Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-19

YN visiting Nephl, one cannot but
A feel that it is an Arcadia for tho
homesecker, IL land OF infinite OPP
portunity. II is a city OF about 5000
population, situated in the southern
end OF Juab valley at a point about
80 miles south OF Salt Lake City and
at the eastern side Of Juab county OF
which it is the county seat. 1t lies
at the foot of Mt. Nebo a towering
snowcovered peak Of $1,000 feet height,
which forms the south end OF the great
Wasatch range.
It was in September, 1S5f-three
years after the first settlement of the
Salt Lake valley---that Timothy Il.
Toote entered the Juab valley, to make
his home. Indians prowled about; the
coyote and the jack rabbit darted from
the trail, and greasewood, shad scale,
rabbit bush, salt grass, fox tall and q
few other salt-loving species OF annual
plants, grew in wild profusion over the
forbidding low1and. Soon other white
meE came, among them being Charles
sperry, Miles Miller, zinri II. Baxter,
John, William, David and Charles Ca
The first male white child born In the
valley was Nicely Haywood and the
first female, Mrs. Elite Grace Pyper.
Homes were made; protective meas
ures were provided against the Indians
whose antagonism gradually subsideu
and finally a thriving village was as
sured. Today, Nephl, from Il standpoint
Of municipal progress, educational adj
vancement and thrifty husbandry, vies,
with any city OF similar size In the
whole inter-mountain region Its re-
sources are as varied as those OF any
city In America, as they include not
only farming and manufacturing, but
also oil wells, salt mines, salt Springs,
stone quarries, mining, gypsum, tim
hering and the raising of sheep and
cattle on an extensive scale.
FRUIT INDUSTRY.
Among the many Industries that are
attracting attention in Nephi probably
the newest is the cultivation OF large
fruit orchards. Nephi itself lies OH a
delta formation at the foot of Mt. Ne
DO and at the mouth Of Salt Creek can
yon. The region along tho base OF
the mountains Is of that fine gravey
and sandy loan texture which is we'll
adapted to the raising OF fruits and
berries, Conniseurs have declared that
the peaches grown along the northern
part of Nephi have the finest flavor of
any produced in the state Elbertas
and Early Crawfords arc the varieties
usually planted. David Broadbent has
one of the finest peach orchards in the
west; in fact with one exception-that
of DIR. Somner Gleason at Kaysville
it is unique. 1t consists of eight acres
of Elberta peaches grown absolutely
without irrigation. The secret lies in
the persistent cultivation and disturbing
of the soil.
Other men who are going into the
fruit business on an extensive scale are !
Robert Beagley. Orson CaZier. l.. A.
Bailey and H. q. Howell. There is a
great inclination among the farmers
who own land close about Nephl, TO
set out orchards on account OF the fact
that the large dry farms nearby enter
too keenly into competition in the rails
ing of wheat, to make that industry
very profitable for the owners Of the
more valuable land.
1t may be of interest to many TO
know that the large fruit raisers OF
Colorado are turning their eyes West
ward, where they declare they find bet
ter lands at a much cheaper price.
Already some two dozen families have
settled at Springville near Provo and
more are thinking Of purchasing pro-
perty near Nephi and Spanish Fork,
Fruit lands in Colorado are selling for
the extremely high figure OF $1,000 per
acre, where ground far superior can
at present-"at present., mind you
be bought for $3.50 per acre The first
Corners will reap the benefits Of
growing industry.
DRY FARMING.
Nephi is now attracting the attention
OF the world to It's extensive operations
in dry farming. There Is an incident
connected with the development of tho
region in this respect that has never
yet been recorded, for like all other