The Grit-advocate., 1906-01-05
The Record of 1905,

The year 1905 was the most pros.
porous the people of Sedgwick county
ever experienced. This great pros
perity was not confined to few peo-
pie, but was shared by all. The
farmer, the stockman, the business
man, the professional man. the arti-
san, the laborer-all enjoyed an era
of good times.
The farmer had good crops, the
stockman received good prices for
the products Of his ranch. the business
man enjoyed n good business through
out the year, the professional man
was similarly favored, and the arti-
san and the laborer had plenty of
work at good wages. Never before in
the history of the county did every
body share SO generously in the all
pervading prosperity.
The generally prosperous times dur
ing the year engendered spirit of
Improvement, and this spirit mani
tested itself in the expenditure of
large sums of money in new buildings
and in remodeling old buildings.
The aggregate amount OF money ex-
pended in the county during the year
is close to 800, 10000. This docs not
include the money spent in the i'm
provement OF the county's system OF
irrigation, which alone amounted to
approximately half million dollars,
but is simply u conservative estimate
of the expenditures made in building
operations.
In Julesburg, the county seat, the
greatest expenditures were made.
Here two miles OF cement sidewalks
and crossings were laid at a cost of
sl5,OO0.OO, and new artificial stone
court house costing $lO,0OO.O0 was
built. Some OF the other buildings
erected during the year and their cost
might be mentioned. They are: Id
dings lumber yard, sh00O.OO; Young
lumber yard, s2,00O.oO: Brant store
building, 81, 10000; DR.. Babcock resi-
dence, s4,OO0.OO; NJ. L. parsonage,
sl,50O.OO; Pioneer hotel, $1,000. 90;
Sheriff. livery stable, $l,O00.00. Be
sides these, numerous other buildings
have been erected in Julesburg rang
ing in cost from $500 90 to 81, 10000.
In the county, outside of Julesburg.
several fine residences have been
built, among which might be mention
ed that of j. L. Elhart, costing
81, 200. 90; Frank Herfert, $1,000. 90:
7. r. Liddle, $l,3OO.O0, and p. b.
Upson, sl,2oO.oo.
The irrigation system in the county
was revolutionized during the year.
The Julesburg Irrigation district was
organized and s450,00O.00 in bonds
were voted to build the Julesburg res
eryoir and to purchase the Petersen
and Settlers bitches. The reservoir.
with capacity OF l,2O0, 900, 900 cubic
feet of water, or $4,000 acre feet, to-
gether with the inlet and outlet ditch
es, has been practically finished and
will be filed during the winter
months. The construction of this res
ervoir has made certain plenty of
water during all seasons of the year
and the %, 900 acres of land within the
district are being rapidly brought to
high state of cultivation.
Probably the most noticeable adj
vancement made in the county during
1905, was in the prices OF land. Irri-
gated land trebled in price: farm lands
that sold early in the year at $50. 90
per acre readily brought $1,000 per
acre during the month of December.
The price OF. grazing land was also
trebled during the year: lands that
during. the early part of the year sold
for 500 per acre were resold before
its close at 5000.
The great advance in the price of
land was due to several causes. For
more than q year people with money
to invest have been gradually coming
to the conclusion that real estate in
vestments are the safest and the best,
This has created demand for land,
and, the supply being limited, has
caused an increase in prices. This
condition has been working through
out the country, and prices of land in
all localities have advanced in con-
sequence But the great advance in
the prices of Sedgwick county real es-
tate has been due chiefly to the con-
struction of the Julesburg reservoir.
Without this reservoir prices would
undoubtedly have advanced some,
but they would not have advanced so
much or SO rapidly. 1t is therefore
safe to say that a great part of the
prosperity Of the past year was di-
rectly due to the construction OF the
Julesburg reservoir.
To be sure no water was used from
this reservoir, but the fact that it was
being built for future use inspired the
farmers with confidence, and they be-
gan improvements which without this
prospect of better times would not
have been commenced. Those who
sold their land received good prices
for it-prices greatly in advance of
those which could have been obtained
had the reservoir not been under con-
struction-and those who did not sell
their farms arc able to figure them