The daily sentinel., 1908-04-21
STARTLING
TRUTHS TOLD
CONTINUED from page Co.

Another gravity ditch, to irrigate
$4,000 acres in Orchard mesa, south
of Palisade. will be built at cost of
100000 Surveys are now being
made for the government high line
canal and work will be started late
this fall. About 100000 acres come
within it's territory and large
amount of land is being purchased
with the expectation of getting wa
ter as it is needed.
Farmers Have Electric Lights
on Porches of Their Homes
Farmers of the Grand valley live
in luxury. Five miles from the little
town of Palisade, electric lights may
be seen on the porches, something
that speaks for itself in the wonder
ful advance being made. 1t is said
that rented place cannot be found
and farm of over 10 acres is the
exception. The great advantage in
a small tract is in the better care it
receives from 10 to 20 acres being
all one man can successfully culti-
vate and keep in condition. This is
most potent factor in calling Grand
valley 'the poor mans paradise"
Men who came there several years
ago and made a small investment are
now taking their families to Cali
fornia for the winter and this is not
considered extravagant. Their re-
turns in the summer are so large that
q winter vacation may be enjoyed
with but slight stress on finances.
Some are satisfied to raise fruit in
the back yard and realize enough to
payy all living expenses. This
absence of land monopoly is notice
able wherever one goes. OF course
there are several extensive fruit
farms. but the owners are preparing
to divide their tracts and sell off in
10 and 20-acre sections. One-half
mile from Palisade, going toward
Grand Junction. is the farm of G. w.
Bowman. He has 40 acres in bear
ing fruit and 260 acres in young
trees and unimproved land. Thirteen
years ago. Bowman went to the
Grand valley from Redcliffe, Colo,
where he had been working as a
miner, and was forced to borrow
money from the Leadville bank be-
fore he could buy small acreage
at low price. Now he is rated at
S25O,000. The Eastern farmers are
amazed at what they see in the Grand
valley ond one trip usually results
L. L
Iawo, recently purchased six-year
orchard of 12 acres for s2.25O per
acre. Seven years ago the same
land would have brought $40 an
acre. showing what irrigation and
fruit trees are doink ON the western
slope. John j. Bridges bought 21
acres in 1899 for $40 an acre. The
same land is now worth $4,000.
James H. Goff took a 10-acre or
chard. planted it in pear trees and
last year realized net profit of So
900.
B. A. Smith, an expert horticul-
turist arrived in Grand valley from
Texas. where he had been washed
out by the Galveston flood. His
capital was low and he found it neces
sary to seek work instead of invest
ing. W. E. Dudley had taken fruit
farm in the settlement of an estate
and he agreed to give Smith the farm
to work for five years. each to take
one-half the crop. Later Dudley was
offered $4,000 for the land but
Smith, with his five-year contract,
balked the sale. Then Dudley pro-
posed that Smith buy the farm and
a deal was concluded, Smith to pay
$500 per amman for four years.
The first year one-half of Smiths
crop paid his 1nStallment ana ne WIS
left with a comfortable balance. The
second year. the crop yielded $4,000.
Smith paid Dudley his $4,000 and
there was S3,500 left. The next two
years the profit was even greater
and now Smith tells how Dudley gave
him the orchard free. with bonus
for taking it. The 40 acres were sold
several weeks ago for $4,000. Such
occurrences tell the story of Grand
valley. Good farms in Illinois are
worth 5000 an acre and pay 5 per
cent A Grand valley fruit farm Isl
worth from 1000 to $4,000 an acre
and pay 90 per cent. Each acre
brings a profit of from 5000 to $1,000
and cases are recorded where $1,000
was cleared-that on plat of
ground 4.4S0 yards square. When
one considers the climatic conditions.
there can be no doubt that Grand
valley farmers are favored sons of
toll What would the Easterner think
of $2,S00 from two acres of cher
ries. r. H. Bancroft holds that
record in the Grand valley. 1t is
such things that stand back of the
40 automobiles ordered by Grand
valley farmers for the coming sum-