The record-union., 1891-06-30
4 CAPAY COLONY.
Busy Fruit-Growers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.
IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAs

TN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
Robert A. and Neal D. Barker associated
themselves with William Mckay, all of Oak
'and, with a view OF searching out suitabs
location in which 10 engage in the profitable
/ occupation of fruit-grcwing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on tho Canay
valley, Eolo County. and the Rhodes tract
at TancreG
Negotiations were opened with the Capsy
! valley Land Company, owning the tract in
/ question. With w. II. Mills, the General
Agent OF that company, they arranged for th.
purchase of about 22O acres of foothiIl and.
! inns being moro than they had thought OF
taxing FOR their own use, they spoke TO g
number of friends about it, with the resul.
! that the tract was divided among the follow
! Ing people: B. l.. Hickok, 40 acres: w, r
Barnett 20 acres; n. T. Greathead, 20 acres.
Mrs. l.. Greathead, 90 acres; w. Mckay. 90
/ acres; N d. Barker, 90 acres: II. A. Barker.
| 20 acres; j. z. Brownlee, 20 acres; E. H. Has.
/ Iett 10 acres; Joseph Barker, % acres; A. w.
Kelly, 10 acres, and Frederick Kelly. 10 acres.
50 far this had been merely a private ven.
/ 1ty
taking 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 sup
SeSted on all hands, why not got some mora
land and divide it up in the same waven
1heh followed the idea of a stock company to
Vi&e hold OF larger tract and arrange for the
cultivation of the whole of It, after subdiyfdine
| 1t according to the requirements of the sinh,
scribers. A provisional board was formed a
| prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5tb ot
June' 1890, the Western Cooperative Col
onizatior and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business.
with the following officers: President. Will.
lam Mckay; Vice-Presidcnt, NJ p. Blaw,s:
Dlrectors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
r. 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 MIR.
chased. a contract was entered into for tho
| purchase OF large number of fruit trees
! vines, etc. This early purchase of trees was
| the means OF saving between $4,000 and
| $4,000 10 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 il doubtinoIv
have become enthusiastic and almost all the
members arranged to set out all their Ian ds in
fruit trees, ETC.. the first year. Consequently
IN this, the first season, some 10000 trees
and between 10000 and 10000 vines will be-
planted.
The satisfactory working of this scheme has
had the effect of attracting considerable at
tentlon to the work of the Colony Company.
and number OF people are now desirous of
joining IN with them. An additional 200
acres have been added to the sixty orras
originally purchased.
For the company is predicted a very brie,t
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 IT, but one thing is very sure. and
that is that this neglect will never again he
1elt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
varieties peaches, apricots, Bartlett pears.
prunes, 1lgs, ratsin 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 q sufficient number to
! demonstrate that these fruits can be success
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 a pleasant innovation
which might with profit be followed by more
ambitious places. y small park of some three
acres has been laid out right in the center OF
1l,a
by planting in it from time to time as many
OF the beauties and curiosities of tree and
shrub life as may be obtained by diIigent
search and a wise expenditure of money. It
is not expected that Tancred will ever be a
large and busy city, but it is thought that it
can be made u very pleasant little place TO
dwell in.
A petition has been circulated recently and
very largely signed, asking the county to ac-
cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as q
county road, ana to build a bridge across
Cache Greek at this point, in order to give the
settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonists ara
quite willing to give the necessary right OF
way A nd are very desirous of having o bridge
thertIis the colony lands extend along both
sides of the stream. 1t is thought that I:
would be a very wise expenditure of public
money to grant them this very necessary i'm
provement, as the operations OF such coua-
panies are of widespread benefit to the whole
county and State. The attractions and COM
/ forts of the cities are well known, but 20
those who are willing to settle or 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 q list of the principal men,
| bers of the Tancred Colony, with the number
| of acres owned by each, and a fact worthy of
! mention is that in each contract or deed is
! sued by the Colony Company there is q pro-
| vision that no intoxicating liquor shall ever
| be manufactured or sold on the land. The ap-
{ 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. t. Hull, Berkeley, 5 acres: W.
| P Hammond, Oakland, ID acres; C. S. Kas-
son. San Francisco, IL acres; Jos Barker 10
acres; y. w. Kelly, Kincardine Ont, 5 acres;
| N. T. Greathead, 8 acres; r. G.. Greathead
! Oakland, 10 acres; h. ~ Barker, San Fran
cisco, 10 acres n. d. Barker, Tancred, 10
! acres; DR.. X. Favor, San Francisco, 27 acres;
j. p. Brownlee, Kincardine, Ont, acres; W.
! 7. Barnett, Berkeley, 5 acres; NJ P. Brown,
10 acres; Chas. Brook, Srv Oakland, 10 acres;
! w. c. Borteue, Berkeley, 90 acres; Mrs. I.
| A. Crellin, Oakland, 5 acres; c.. II. Peach,
Tancred, acres; II. C. Ellis, Oakland. 1Oacres;
j. Nanstone, Winnipeg, 10 acres; e. a. VAN
( stone, Tancred, 5 acres; +. Wadsworth, sac
! ramentc. acres; NJ. A. Thomas, Oakland, .
! acres; James Graham. San Francisco, IL
! acres; A. Stark, IL acres; J. Stark, 10 acres;
! Mrs. NJ. Nrooman, 5 acres; C. L. SnooK, ~
4 acres; G. L. Greathead, IL acres; VIM. Nc
! Kay, acres; Mrs. VIM. Mckay, Oakland, .