The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1906-02-23
TAlkS: fNJERTAlNlN6lY OF The WEST.

.s~s's'ssNOLt " uu1 VloSs |
JUDGE Martin Recosnts Salient Feat
@es Of Colorado and Utah Points.
Judge ]. n. Martin and Rod Nc
Donald returned: Tuesday from a
trip to Green River City, Utah, and
other western points, the Judge be-
ing extensively interested in min
ing ct Telluride, Colo, his visit to
Green River being solely to see the
section and investigate the tabled
aud fruit lands of that Sec
tion. And while he says he does
not intend to neglect or leave his
law practice i'm this city that never
theless if he would go to Green Riv-
er City he would be in a land of per-
petual sunshine and blossoms.
"Ihe people there are intelligent
and sociable,;" he said. "In about
six weeks the celebrated Merritt
tamily-members of which discov-
eredthe Mesaba range-and which
includes men of honesty and prob
lty to whom one may tie with conf
dence, will conduct an auction sale
OF the frat lots in the embryo city
OF Green River. Excursions are
scheduled ON the various railroads
from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana,
Iowa Nala>AooLo -,.l Eo-.-- L. Il
tend the sale.
After this, auction sale the lots
will be sold at scale prices.
"There is no doubt but Green Riv-
er City will be a city of from 5000 to
10000, people within six months. In
laying out the townsite dedications
have been made for colleges, pub
lie schools, churches and a court
house. Green River is destined to
soon become the county seat of
large new county. The city will in
clude many l0acre fruit farms with
in ito corporate limits of two miles
square.
"rhe Green River, which runs
through the center of the city plat,
is beautiful navigable stream,
filled with fish, principally salmon
which come up from the gulf of
California, and tons of which can
be had at any time by casting net.
: steamboats, ply the river for one
hundred nailes. 10 the eouth. TO- the
'ceieaak: :zsatetl hon1es ef tie elf dweIE
ers. The relics of this extinct civil
lization is alone enough to make of
this section of the country great
resort for 'tourists, historians and
pleasure-seekers.
"The soil in and about Green Riv-
er is so rich and prolific that am
almost afraid to state what I saw,
for fear that come may consider it
an exaggeration. I saw one man
who realized $500 profit from one
acre producing cantelopes last year.
Grapes, peacNes, ,prunes, apples and
all fruits grow in profusion. The
settlers do not think they are doing
fairly we'll unless they can realize
yearly from $1,000 to $3.50 per acre.
"1rrigation is bounteously sup
piled. Every acre of land that the
E. T. Merritt & Cook Colonization
and improvement Co. sells carries
with it water rights, and 1 examin-
ed closely the water supply and fa-
cilitiee, finding that not only hum
dreds but thousands of acres can
be bounteously supplied with water
from the Green River.
"The two Finnish gentlemen who
accompanied US on the trip, Chas.
F. Ahlstrand and Jacob Paul, each
purchased 10 acres at $50 per acre.
They can already turn their option
at $l25 per acre, making a profit of
$65 per acre, but they realize the
possibilities of the section, for those
lands will illuudoubtedly sell at $1,000
per acre within twelve months.
"But what I have my eye on more
than anything else is the coming
city of Green River, Utah., There
are some Mormons there, but the
Gentiles are now much in the ma
jority and are coming in every day.
I looked up and studied the Utah
laws in Salt Lake City relative to
the Organization Of cities, the divis-
ion of counties and educational
matters, and found the Utah laws
simple, plain and very encourag-
ing, and that the education of the
youth is provided for better than in
a greater percentage Of the states
of thesunion. E .....-. :.
Green River City, while they will
have saloons and in fact some are
there at the present time, is-the
ideal place for colleges, schools and
state institxtions. The Colonization
and Townsite npany have q. large
hotel ct Green River, in coni..nc-
tion with the Rio Grande RAILROAD,