are selling their lands at
from $40 to S24 ali acre.
/ never saw finer roads in any place than
are to be found here. l have visited this
county number of times and there are
marks Oh progress TO De seen on all nandS.
There is here a fine stake house in course
of erection; it is frame structure and
will be capable of seating fifteen hundred
when completed; it will have a gallery and
the total cost will be about ten thounsand
dollars, including the seats. The Scandi-
navian people are among the most success
full of our Utah farmers and the same can
be said Of those of that nationality who
have settled here.
A purchase of some $4,000 acres of land
has recently been made near the foot Of
the Sierra Blanca mountain. This purchase
includes the right to use II, 900 acres of
leased lands. 1t is thought that the high
mountains will shelter these lands and that
success will attend the raising of fruits on
this new purchase.
We should have been home before this
letter is mailed to you if the writer had not
been sick abed, with cold and fever, for
good share of the week just past. Just
when we will get home now is something
we cannot tell.
AS the years roll around 1 look for good
many more of the people from Utah to To-
cate in this valley. There are two schools
here. One is held in the log meeting house
and one in frame school building. There
is a good brick schoolhouse in course Of
erection HEBER j. GRANT.