Cañon City record., 1908-02-27
LARGEST PRIVATE IRRIGATION
ENTERPRISE In COLORADO

of Colorado, comprises some thirty
thousand acres of as fertile land as
can be found out of doors. 1t is To-
City and half that distance north Of
Florence and is easily accessible from
either place.
For several months this region has
been the scene of great Industrial ac-
tivity and soon one of the greatest
private irrigation schemes ever under
taken in the Rock Mountain country
will be an accomplished fact.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars
have been expended In bringing the
waters of Beaver creek to the land
and before the spring planting is ready
NO less than 1000 acres will be ready
for the tiller of the soil. for the hor-
ticulturist as well as the gardener
and rancher, for it is as well adopt
ed for the growth of the apple tree as
the cereal, or to the tuberous crops
for which this section is famous.
Surrounded on the northeast and
west by mountain walls and gently
sloping to the south to the valley of
the Arkansas river, nature seems to
have exhausted her ingenuity in an
effort to make Beaver Park the most
attractive locality in all this region.
A representative of The Daily Rec
ord made special trip to that part
of the county a day or SO ago to in
spect the great irrigation enterprise
being carried out there preliminary
to its conversion into busy agricul-
tural community with hundreds OF
happy. prosperous homes. In forty
Ave minutes after leaving Canon City
our party arrived at the engineers
camp on Beaver creek. The exhilirat-
ing effects of February morning in
Colorado added zest to the trip as our
auto swept along the beautiful coun-
try roads, through a gently undulating
territory not unlike an Illinois prai-
rie. On every hand evidences OF pio-
neer activity abounded. Time and
again we passed wagons loaded with
luuDcT anu otncr uuiiuiuS uiatei'0'
bound for Beaver Park. and. in one
instance. small house on wheels was
slowly making its way TO the new
land.
of older communities. Not fewer
than twenty houses are under con-
struction on the Park and the next
few weeks will witness several times
that many more.
In every direction tents and tenn
porary shacks. forerunners OF more
pretentious homes. dot the landscape.
On every hand the farmers are pIow-
ing the soil for the spring planting
and so loose is the virgin soil that In
one place the ground was being piow-
ed eight inches deep with single
team OF horses.
1t Is estimated that 1000 acres OF
fruit trees averaging 40 trees to the
acre will be planted this spring, all
under the personal supervision of
special horticultural inspector who
will see that all are planted with uni
formity and according to scientific
principles.
To appreciate the beauty and natu-
raj endowment of this wonderful re-
gion our party assembled in our auto
mobile natural highline driveway
along the crest of small mountain
that skirted the creek. Here one OF
the grandest panoramas to be seen
anywhere in the west burst into view.
Hundreds of feet below us on the
east rippled the clear waters of the
Beaver which is the source OF life to
this fertile region. We could trace
its meandering course till 1t was lost
in the greater waters OF the Arkan-
sas eight miles away. To the north
only few miles away and apparent
ly close at hand lowered the white
summit OF the famous Pixies peak.
the source of the ice-gendered foun-
tains which water the valleys below.
Westward from the peak and almost
within its shadow is the Cripple Creek
district, the greatest gold camp on
earth, mighty factor in the material
development of the state. Still far
ther west scene OF sublime grandeur
greets the vision; the Sangre de Chris
to mountain range with it's serrated
peaks of eternal snow. sight to glad
den the eye at all seasons OF the year.
To the southwest, few miles away
with the mountains for background
the thriving city Of Canon City could
be seen surrounded by its marvellous
orchards and gardens. Coming around