Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-08-14
Ut Means Great Devel-
opement of Valley
ALL ARE ENTHUSIASTIC
Plan Suggested for Utilizing Old
Power Plant to Irrisate
1900 Acres.

The regular monthly meeting of the
commercial club Tuesday night was
the most interesting and enthusiastic
session of the club that has been held
Curing the present year There was no
epecial new business scheduled but the
subject of irrigation came up and
Everyone present took decided iu-
ferest. An unofficial rumor had gone
but to the effect that there was some
sort of an irrigation project on and
this considerably increased the regular
attendance.
"a After the disposition of some of the
Routine business Mr.. g. !. Brown, a
Former resident of the city but who is
how vice.president of the Jersey City
Central Traction Co, at Keyport, N.
u, was called on, and after noting
Che improvements Of the city since
his residence here some eight or nine
years ago, and the enterprise mani.
Tested by the commercial club, he took
occasion to remark that the sdor tion
of irrigation here meant the salvation
of the Rogue River Valley country,
which statement was greeted with
hearty applause.
As stated in these columns last
week Mr.. Brown as the agent of Nor.
ris Brothers Of Portland, who own the
old dam and power plant just below
the bridge at the foot of Sixth street,
has during the past few weeks been
endeavoring to interest number of
FARMERS In an irrigation project
Whereby the old power plant can be
utilized in furnishing water for the
Irrigation of about 1900 acres of land
aloug this side of the river below the
power house. Mr.. Brown and his
people have proposed to the farmers
Who would be under this ditch that
hey organize a company among them
elves and construct the ditch and
Norris brothers will furnish them
the necessary water at the rate of IS
Der acre per annum for a period of
10 years, at the same time giving the
farmers an option to boy the power
plant at price TO be mutually agreed
upon, at any time within the l0years.
The farmers are also to have entire
oupervision and control of the dis.
1ribution of the water during the life
Of the contract Mr. Brown further
otated that in thu event the farmers
did not have the ready funds with
which to construct the supply ditch
Ms company would build it for them
mo allow them to pay for it in lu an
nual payments
Mr.. Griffin. one of the recent new
comers who has already purchased "a
mall tract in the city and will make
His permanent home here, was another
warm advocate Of irrigation. X. L.
Doe expressed it that we of Grants
Pass and Josephine county are vir-
tualy on out oars until tins ction l.
under thor, nh system of IT igation
md said that We are Just nuw sterling
On a PROPOSE ION which We should
have consuumsted years ago. h l..
Blanchard whu arrived here a few
days ago with his family from Monte
zuma, Iowa. with a view to | eating.
also concurreu in the opinions of
Chose who had already spoken and
said he felt sure that II this ssc tion OF
Rogue River Valley was under irrl-
ration many families f.om his state
would soon lo"ste here.
II was At once apparent that the
. business ms u Of the city have become
thoroughly aroused to the imperative
neei of irrigation if the land OF Jose
phine county shall produces any where
near what the soil is capable of. And
IL would seem that an interest W 4
aroused at Tuesday nights meeting OF
the commercial cluo which shool Id
result in the early construction Of a
supply ditch which will recla IN a
lArge acreage which is now idle,
vhereas it should be yielding an in.
eome of from 500 to $500 per acre al
6ually.
10 disposing of the routine buisnefi