The record-union., 1891-05-22

Busy Fruit-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlo Valley-Tancred and It's
Adjoining Farms.

IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
= Robert A. and Neal d. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all OF Oak
land, with & view of searching out suitabl
location in which to engage in the profitable
occupation OF fruft-growing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on The Capay
Valley, Yolo County, and the Rhodes tract
at Tanered.
Negotiations were opened with the Capay
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
question. With w. n. Mills, the General
Agent of that company they arranged for the
purchase of about 22o acres of foothiII land.
This being more than they had thought of
taking 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. r.
Barnett, 90 acres; n. r. Greathead, 20 acres:
Mrs. L. Greathead, 20 acres; w. Mckay, 90
acres; N. D. Barker, 20 acres; r. 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, / 0 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 it than the area of the
purchase would admit of, that it was sug-
gested on all hands, ''Why not get some more
land and divide it up in the same way?"
Then followed the idea of a stock company to
take hold of a larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the whole oft, after subdividing
1t according to the requirements of the sub
scrlbers. a provisional board was formed.
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
R. A. Barker; Secretary and General Manage
Neal ID. 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 n 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.
Inc 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 doubtinlvg
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged 10 set out all their lands in
| fruit trees, etc.. the first year. Consequently
| in this, the first season, some 10000 trees
LON s,ntyU . on
planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
| had the effect of attracting considerable at
| tentlon TO the work of the Colony Company.
ana number of people are now DESTROYS of
joining in with them. An additional 200
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased
! For the company is predicted 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 q puzzle to every one who
has visited il, 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
neutrality-suspicious., apricots, Bartlett pears.
prunes, ngs, 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 to have no doubt, provided
proper care is given to the young trees. Neal
D. 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 O pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by more
ambitious places. A small park of some three
acres has been laid out right in the center of
the town. This park it is proposed to bcautify
| by planting in it from time to time as many
Of the beauties and curiosities of tree End
shrub life as may be obtained by dfligert
search and wise expenditure OF money. 1t
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
| large and busy city, but it is thought that it
| can be made a very pleasant little place to
dwell in.
A petition has been circulated recently and
very largely signed, asking the county to &C
| cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as a
| 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 to
! Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists are
quite willing to give the necessary right of
way, and are very DESTROYS of having bridge
| sides of the stream. 1t is thought that it
would be q very wise expenditure of public
| money to grant them this very necessary i'm
| provement 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 O list of the principal men,
bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
| of acres owned by each, and q 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 i'm
practicable: c. It. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres; w.
| p. Hammond, Oakland, Ia acres C. S. Kas-
| son, San Francisco, II acres; Jos. Barker, 10
acres; a. w. Kelly, Kincardine, Ont, 3 acres;
| n. I. Greathead, s acres; r. g. Greathead,
| Oakland, 10 acres; r. A. Barker, San Fran
cisco, 10 acres; n. d. Barker, Tancred, 10
acres; DR.. X. Favor, San Francisco, 81 acres;
j. 2. Brownlee, Kincardine, Ont, acres; w.
t. Barnett, Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ. p. Brown,
| 10 acres; Chas Brook, ST., Oakland, 10 acres
! W. G. Boutelle, Berkeley, 20 acres; Mrs. L.
| A. Crellin, Uaklit&d, 5 acres; c. II. Peach,
| Tancred, 5 acres; II. c. Ellis, Oakland 1Oacres
j. Vanstone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; E. A. Van
| stone, Tancred, 5 acres; Z. Wadsworth Sac
ramento, 5 acres; M. A. Thomas. Oakland, 6
acres; James Graham, San Francisco, IL
acres; a. Stark, 12 acres; j. Stark, 10 acres;
! Mrs. NJ. Vrooman, 5 acres C. E. Shook, 10
1 49,. Il q IHT,l, r.