Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-09-03
LAND BOARD REPORT.
The Work Of Commlss 'onsrs Reese AMI
Fttron III Soulhtrn Utah

OF solicitors REESE aud Fofron ia re-
gard to their labors In the souinetn
and southeastern part OF the State.
The following IL tnu report OF Meeirs.
Reeee AMI Fofron In tul:
To tho Honorable state Board Of Land
Commissioner, salt Lake city, Utah.
Gontlomon-sinco our last report TO
you va have, In accordance with your
instructions, made an additional sclcc-
tion of mineral land, embracing go eofos
situa ed nj tho head II Big Cottonwood
canyon aud adjoining Brighton, tho we'll
known summer rcsOfi, This land was
returned by he government surveyors
aa "mineral,n aud isto marked on the
official plsts, aud thefei meets tho re-
quiromonis Of your instructions, which
were to mako ~ strong tcs. case NJ
possible for tho purpose " ascofiniuing
II the terms Of our enabling act Will pof.
init the selection Of mineral land. Tho
selection IA IN tho Immediate vicinity Of
Scot hill, which is known TO contain
valuable mines. and b., according tn
common opinion, "minorAl Aside
from this, Il II valuable on account Of IT,
close proximity to brighton, and fur
thermorc It Is iirsi.cla-s grazing land.
our next selection was made on Grcon
river, commencing near the crossing Of
tho Rio Grando Western railway aud
running northcrly about nino miles.
Tho land here selected contests priuci.
pally Of bottoms and some adjoining low
benches. Il can bo irrigated from Green
river at comparatively little expense,
and will, no doubt, attract plenty ~ soi
tiers when Tho merits OF the country arc
once made known TO the general public.
Tho land Isl light. sandy soil, contain
ing some " the alkaline salts slightly In
excess AT some points. hut u produces
well and naturally gets beiior INC moro
II is cultivated, which B, confirmed by
tho experience of all tho settlers In tho
noighborhood. We were especially At
traolod by farm of eighty acf0s, which
we wore told by everybody was u
''groasowood nap twenty como months
ago and l. this year producing three
crops OF lucern, n part of the neld COM
tainod good crop OF corn, aud another
part a good stand Of wheat aud oats.
Tho climate Is warmer than Ia most
parts OF the state. tho seasons longer,and
snow very seldom falls. Tho soil seems
well adapted to ga. den vegetable, such ~
onions, lettuce, radishos, peas, pumpkins
squashcs, waiermclons, caniniOupo. utc.,
which we found growing iuxurianiiy.
Fruit trees Oi all kinds seem to thfive,
and tho various small fruits were also
doing VOL. We believe that. with
thorough farming. this land will show ~
favorable results aA tho average land 81
any other section Of tho ate. Somo ~
tho older settlers still use wheels % raise
tho water from tho river. aud Wa were
told that u good wheel could be built Tor
about $50, which would furnish wagor
for forty acres Of land. and this " corrob-
GRATED by our own Judgment and obser.
walton. Some parties ON the wost sldo Of
the river have taken out canal sufficient
for 1000 acres Of land, aud this cnnal has
boon la constant operation Tor over ten
years, which proves tho feasibility " taxi
ing waler by that method out OF tho riv-
or. We nre of tho opinion hat canal
aud dam, sufficient 10 furnish water for
all tho land solicited GAO acres. can bo
built above tho canal lust referred 10 for
u sum not To exceed 600. Land under
the canal which has boon built Ia selling
al so por acre, Including tho water.
right.
Green river Is tho largest river in tho
State, and affords excellent opportunities
Tor the investment oi capital. A survey
were arc told, has been made under the
auspices ~ certain Colorado parties,
showing that an expenditure Of $4,000
would bTing water 90 over 10000 acres Of
land, Which IL surely good Investment.
The market for tho produce will BIO In
Colorado, whore the dnmnnd IN being
supplied from much greater distance
There seems 10 ho n scarcity NJ timber
and wood for fuel. and tho former Will
have 10 DO brought la by railroad; coal,
Of which there Is an abundance in tho
vicinity, will have To inrnlsh tho nocos-
Hafy fuel.
Oar noxt visit was to tho san Rafael
valley. We hero found two settlers who
were making success at farming, as far
~ production il concerned. The OLE
matte conditions, soll. productions aud
market arc tho same ~ on Gfoon river,
aud, according 10 all accounts, sufficient
water for all the land comes down tho
creek up 10 the early part Of July, which
heoms sufficient 10 mature the crnps.
The water then diminishos Tor several
weeks, but II again increased by tho
August showers In time To irrigate the
third ana fourth crops OF luc0rn, end al
40 tho orchards. We found that thoro
was not a. much land In tins valley n.
We had boon led to expect, aud We be-
liove that about 1900 acres will take In
AL the available bottoms and benches.
There sooma to he something peculiar
about this valley; Il certainly has good
land and water aud IL not far no rail-
road, yet despite those adyAatnges, ID
seems 10 repel tho settler. People viii
como In, take up land, stay year or two
aud leave again, ana We can assign no
reason unless IL il because OF tho had
roads In aud out OF tho valley, which ARC
quite sandy and rocky. similar to The
Utah Dixie roAds. believing that Il h
your policy to have only such land. 80
lectod ~ hro Immediately available and
In demand, We hAv0 not madn any den.
niio selection here, but have gathered
sufficient necessary dala to mako soloc.
lions whenuyor you may deem Il adyisa-
bio and desirable.
ON our return We selected go acres OF
building-stono lands, yielding tho same
n,on0 rs that out OF which tho cltv md
county building, tho Mccormick block.
the Enuisford hOtol and numerous other
buildings IN salt Lake cay arc built.
We also selected $40 acres OF cod lAud
lying IN the vicinity Of Castle Cate and
furnishing tho same Kind OF coal as thai
camp. We deem Il very Important that
those mineral, coal and rock selections
DO crowded through tho department at
Washington, rs euch lands certainly have
much greater value (wi,h hin certain ilmit,l
than ordinary gazing lands or Door
arabic lands, aud should therefore bo
preferred.
After this wo proceeded 10 tho former
Camp Floyd or Fort Cntt0ndon military
reservation, recently restored, uudor spe.
oial conditions, To tho public domain. ana
whore We selected G,slu Hcreu OF A. good
land ~ cnn be found In Utah, barring
irrigation facilities. This land IN situated
near tho towns OF Cedar Fort and Fair
held and adioins and connects their nelds.
Tho water question IL here " The great.
est Importance, Ihefo are ono OF Two