The Delta independent., 1895-11-06
THE WESTERN sLOPE-W.
Smiths Fork-Hhere it is-What ii ts-Few
Virgin Lands Remain-Wor.hy OF Inyes-
.isation-when Properly Watsred it
will Vie with the Best in the
f!orih Fork Country.


Smiths Fork is really a portion OF
North Fork. AS considered in this ar
ticle it is part OF the valley that can
not be watered from the North fork of
the Gunnison: In the paper on North
Fork" last week, mention was made Of
Rogers mesa. Opposite Rogers mesa
on the south side OF the North fork" is
beautiful mesa Of about 1000 acres,
sloping gently to the north, OF as valu-
able land as can be found in the North
Fork country.
Parallel with the North fork, and but
few miles separated is the Smiths
fork OF the Gunnison. It has been found
by survey that the waters of this stream
can be brought onto these lands. and
Mr.. Matt Arch, of Hotchkiss, a we'll
known ditch builder, has undertaken
the enterprise.
These lands are very desirable for va
rious reasons. F'irst-they lie in body
and will give opportunity FOR the concen-
tration OF people for social and educa-
tional purposes. Again-they are at
the lower end of North Fork valley and
nearer to the county seat. Also-they
are so situated as to be more beautiful
and attractive in local point of view
than any other portion Of North Fork,
as in no other part OF the valley is
there so extensive a tract OF land so
uniform and smooth, and while il shares
all the benefits OF protection and eli
mate peculiar TO the North Fork coun-
try. it has such additional charms as
to recommend it as worthy Of inves-
tigation.
To any one who wants to get into an
enterprise on the ground floor this
one is deserving OF investigation. The
great superiority of the location and
other advantages, already limited at.
suggest this9 Being in the North Fork
III LOCATION assumes a significance OF
the highestS Sval6e!l yThe one who Sc
cures a fopthotd in ,Ithe North Fork now
or at any future time will be considered
as favored Of the gods.
NilAl LIOk navy. LAiAit vi "
look into the water question of Smiths
fork, but am assured that the supply is
abundant and the plan feasible. II so.
the Smith fork enterprise is bringing
forward golden opportunity :or a num-
Der OF people to possess tn hemselves OF
holdings which in few years would ad-
vance 1000 per cent. They can be had
now for S11.25 an acre, and even this
enormous advance would mean only
s225 per acre.
Itmay be thought that the Western
slope is like the Eastcrn-one vast
stretch OF plain extending towards the
setting sun, but such is not the case.
On this side we have more land than
water. on the other more water than
land. On the othcrside there is but
one stream of importance exhausted,
and that is the Uncompahgre. The Un-
compahgre valley begins to widen sew
cral miles above Montrose, and contip
ues TO widen until it reaches Delta,
where it terminates, and the river is in
sufficient for the demands. But the
time will come when the Gunnison will
be carried through the walls of the
Black canon to water the east half Of
the valley, and use the entire Uncom-
pahgre TO irrigate the west half.
The Western slope is broken up into
mesas, plateaus, narrow valleys guarded
by rocky cliffs, Pinion hills and gorges
until the lands suitable for agriculture
is reduced TO minimum. The Grand,
Gunnison. Dolores and San Miguel are
running to waste, and for the most part
will continue to do SO for ages to come.
There is very little more land available
for agricultural or horticultural ,pur-
poses. North of Grand Junction are
the Little Book Cliffs" between the
Grand and Gunnison is the Grand mesa.
between the Uncompahgrc and Dolores
the Uncompahgrc plateau. On the
Western slope there is a lavish waste OF
water.
While on the Western slope I saw
but three tracts of land. OF any impor-
tance, at government prices-Naturita,
the mesa between the Black canon and
Uncompahgre, and tho Smiths fork
tract.
| The lands OF this valley are open at
Sl25, plus a perpetual water.right of
$40 per acre, tho latter payable when
tho ditch is completed. Today these
lands are cheap tomorrow. or soon at
most, they will improve them and by the
end of ton years will be worth large
sums OF money. Government lands at
| government prices, eligible for use, like
the Indian and buffalo, will soon be his
toric. Where water is available it will
soon be applied; that done they will van
ish like fash
! In the immediate future this is the