Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-11-22
HON. GEORGE W. SWINK
A Prominent Arkansas VAL
ley Pioneer.
Sketch Of His Location in the Valley and
Labors to Secure Beet
Sugar Factory.

, try with the view OF locating u new
town site. and says:
was grcaiiy Impressed with II and
WIS quickly convinced of Its superb
advantages ani iis great possibilities.
Senator SwInk owned large area OF
land surrounding Ill. station and with
his accustomed iibcraiity and broad.
mIn,lc,inrss lie placed at orr disposal
whatever land we found necessary 10.
the town site.
Abort u year after the inception of
Lamar. Mr.. John l.. t;p,idins. who had
frequently spoken Z" me of the rplrn-
did farming advantages of the Rocky
Ford region. ever which iie WIS wont
to- wax eloquent. induced me io make
"Trip To Iiint point TO meet Mr.. SwinA
nnL To acuuaini me with Its sIi.ndl,l
agricultural advantages with n view
io plating town ani n-rcicrltins
the development OF that district.
then met for the first tim. Sciirt:r
Swink. the Nc~tor of that place. aud
now f,s years onr OF my mort valuc':
friends.
Mr.. SwInk attended bcci sugar
convention nj Grand Island. Nebraska.
eight or MIN. years ago for the pur.
pos. OF getting Information with u
view to securing u beet sugar factory
at Rocky Ford. lie then cnmc home
convinced that the country wns not
r'aiy for factory. not having enough
land under cultivation. lint with the
ir,i1miiaiiir resolution characteristic a!
him lie said: ''Ny" will commence NJ
once To gci ready" aud lie then pro.
ccc,lc,l io arrange for b,-,I sugar seed
anil commenced experimentation per.
~onniiy nni induced "a large number of
his friends To join IN the work.
Ills .nr. nnd fnr-tioueh, horr fruit.
when. several years afterwards. the
USunr,ls. with whom lie kcpi In touch.
hrrnuic ready to extend their opera
tinrN. for when the American beet
Sugnr Company WAS rrrdy To- locate
IL factory Ia tic Arkansas River val
les. of which the OXuar,is made care
ful investigation ns u result of Mr..
Swink's efforts. the Why l,nd been
mn.ir easy. The Arkansas valley
fnrmrrs wcr. ready and nothing was
needed ,Srcpt tn secure lnnh aud farm
,r,,' contracts for the requisite acreage
u sugar ircls. which Mcssrs. Swlns
md Gul,linr aud other of the lrIdlri.
splrl,s at Rocky Ford. Lamar and
oilnr paints in the valley readily got.
and the necessary siiippln. facilities
and rates which ilir Santa Fc railway.
with ,hc enterprise. business sasncity
aud cordial cooperation with the pcn-
pie uf Its territory. CHARACTERISTIC uf IT,
arrangement. promptly supplied. ami
tire present magnificent factory nf the
american Beet Sugar Company at
linci;y Ford. costing over u million dol.
irrs and constituting daily thousand
toms Of hccis. was secured.
The industry has proved quite profit
able for the farmers. and the factory
~ Rocky Ford has added greatly to
the growtl, and prosperity OF that lii.
tie city. II now has u population OF
nearly i.OpD niid tire vaiur of farming
lands thprcahuuis has doubled III the
last two years. Senator Swinl; has
lived 10 spc thp realization nj The
dream az his early manhood. aud with
IL hus comr wealth TO him as the lnTs.
cst land owner ur that region, bringing
the wcli.mrfitcd reward uf his stead
lnSt faith. sound Judgment nnd hard.
Intelligent work.