Rocky Ford enterprise., 1907-06-21
CROP REVIEW SO YEARS AGO.
Professor Thomas Was Indeed = True
Rrophet.


Prophet.
Denver.-A unique feature Of the
case OF s. W. Brown ct al. versus tho
city Of Denver. which IL occupying sew.
eral weeks In the District Court, IL a
letter written thirty-nine years ago by
w. II. Thomas. now IA professor In the
agricultural College AT Fort Collins.
At the time the letter was written
Professor Thomas was an editorial
writer on Denver daily r-per and
was one Of the best informed men OF
the state In regard TO water rights. Al
the case In question IL to determine
the rights OF the farmers to city ditch
water. he was called as witness. \
The ancient letter which brought
about his testimony was discovered
among the files In the state museum
ut the capitol building and bears the
date Of publication. May Goth. 1865.
II Is two columns In lenth and II fg'
urcs what mOuiS OF water the farm
ers were getting from the city ditch at
| that date. When Professor Thomas
took the stand. having been called b.
| Charles Allen. attorney for the city.
he testified to the acreage OF land In
| those days under the city ditch.
Following IL portion OF the letter:
Among the Farmers. An Editorial
Letter. The Platte Valley From Den.
Yer to the Mountains. May IL. 1865.
In beginning series OF letters on
the agricultural resources OF Colorado.
| ! know Of no better section to COM
mence with than that portion Of the
Platte valley which lies between Den'
yer and the mountains.
The facts and figures which I will
give will neither b. guess work nor
1 a. a IN laS ssfn ted
taken from the Information by convcr.
sation with those who are able to sta.
them as accurately m possible. My de-
sire In to give my readers as correct
information as II In possible TO do. and
neither labor nor pains will be sparsi
TO accomplish my object
The Valley.
'Thc portion Of the valley over
which have Just passed is one Of the
most settled and best cultivated In
Colorado. Its length from the canon
where the river leaves che mountains
to tho i-arimcr street bridge In said IN
he twenty miles. which Ii probably cor
| ret. or nearly 50. The width Of tn.
valley will average from . mile To u
mile and halt. through which tho
river winds. leaving broad bottom an
| either side for the firss ton oe twelve
| miles from the city. when u hugs morc
closely to the eastern bluffs and icavca
tho best of the farming land an ihs
4 west side. Above the mouth of Plum
creek on the east side there In hut one
firm under cultivation. while on the
other side the farms extend In the very
eaic of the canon. Al to the richness
of the soil I can convey n better Idea
by stating what has been done. ~
will bcfor. completing this eofnmuni'
cation.
| The Crops.
Never looked finer and never VIVA
shrsc better promise of nm abundant
harvest. The farmers are nearly aii
through SOWING. and those Who are not
are moa, busily nj work. a few days
~iii probsbiy sec every grain of seci
covered.
"ts~sinnins on tho cas, side ~ tho
river at the mouth of Plum creek. the
farmers who have put in crops arr: %.
Gr, cory, A. y. Babeo@l. J. y. Es'iass.
II. ]. Lyman. Il. H. Ire. l.. u. Am-s.
Il. 8. Little. T.. W. nscon. J. ~. bro~n.
Peter Masnns. Thomas iockhaH.
Thoma. Skcrriti. u. =. usnnc,i. Ricn'
ard Bccson. Rufus Clark. J. ". shrcrr.
Jacob Mas,crson. Jack Smith. a. y. y.
| Middanh. y Miiiisnn. Il RiehardSon.
| snd I. y. Van Nofmcn"
Professor Thomas continuci In his
| letter To toll exactly what crops .acn
| person had planted and ho~ much at
| each kind. His testimony of days soac
| by proved Of great inicrcs; TO ,h"s" 10
the courtroom.