Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-11-19
GREELY, COLORADO
and GRANTS PASS
GEORGE II. WEST TELLS INTER-
ESTING STORY OF IRRIGATION
WATER MORE THAN LAND
We Have Great Opportunities Says
This Colorado Banker and
Irrigationist.

The present year has been rich In
that kind Of corner stone laying
which is to inaugurate remarkable
prosperity in Josephine county. First
came the irrigation enterprise which
made all other things possible. II
was the one great event of more than
fifty years of civilization around
Grants Pass. This brought that bet
ter class of homeseekers who have
made farming an occupation where
by fortunes are made, and close in
their wake came men OF large cap
| ital; notably such as compose the
Pennsylvania syndicate who pur-
chased the Riggs ranch at the mouth
of the Applegate, and that other
syndicate of Kansas City, the pur-
chasers of several thousand acres
extending from a point three miles
1
north of Grants Pass to Merlin;
also the purchase made by the Alas
ka syndicate, and many smaller ones
by enterprising men of means who
are developing alfalfa farms, apple
and pear orchards and vineyards All
these things remind us of that pros
perity which is dawning on Josephine
county. The writer Is reminded OF
these things by an interview had with
George II. West, one of the pioneer
bankers of Greeley, Colo, and a
man of many years experience In
irrigation who has been visiting
Grants Pas.
Mr.. West is thoroughly familiar
with the Rogue River valley, having
been here a number of times and his
extensive knowledge of farming and
fruit growing in Colorado enables
him to Judge with great accuracy OF
conditions here. He saw Greeley
grow from an arid waste to the best
farming section in the United States
and with its growth and prosperity
he had much to do. Truly he was
one Of the men who helped to make
the desert blossom as the rose. For
many years Mr.. West has been inter-
ested In irrigation in the Arkansas
valley as well as around Greeley, and
his opInions are worthy OF the high
, est consideration. He has for the
past year been a subscriber to the
Courier and has kept himself posted
, regarding matters In this city anc
, county. Below we give a careful
q report of an interview with Mr.
81 West on Tuesday of this week by th'
Y editor of the Courier. His talk abou
r Greeley is an object lesson as to wha
q may be done at Grants Pass.
Greeley has a population Of 9OO'
= enterprising people," said Mr.. West
3 and he continued: ut has three ma
tional banks and savings bank. Tn
z deposits OF the four banks amour
o TO more than $6,000,000 Tn
4 town OF Greeley sends more produc
|. OF all kinds TO market than Is ship
u ped by all the towns on the Southern
Pacific between San Francisco an
= Portland. The people OF that com
Is munity send TO market annually fror
d 5000 to $4,000 carloads OF potatoe
and other produce In proportion. tn
o best farmers market every year fror
l. $4,000 to $4,000 worth OF produce
a notice In a local paper that the
a have 210 automobiles In the tow
d and in addition TO these there ar
,s many runabouts on the farms OF th
NJ surrounding country ! may as we
IT mention here for the sake OF show
is ing how general the use OF the'
IL machines are that the woman VII
A. supplies my family with butte
te brings II TO the city in an automobil
ir "All this prosperity was brougl
n- about by water and intelllgcI
he farming. The former was scarce az
m this necessitated cultivation to
" hand in hand with t. This accoun
In for the success Of the Greeley farr
he ers. who have grown TO be men
ed science as far as the use OF water
be crop growing Is concerned. ha
ne said this much for the encourag
mont az irrigation around Grar