Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-06-07

.ey dotted with farms. orchards, gar
dens and comfortable homes. The val
icy Is three by twelve miles In extent.
ana IL watered by the Grand river. to-
gether with several tributaries. 1t IL
one OF the finest valleys I'm the world,
with soil of marvellous fertility.
Nearly 500 tons Of freight went into
Moab last year, and the country IL
growing, business is increasing and the
mountains are teeming with latent min
eral wealth.
In the Blue mountain country. sixty
I'VE miles almost due south OF Moab,
stands Monticello, the county seat Of
San Juan county, Utah. These settles
nents are prosperous and comparative
~ self-sustalning and Independent. The
people in general are Mormons, but
they are honest. industrious and have
an abiding faith In the doctrine Of the
l.otter-day Saints. They are making
these coy valleys bud and blossom
Ike garden Wherever they have
planted their footsteps and established
their homes the soil is giving up Its
rich Increase. They have their
churches, schools, newspapers, daily
mails, cooperative stores and they do
not experience the aggressive and in
tense life struggle that anllcts the
masses In more dcnscly populated
places.
The Grand valley Is looking like n
garden this season Seasunable rains
have fallen and luxurant vegetation
covers the face Of these mcsas and plat
caus as IL they were adorcd with en-
oralds. An unreasonable frost nipped
some OF the early peach blossoms, the
more advanced and tender vegetation.
but small fruits, apples, pears, plums,
grapes, apricots and other varieties will
be bountiful.
All the streams are flush, and the
melting SHOWS are just beginning to add
their volume to the grand aggregate.
The kestern slope promises a beautiful
harvest of the fruits of the earth. Or
chards and alfalfa fields are redOlent
with bloom, and the bees are filling their
homes with honey. The great irrgating
bitches with hundreds Of laterals are
distributing water over thousands of
arabic acres. Everywhere the grass is
luNurlant, and cattle. horses and sheep
have Strengthened up, the kinks have
gone out Of their backs and their old
coats have disappeared.
The winter was unusually severe on
them, but nature Is now compensa ding
for her former severity.
This valley extends from Palisade to
fruita, distance Of thirty miles, and Is
ten to fifteen miles In width. 1t en-
braces an area of over $50 600 acres
nearly all of it susceptible of cultiva-
ton. Probably $4,000 acres are under
ditch, and the latcrals are being extend
ed and the area increased yearly.
great ditch Is contemplated by
Smith q Struthers. to be thirty miles in
length and cover 10000 acres 1t Is to
start in at the upper end Of the valley
and terminate near Fruita. Consider
able work has already been done on 1t.
and when the financial conditions are
ripe the enterprise will be pushed to
completion.
A few years hence and this magnih-
cent valley will he densely populated,
and Its arabic acres will all be under a
high state Of cultivation. The soil once
quickened with water its fertility Is
magical and marvellous.
1t IL estimated that over 100, 600 fruit
trees have been set out in the valley the
present season, an dthe farm and gar
den areas are being extended In every
direction. The Grand valley IL carrying
100000 Inches Of water 52S feet n minute.
That Is about the volume and velocity
during theirrigating season.