The record-union., 1891-05-10
A CAPAY COLONY.
Busy Fruit-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

/ Adjoining Farms.
IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert n. and Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay. all OF Oak
land, with view OF searching out @ suitable
location in which to engage in the Profitable
occupation OF fruit-growiug After visiting
many localities, they decided on tho Capay
Valley, folo County, and the Rhodes tract
| at Tancred
1 Negotiations We're opened with the Capay
Valley Land Company, owning tho tract in
question. With w. II. Mills, tho General
Agent of that company, they arranged for the
purchase OF about 22o acres of foothiu land.
This being more than they had thought of
taxing for their own use, they spoke TO a
number OF friends about it, with the result
that the tract was divided among the follow
Ing people: B. l.. Hickok, 40 acres: W.T.
Barnett, 30 acres; N. T. Greathead, 20 acres;
Mrs l.. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay, 20
acres; N. d. Barker, 20 acres; II. A. Barker.
20 acres; j. p. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. II. Has
| lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly, 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres.
so far this had been merely private VEN
| ture of the gentlemen above named but in
talking up the question of dividing the land
already purchased, it was found that so MANY
more would like to join 1t than the area OF tho
purchase would admit of, that il was sug-
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some moro
land and divide it up in the same way?"
Then followed the idea OF stock company to
take hold of Il larger tract and arrange for the
| cultivation OF the whole of it. after subdividing
IL according to the requirements of the sub
scribers. y provisional board was formed. n
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th OF
June, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col
onization and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded TO business,
with the following officers: President, Will
lam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ. p Brown;
Directors-H. c, Ellis, Charles Brooke and
| K. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manage
Neal d. Barker Solicitor, c. E. Shook; Treas
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
The balance of the tract 373 acres, was pur-
| chased. A contract was entered into for the
| purchase of a large number of fruit trees.
| vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
the means of saving between $4,000 and
| $4,000 TO the company, the prices in some
cases having more than doubled since then.
The ideas which the prospectus set forth
have been but slightly modified and the
! progress OF the company has been uninter-
| rupted. Those who went into it doubtlnlyg
have become enthusiastic, and almost all tho
| members arranged TO set out all their lands in
| fruit trees, etc. the first year. Consequently
in this, the first season, some 10000 trees
ana between 10000 and 10000 vines will be
! planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
had the effect Of attracting considerable at
| tention to the work OF the Colony Company,
and number of people are now deslrous of
joining in with them. An additional 600
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased
| For the company is predicted a very bright
future as well as for the beautiful valley in
! which their operations are conducted How
this marvellous little garden has come to be so
! long neglected is puzzle TO every one who
has visited ii, but one thing is very sure, and
that is that this neglect will never again be
| felt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
varieties peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears
prunes figs, raisin grapes, etc. while along
| both sides of the avenues, throughout the
| tract, walnuts will throw their grateful shade.
| a considerable number of citrus trees are also
| being set out; quite a sufficient number to
demonstrate that these fruits can be SUCCESS
! fully grown in the valley, about which the
| colonists appear 10 have no doubt, provided
| proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
| ID. Barker General Manager of the company,
| resides on the tract, and TO his care is to be
| ascribed much of the success of the venture
Mention should be made of the town-site
about which there is pleasant innovation
| which might with profit be followed by moro
ambitious places A small park of some three
acres has been laid out right In the center of
the town. This park 1t Is proposed to beautify
by planting in 1t from time to time as many
of the beauties and curioSitieS Of tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diIigent
| search anda wise expenditure of money. 1t
| is not expected that Tancrod will ever be q
large and busy city, but it is thought that it
can be made very pleasant little place to
dwell in.
A petition has been circulated recently and
very largely signed, asking the county TO nc
| cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as q
county road, and to build bridge across
Cache Creek at this point, IN order to give the
settlers on the east side of the creek access tu
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
quite willing to give the necessary right of
| way, and are very Gcsirous of having n bridge
sides of the stream. 1t is thought that 1t
would be a very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary Inn
proyement, as the operations of such COM
panies are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and COM
forts of the cities are well known, but to
those who are willing to settle on the land and
show that the country also affords attractions
and comforts, and ways of making money
pleasantly, every inducement should be held
| forth
The following is list of the principal men,
bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
of acres owned by each, and fact worthy of
| mention is that in each contract or deed is
sued by the Colony Company there is pro-
vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
be manufactured or sold on the land. The APP
parent success of the enterprise shows that
| the ideas and plans of the colony, as set forth
in the prospectus some time ago, are not inn
practicable: c. T. Hull, Berkeley, acres; w.
P Hammond, Oakland, IA acres; c. S. Kas-
son. San Francisco, IL acres; Jos. Barker, 10
acres; A. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, acres;
N. t. Greathead, 5 acres; h. G.. Greathead,
Oakland, 10 acres: r. A. Barker San Fran
cisco, 10 acres; n. d. Barker, Tancred, 10
acres; DR.. K. Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres;
j. P. Brownlee, Kincardine, Ont, acres; w.
t. Barnett, Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. 2. Brown,
10 acres; Chas. Brook, ST., Oakland 10 acres;
w. c. Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. T.
A. Crellin, Oakland, 8 acres; G, II. Peach,
Tancred, 5 acres; II. 9. Ellis, Oakland, 10 0acres;
j. Vanstone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; e. a. Van
stone, Tancred, acres; l.. Wadsworth, Sac
ramento, s acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, 6
acres: James Graham San Francisco I 1