Daily camera., 1897-08-21
4,SOO

Aopulutloh 4,SOO
Assessed valuation of prop
ertv .......a....s. 81, ,2j4, ,x.b0
Leaning town or City.....
......... Grand Junction
The county of Mesa, noted for its un-
rivaled climate, fertile fields, fruitful
orchards and rich pasture lands, occu-
pies position In what Is known as the
Grand valley, which is the country I'M
mediately tributary to the Grand and
Gunhlson rivers. the two largest streams
In the state.
The chief industry of Grand valley
today, and one which, will contributes
most to the wealth Of this section. Id
fruit growing. This valley has the low
est altitude of any in the state, being
only 4,5OO feet. Shielded as 1t is by
mountains on all sides, it Is protected
from severe cold and frosts, and the
fruit crop has so far proved more Ger.
tain than in other localities.
Grand Valley excels New Jersey
for peaches. New York for apples,
and Ohio for grapes. The grow
ing Importance of this industry
Is best Illustrated by the enormous
increase of the crop since 1892, when the
total product was 20 carloads worth
$4,000, while the crop for 1897 will no
fully 1000 carloads, worth s4OO 900 net
at the orchards. The crop for 1900 IL
estimated at2,O00 carloads. This seems to
be large amount of fruit, and over pro-
duction is feared by some who have not
carefully examined the matter; but
when 1t Is remembered that Colorado
has not vet produced 10 per cent of the
fruit 1t consumes, and that the total
orchard and vineyard product of CALI
fornia for 1895 amounted to 43, 1853 car
loads and did not equal the demand it
may reasonably be questioned whether
the few handfuls of earth in the valleys
of Colorado which are adapted to fruit
culture VIII ever be able to supply the
growing needs of constantly Increas-
ing population in this state alone
Coal for power and electric lighting
is delivered in Grand Junction for nine
ty cents a ton, and the water in the
Grand river needs only to be harnessed
to produce power even more cheaply
than by ninety cent coal.
Wheat, corn, oats, alfalfa and pota-
toes are grown with wonderful sue
cess all over the county, while coal and
metalferous mining will, 1t is freely
predicted, soon be included among the
county's source of profit.
The city of Grand Junction, the coun.
ty seat, is the chief commercial center
Of Western Colorado. This thriving
young city Is most sirably situated
and is rapidly becoming the principal
fruit shipping center of the great West.
No other point exists with the Same
advantages between the Ohio valley
and the Pacific slope.
The chief product is the peach, and
any commercial point not having in its
markets the Grand Junction peach 10
"out of date" Peach growers are at
tracted to this locality from all sections
of the country and q the statement
stands undisputed that in no part Of
this wide land are such delicious
peaches grown as greets the eye in the
Grand river valley, of which Grand
Junction is the metropolis.
Not anywhere in the West can sinh
lar conditions be found at the present
time. Wide awake fruit dealers and
buyers have been congregating at that
point for the past month and tons Of
the magnificent product of the valley
are being shipped to markets hereto-
fore held by California producers This
Grand Junction peach is driving Call
fornia peaches out OF the market on ac-
count of its superiority
1t has been but a short time since
the advantages Of the district have be-
come known andathere is still room in
the magnificently productive valley to
settle 10000 people, comfortably, on
fruit farms that will produce fortunes
III themselves anu lue ldnu can be OBJ
tained cheaply, too.
The enterprising citizens of Grand
Junction are not only thoroughly famll-
lar with the situation Of which they are
masters, but are liberal spirited as
well. and have adopted an unique meth
cd Of making the same known, expenJ-
ing large sums of money each year in
getting up peach festivals or "Peach
day." as 1t is called. for the entertain
ment Of guests.
This seasons Peach day" will be .
continuous festival for three days, be-
ginning on September 7. Elaborate
preparations are in progress, and the
grandest fruit show that has ever been
exhibited in the United States will be
witnessed there. The peach IL not the
only fruit grown on Grand Junction
farms. Grapes, pears, apricots, apples,
figs and other fruits do equally as well.
in fact, 1t is a natural fruit section, and
all kinds are abundantly productive.
For the coming occasion tons OF
peaches and other fruit will be piled
with lavish hand upon hundreds Of Ia.
bles for the free use OF the guests OF
the city, but the principal feature VIII
be hundreds Of wagonloads of deliG-
ious peaches to which everybody is well
come to help themselves without re-
straint.
Everywhere preparations are making
for the grand stampede for hundreds OF
miles around. The railways. too are
interested in the matter and very low
special rates are announced from MIS-
souri, river points to Denver and COLO
RADIO common points and the Denver q
Rio Grande railway, the scenlcsline OF
America, and the Colorado Midland.
the snowy summit route Of the Rocky
mountains, have each made speciai
rate of IS for the round trip between
Denver and Grand Junction. lnterme-
date points are also provided with cor
respondingly low rates. In this matter
the transcontinental lines have maze
q rate from cities on the Missouri river
to Denver Of S25 for the round trip.
Aside from the feast of fruit the
three days festivities will be sand
wiched with racing tournaments, ex-
hibition0 Of various Western features Ok
an attractive nature, and the town WILL
a. usual. be turned over to the use OK
the guests.