The record-union., 1891-07-01
4 CAPAY COLONY,
Busy ruit-GrOwers in a Pretty
YOlO Valley-Tancred and Its
Adjoining Farms.

| IN THE SPRING OF LAST YEAR
robert A. and Neal d. Barker associated
! themselves with William Mckay, all OF Oak
land, with a view or searching out n suitable
! location in which to engage in the profitable
/ occupation OF fruitgrcwing. After visiting
many localities, they decided on tho Capay
valley, folo County, and the Rhodes trscs
! at TancrcG.
negotiations were opened with the Capsy
valley Land Company, owning the tract in
! question. With w. H. Mills. the Genera,
Agent of that company, they arranged for the
purchase OF about 22O acres OF foothin land.
! This being more than they had thought OF
taxing for their own use, they spoke to :
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. L, Greathead, 90 acres;
Mrs. L. Greathead, 90 acres; w Mckay, 30
acres; n. d. Barker, 20 acres; II. A. Barker.
20 acres; j. z. Brownlee, go acres. E. II, Has
lett, 10 acres; Joseph Barker, 10 acres; A. w.
Kelly, 10 scres, and Frederick Kelly, / O acres.
30 lar this had been merely q 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 tho
purchase would admit of, that il was s1p-
Gesteo 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 ths
cultivation OF the whole of It, after subdividinr
1t according to the requirements of the sub
scribers. provisional board was formed. a
prospectus issued, and finally, on the 5th OF
June, 1890, the Western Cooperative Col
! oniEatior and Improvement Company was
duly registered and proceeded to business,
with the following officers: President, Will
iam Mckay; Vice-President, NJ P. Brown:
! Directors-H. c. Ellis, Charles Brooke and
R. a. Barker; Secretary and General Manage
Neal d. Barker; Solicitor, c. r. Shook; Treas.
urer, First National Bank of Oakland.
| The balance of the tract, 373 acres, was pur.
| chased. y contract was entered into for the
! 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 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 uninterN
rupted. Those who went into it doubtingly
have become enthusiastic, and almost all the
members arranged to set out all their lands in
fruit trees, ETC., the first year. Consequently
| IN this, the first season, some 10000 trees
and between 10000 and $4,000 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 desirous OF
! Joining in with them. An additional goo
acres have been added to the sixty acres
originally purchased.
For the company is predicted a very bright
future, as well for the beautiful valley in
which their operations are conducted. How
this marvellous little garden has come tn he 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 be
felt in the valley.
The fruits set out are mostly of the standard
neutrality-suspicious., apricots, Bartlett pears.
prunes' figs, ralsin 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-
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
aScr1bed 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 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 beautify
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 diligent
search and a wise expenditure of money It
is not expected that Tancred will ever be o
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 ac-
cept Island avenue, on the colony tract, as .
county road, ana to build bridge across
Cache Greek at this point, in order to give tho
settlers on the east side of the creek access to
Tancred Station. The Tancred colonsts are
quite willing to give the necessary right of
way and are very desirous of having a bridge
there, as the colony lands extend along both
sides of the stream. 1t is thought that tt
would be a very wise expenditure of public
money TO grant them this very necessary inn
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 we'll 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 mem
| 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 d 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, ) acres: w.
/ p. Hammond, Oakland, ID acres: G. S Kas-
son, san Francisco, Ii acres; JOS Barker, 10
! acres; n. w. Kelly, Kincardine. Ont. 5 acres;
| N. T. Greathead, acres; r. G.. Greathead,
! Oakland, 10 acres: r. A. Barker san Fran
/ cisco, 10 acres; n. d. Barker, Tancred 10
acres; DR.. K. Favor, San Francisco. 27 acres;
! j. p. Brownlee, kincardine Ont 9 acres: w.
! t. Barnett, Berkeley, acres; NJ. p. Brown,
! 10 acres; Chas. Brook, Sr., Oakland 10 acres;
| VIC. Bortelle, Berkeley, 20 acres: Mrs. 7.
| a. Creilin, UalzlGrd acres; c. H Peach,
Iancred, D acres; ii. c. Ellis, Oakland 10acres;
] j. Nanstonc, Winnipeg, 10 acres; L. \. Van
( stone, Iancred, acres; T. Wadsworth, Sac
/ ralnento, acres; NJ. A. Thomas Oakland,
acres; James Graham, San Francisco, IL
! acres; A. Stark, 12 acres; j. Stark, i 0 acres:
/ Mrs. NJ. Vrooman, 5 acres; C. f. Shook, .
acres; G. 7. Greathead, 12 acres; Wm. Me-
= 90 =