The state herald., 1901-08-30
San Luis Valley improvement.

Colorado Is widely known as pre-
eminently the mining state. yet stntis-
ties show each year that the agrlcul-
tural products exceed In value the out
put of the mines. This Is mostly due
To irrigation and In no part Of Colorado
Is farming by this method better Illus
tratcd than In the sunny San Luis val
ley, In the southern part OF the state.
The large canals In the vicinity OF
Monte Vista long ago demonstrated the
fertility OF that part of the valley and
the immense yields OF wheat. oats. bar
ley. peas, etc. have made many
farmer independent. There are well
authenticated Instances where men
have paid for their farms from the pro-
ceeds OF a single crop.
For various reasons the southern end
OF the valley has not received the at
tcntion II deserved. The land Is equal.
ly good and II needed only the applica-
tion OF water 10 make II available.
This fact was well known TO the farm
ers OF the vicinity. but they lacked the
means TO do more than make Il few
small bitches. Some three years ago
the attention OF Ieph. Charles Felt OF
Denver. who had already done so much
for the Grand Junction country. was
called to that part OF the valley and he
was asked TO Investigate Its resources
and opportunities. The result was the
purchase by hm OF nbout 10000 acres
of the cream OF the land. the organiza.
tlon OF the Romero Irrigation Company
and the planning OF n system OF canals
and lnicrals to make use OF the very
old water rights which had been ne
aulrcd meantime
Before foot of earth was turned nm
extensive survey was made NJ nm tx.
pcnsc OF several thousand dollars The
principal part of this work Il now com
plctci. The Romero canal IL n model
OF Its Kind nni Is supplying the needed
water to the land. A new town nj the
point formerly known ms Mnnnssa sid
Ing hns been laid out TO furnish the
necessary shipping facilities.
Alrcndy the surrounding country X n
scene Of activity. where the company
II fencing. blowing and preparing n
large trnci ~ Its land for crops. Incl.
dcntnlly the old town OF Mnnnssn.
three miles cnst. with It's population or
about i..pp win be benefited. Al nrst
there wnE somr resentment that n
stranger should come In and pick up
the choicest lands ihni the nclrhborr
Ind intended TO buy when they got
ready. Therr was also n lurking sus.
plclon perhaps that the projected plans
were but another scheme TO work the
country nnd sell out. 80 fairly nnd 80
llbcrnliy hns the management ~ the
Romero Irrigation Company denlt with
the people In carrying ont It's plans aud
spending IT, money TINT Instead OF op.
position there n now the most cordial
support nni cooperation on the part Of
the old settlers.
They realize the advantages ihnt
have already come 10 them mud nrc
prepared 10 welcome the stili grcnicr
Developments expected within The next
few years when the plans of the com.
pnny nrc fully completed. The Denver
a lilo Urnndr hn- lntely mDdc lia rond
bfond Rnugo 10 the southern cnd Of the
valley nnd ID making the needed i'm.
provomcnlH ni Romeo TO accommodate
the business there. In the opinion of
careful observers, there II no pnri ~
The state that offers better opportuni.
ties for the many who nrc turning
their eyes from the drouih.-irlckcn re-
Rlons tn prosperous Colorado.