The daily sentinel., 1900-09-13

for 1886 were as follows:
Acres of land. ............. 37,157
Value .$152, $50
improvements on land. .... 479,396
Town lots, value. 111,oOI
Horses. 2,O19, value. ... 65,593
Mules, 1O6. value. e..... 5.420
Cattle, 1O,4O2, value. ......... 337, ,S66
Swine, 527, value. ue...... 2,455
Sheep. 3O4, value. 30S
Other animals, so. ........... 4S1
Carriages, vehicles ........ S,5O6
Money and credits .......... 2O,652
Capital in manufacturing. 3,14O
Capital in merchandise. ...... 29,050
Household property ......... $40
Jewelry, gold. plate. ........ 175
improvements on public lands 13,493
Amount of all other property. 29,973
Stock and shares, 10.
Military polls, 655.
County polls, 55S.
Total valuation ......... 81 $40, 465
This, in brief, is the story of the first
four years of Mesa county. In this
time, to the taxable zero of ciphers, 1t
added nearly n million and a half dol
lars worth of property to the state;
its population, estimated to be about
2,500. was composed of the intelligent
representatives of every state, almost,
in the Union; though far away from
the gateway through which the i'm
migrant must pass to reach the fertile
valleys of the commonwealth and hav-
ing the barrier of the mountains be-
tween, these drawbacks could not pre-
vent the constant influx Of settlers nto
a section of such great promise. Figur-
atively speaking, the child had discard
ed his long dresses and now, a sturdy
urchin, in bifurcated garments, was
prancing around with chip on his
shoulders daring the other counties of
the western slope to knock it off.
1886 1891.
The space allowed the writer will
not allow going into minute details of
the events that rapidly followed one
another by which the industrial, agri-
cultural, horticultural, residential and
railroad interests were kept expanding
and advancing; while town property
anu farming lands kept constantly ris-
ing in value as population increased
in the city and cultivation broadened,
not alone in the principal valley of
the county, but along the various trib-
utarles of Grand river, such as Cactus,
Bluestone, Plateau, Roam and Para
chute; while the Gunnison received the
waters of Hannah and whitewater
creeks. On these small streams each
settler, or Il few in combination, could
easily and at little cost build irrigat-
ing bitches. while the land itself, more
or less sheltered, was found to be pc
culiarly fitted for fruit culture and
general farming.
The condition Of Grand Junction at
this time was a source of pride to its
people. No abatement of growth had
= A.,t, ,,sc
lation. A live Board of Trade kept
watch over Its various interests. A
first-class FIGURING mill required far
more grain than was raised in the
county. splendid school system had
been developed. A perfect system of
canals covered $4,000 acres of land,
and a high line to take in 100000 acres
more was deemed certainty in the
near future. Railroad facilities had in
creased so that the terminals of three
broad and one narrow-gauge systems
We're in the town, with all the neces-
sary machine shops and round houses
required for their accommodation.
There was talk, too, of railroad
down the Grand canon Of the Colo
RADIO, whose initial point would neces-
sarily be at or near Grand Junction.
In addition to the four weekly papers
puoiiSuSu. Il SOhlPdAy lStu Shu-
lied to establish a daily morning jour
nal, to keep its readers in close touch
with the outer world. The various
towns in the county, such as Fruita,
Whitewater, De Beque and others were
participants in the general prosperity.
But the opening month of 1891
brought with it a calamity that had
long been foreshadowed in the contin-
ued illness Of the founder of the town,
and on the 26th of the month the grand
gentleman, true friend and noble men-
tor, George A. Crawford, quietly passed
away, and shadow rested not
alone upon the immediate community,
but over the entire western slope. To
those who knew him he needs no eu-
logy. To those who did not there could
be told enough to fill all the space
given to this paper in recounting his
estimable qualities and public-spirited
enterprises.
This year was marked in a glad as
well as a sad manner by the inaugur-
alton Of day that made Grand juno
tion the cynosure of all eyes, and
when the first Peach Day celebration
occurred In the fall it attracted q