The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1903-04-03
AN INTERVIEW.
K. d. Blair is Interviewed by Times
Reporter and Speaks of the Possi-
biIities of Delta and Delta County.


published in Delta county, was asked
this morning what opportunities exist
in Delta. he made the following compre-
hensive and enthusiastic reply:
What Delta most needs is large num-
bers of hard-working, intelligent farm
acres OF government land yet open TO
entry, now that the Gunnison tunnel
seems 10 be an assured fact. This tun-
mel will revolutionize farming in the
Uncompahgre valley once it is complet-
! ed, furnishing an abundance OF water
where there is scarcity for the un-
entered land, as well as for 100, 600 acres
OF patented land now almost useless,
during the months OF July, August.
September and October, the months
and ripen the crops.
! The completion Of this big enterprise
by the government will open new era
I FOR this section, and means thousand
/ OF tons more OF alfalfa raised and thous
ands more of cattle fed each winter in
this valley, thousands of carloads more
I OF fruit for shipping out from the or
chards; 1t means more general pros
perity throughout this eutira section
than has been known since the settle
ment in the early SOS. 1t will make
possible homes for 10000 people that
now is nothing but an arid waste. An
abundant supply OF water will do all
these.
With an abundance OF water these
valleys can raise the finest Of sugar
beets, the soil being particularly adap.
&c TO this crop. as was fully proven
when the Grand Junction beet sugar
factory was in operation. Messrs. Owen
and Briggs raised each crop OF bee Is
that by factory test OF the entire crop
ran Is per cent sugar. with s5 per cent
purity. What these two gentlemen did
then can be done again and in almost
any part OF the valley. But before a
crop like this could be made profitable.
not only the water question must be
settled, but the factory must be closer
than fifty miles. or else railroad charges
will cut the profits considerably.
An enlargement OF the present capac-
ity OF the cannery is one of the necessi-
ties OF this section. Although it's out.
put was doubled last year aud promises
10 be quadrupled this, yet ten fold IN
crease would not be sufficient. Large
as it may sound, at least forty carloads
| of fruit went IN uasia md r,,,aJ IN aha
orchards OF Delta county last year
Very few OF the largest fruit growers
made any pretensions OF shipping any
OF their earlier peaches. pears, plums
apricots or apples. so heavy was the
crop and SO small was the demand
There is prospect now Of four evapor-
ators being put in this spring in the
county. one at Delta, one at Cory Sid
! ing, aud two in the North Fork valley
at Paonia. Besides a cannery will be
built at Paonia. The building OF the
Paonia branch OF the Denver & Rio
Grande will be great help to the fruit
| growers OF the eastern end OF the coun-
ty in letting them into market with
out breaking bulk. The tract from
''aha ounction 10 Dei'a ana tnehee
to Paouia will be broad gagged this
sprung anu our ueheate fruits can oe
pu' in'o 'ae larger towns without ehans-
'"s ea's ana "''nou' oe'ehuon.
ness 'a''e!s can ana ought 10 sup
p! .he s.a'e Win all 'he canned ana
dried fruits consumed within her bor-
|
'ers' ana we oeiieSe VIII DO TINS at no
"'s'an' oay. AS an instance OF 'ne
neeos o' oo'n canner'es ana e'apora.ors
'or 'n's sec''on II is oniy necessary 10
say 'na' Oh one orchard .hat has ABOUT