The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-11
NEWS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
LANDS OF LUCERN VALLEY
PLENTY OF LAND AND ABUND.
ANCE OF WATER.
Why the Beaver County Colony
Went to Wyoming - Company
Stood BY Its Agreement.

Lucerne, Uintah county, Utah, April
An order to correct an error which
has been circulated in Beaver county
and vicinity. 1 wish to state that prior
to 1897 the Lucerne Land * Water COM
pany. a Salt Lake corporation. COM
posed of the Hon. r. c. Chambers, a.
Jessen and other, was advertising 70
sell water to settlers for SO per acre.
People from Beaver county, who
wished to locate at Lucerne, thinking
the price of water too much, got their
representative from MinersVille, w. l..
II. Dotson, then in the legislature at
Salt Lake City, to intercede with the
Lucerne Land d Water company in
their behalf, and Mr.. Dotson met the
company and the following agreement
was made and signed: That all settlers
who came and settled at Lucerne in
1897 should have water for $500 per
acre, half cash and half labor, prOvid-
ing they would start in at the upper
enc Of the valley and take in all ara
Bile land as they went downward.
Mr.. Dotson thought the terms very
liberal and said he thought 10 or Is
families would go to Lucerne this sea-
son. In October, 1897. a company %
seven families from Minersville came
to Eucerne. and after exploring the
country wanted to settle in the lower
end of the valley, regardless of what
the agreement stated, which was then
in their possession, and wanted Nj.
lessen. the general manager, who was
here waiting for their arrival, to let
them pick land and sell them water for
81 per acre. Mr.. Jessen said he had no
right to let them have water for 50
without consulting the company, unless
they complied with the agreement He
said the agreement had been drawn
up by the company in good faith and
that he would comply with the agree
ment if the settlers would.
But the people from Minersville We're
dissatisfied and have since located At
Fort BIidger. Wyo., and since that
time il has been circulated in Beaver
and southern Utah that the Lucerne
Land & Water company would not
comply with the agreement and advis-
ing settlers not to come here.
Lucerne valley is situated 120 miles
east and Is miles north of Salt Lake
City. and is 20 miles north of Ashley's
Fork and on the north side of the
Uintah mountains and about the same
altitude as Ashley's Fork, $500 feet.
Lucerne valley is well surrounded and
protected from winds by sandstone
reefs. is about ten miles long and an
average width of two miles, and slop-
ing in an easterly direction TO Green
river. The north side of the valley IS
composed of sandy loan and the south
side of heavy clay. There is an abund
ance OF timber at a distance of -
miles. The Uintah range is covered
with bunch grass five miles from the
valley. and the cattle running there in
the summer and fall do splendidly. and
as a rule the stockmen do not aim to
feed, as the snowfall is light. 1 came
here from Beaver county nearly two
years ago, and last year I planted ten
acres of wheat and 20 acres OF oats.
did not get my land enclosed by fence
until July 6. l then realized % bushels
of wheat and about 40 bushels of oats
to the acre on new ground.
The company commenced the con-
struction of Sheep Creek canal in 1892,
from whence we get our water supply.
The canal is about 90 miles long and
heads in the Uintah mountains, where
there is an abundance of snowfall
every winter. and the company has
more than sufficient water to supply
the valley. The LuceTne Land & Water
company has done much to develop the
country. They have about 100 acres
planted in lucern and intend planting
about LOCO fruit trees this spring.
There are about 10 families here at
present, mostly from Beaver county,
Utah, and about 5000 acres of land are
still open for entry. All that we need
here to make one Of the best farming
districts in Utah is industrious. men,
who are not afraid to work.
e II. TOLTON.