The Delta independent., 1907-11-15
PIONEER DAYS.
BY GEO, O, STATES.

S.~Ss Os SAS~@Ies
lean hardly realize that the 7th of
this November was % years since my
self and family arrived in Delta.
Yet it was the fall of 1885, and at that
time Delta was composed of adobe
houses, couple of stores, few sa-
looms and one little church building,
where our old friend L. C. Alley of the
M. E. church preached, and that was
the only place that the gospel was
proclaimed.
1t was then that the cowboy ele-
ment predominated and there were oc-
casional shootings when things got a
little mixed.
Land was plentiful in those days and
the next day after we arrived we
staked our claim of 100 acres a mile be-
low where Eckert is now .,csted. A
few days after our arrival we called
few of the neighbors together at the
home Of my sister, Mrs. H. A. Castle,
and held the first religious service close
to where Eckert now stands.
That winter my conference work
called me over the range near Florence
where remained until the spring of
1886, when l returned, and that sum-
mer held tent meetings in Montrose
and Grand Junction.
Very few in those early days had any
confidence in this being fruit country,
although Geo. P. Chiles, soon after his
arrival, set out an orchard, thus show
ing his faith in the Surface Creek coun-
try being good for fruit.
There was not a bridge across the
Gunnison river and going to Delta it
was ford or, in high water, cross on
the ferry.
Ark Hall used to run the ferry up at
the mouth of the canon where the state
bridge now stands, and one day a man
crossed and refused to pay the regular
toll. Ark told him if he didn't pay he
would shoot him. Mr.. man ran behind
a tree and every time he moved, crack
went the gun, until he got sick of try
ing to beat his way and paid the toll.
Almost any night when the grain was
moving, camp fires could be seen near
the ferry and jolly set would be there
to listen to the usual story or song.
A few years later we secured the
State bridge, and then it was that we
felt civilization was surely dawning.
In those early days we used to have
a small pony and a cart for getting
around, and shall always remember
going off on one of my preaching trips
over the range. riding into Delta with
a friendly neighbor and sending some
groceries back to the family, which my
friend was to leave on the main road
over quarter mile from our house.
The boys, instead of hitching up the
pony, pushed the cart over to the road,
loaded in the stuff and Gilbert pro-
posed that they tie the hold-back strap
over a clever looking burro's back and
Charles take hold Of the animals tail
and make him go by twisting it. All
went well until the burro saw that some
thing was following, and soon he went
so fast that Gilbert could not keep up.
80 he got out of the way and on went
the rig, pell-mell. Their mother saw
the caravan coming and so opened the
gate, and as the burro passed near the
outdoor cellar, he turned, and in 80 do
ing, tipped the cart over and all came
out in fair shape.
Those were days when there was NJ
postoffice nearer than Delta, and any
one going in usually brought the neigh
borhood mail.
In our next we will notice some of
the changes since those days.