The Delta independent., 1908-01-03

Seven miles cement sidewalks 10000
Extension water plant 5000
Church property. 1900
Concrete block factory. ....... 1000
Veterinary hospital. al........... $1,000
! Imps. to brick and tile factory 5000
! Sewerage extension. ....... 5000
lOtdi SNUo,uVV
To these will soon be added improve
ments now started aggregating many
thousands. among which are new
fruit house by the Fruit Growers as
sociation, to cost s2J 900; cold storage
plant, S40,0 900; residences now con-
tracted, $50
The population one year ago was
about 1000, while today it numbers al
most 3. 600, and not an empty dwelling
can be found in the city.
An artificial ice factory of ten tons
capacity was installed last spring in
time to supply the town and country
with an excellent qnality of ice. A
cement block factory has also been es-
tablished.
/ An important local manufacturing
institution which has been extensively
improved this year is the Delta Brick
& Tile company plant. A large down
draft kiln has been installed at an ex
penditure of $4,000. The drying sheds
have also been equipped with steam
pipes, thus makinf it psssible for the
manufacture of brick throughout the
winter months. The quality of brick
supplied by the Delta factory is first
class and far above the average.
Delta has the largest factory on the
Western Slope; first-class flour mill
run by water power, an up-to-date
electric light, heat and power plant;
one of the best canning factories in the
Estate, = box f.story< and ameat packs
ing plant. and before the end of the
year the new sugar beet factory will
probably be built.
A notable local improvement carried
to successful elimination during the
past I2 months is the construction of
seven miles of cement sidewalks, built
to an established grade, uniform in
construction. The expenditure of a
quarter of million of dollars for resi-
dences, business blocks, drainage and
other private and city improvements is
an eloquent testimonial of confidence in
the town and its future. One hundred
thousand acres of rich soil, for all of
which abundant water will be supplied
within i2 months from this time, lies
adjacent to the town, and produces as
large diversity of crops as any sim
liar district in the state. This vast ex-
panse of land raises the finest apples.
peaches, apricots, prunes and grapes
in the United States. as has been
abundantly proven by the Worlds fair
and state awards.
Thirty thousand acres of land in
Delta county is planted to fruit and it
is said that 10000 acres of this will be
bearing next year. Big as this present
acreage may seem, the fruit industry
in Delta county is yet in its infancy.
1t will easily double in ten years.
The country that surrounds Delta,
however, is not lone thing" country.
It has the valuable and vital quality of
diversity. A large part of the land is
best adapted to the production of farm
products. Wheat and oats of excellent
quality and large yield is grown.
Alfalfa averages five tons per acre,
ana it has been conclusivelv proven that
there is no better sugar beet soil any
where than we have here. In saccha-
rine matter our beets average about II
per cent and it will be remembered that
the country around here made the
largest average tonnage in 1906 of any
district in the etate, running l7.65 tons
on the total acreage. On ten acres of
the Gunnison valley this year one
grower reports 40 tons to the acre,
which means gross income of $500
per acre and a net income of over $3.50
per acre.
In addition to fruit raising and regu-
lar farming, Delta has hundreds of
millions of tons of coal of excellent
quality at its very door. With proper
transportation facilities to bring this
product of the mines distance of 10
and 20 miles it will retail at not to ex-
ceed So per ton. In addition to the
above we have cattle industry Of no
small dimensions. In the mountains
stretching back u distance of 25 to 40
miles innumerable herds of cattle feed
on tho rich grass that grows SO prolific
in the hills During the summer months