The Lamar register., 1909-03-03
LARGE COLONY
FROM HOLLAND
CLOSE DEAL FOR 5000 ACRES
IN THE SAN LUIS
VALLEY.
COMING FROM IOWA
NEW SETTLERS WILL SOON BE-
GIN TO ARRIVE AND PLANT
CROPS.

Denver.-The Republican Saturday
morning says:
The coming to Colorado of large
colony of Hollander farmers from
northwestern Iowa was assured with
the closing of a deal yesterday for the
sale of some 5000 acres of land al
Romeo, in the San Luis valley, by
Zeph Charles Felt of this city.
The representatives of the Holland
ers in the transaction were L. ID. Hud
son of Denver and Edward Fair OF
Boulder, and the total consideration
is close to 100000. The first of the
new settlers will begin to arrive. 1t is
expected, in few weeks.
This deal is the result of a long
quest upon the part of the represents
tives of the Hollanders for a location
in Colorado which would fulfill all
their requirements. They are not men
of small means. but are among the
most prosperous of Iowa farmers, and
they demanded that In their new loca-
ton quality should be the first requi-
site. with price secondary considers
tion.
Mr.. Felt has been developing the
Romeo proposition for ten years along
the line of quality. The soil is the
celebrated San Luis valley gravel
on which are raised the largest crops
of field peas. small grains. potatoes
and other profitable crops. To insure
a reliable water supply. MIR. Felt has
purchased from the Mexicans who
were the first settlers. large shares in
their early appropriations of water.
The Romeo canal which waters the
land runs almost wholly on straight
lines, and Is lined with cobblestones.
making the cost of maintenance prob
ably the lowest of any ditch system
of similar size in the state. The fall
of the country is great, giving re-
liable drainage.
The land sold on this deal COM
prises number of tracts. more or less
scattered among the holdings of older
buyers already prosperously settled,
II ranges in distance from the railway
station from one-half mile to three
and one-half miles. Practically none
of 1t is raw land. Some years ago Mr.
Felt adopted a policy of breaking up
and subduing all land before placing
1t on the market He has employed
two large steam plows and has put
thousands of acres into crop annually.
planting field peas, which were grazed
off by lambs. In 1908, and again in
1909 shipments of fat lambs from the
San Luis topped the Denver market
This process not only enrichcs the soil.
but leaves 1t In fine shape for other
crops, and having been thoroughly
wet up. makes It easier to irrigate.
while this sale comprises nearly
all the land which have remaining
ready for sale at Romeo" said Mr.. Felt
yesterday. lit is only the first step to-
ward the development of the south end
of the San Luis valley. The Romeo
proposition WIS simply the entering
wedge. to show that with an assured
supply of water. and with the right
kind of methods the land was as valu-
able as any in Colorado. Now that this
has been done there will be num-
Der of reservoirs built on the Conejos
river, the sites of which have been re.
leased from all opposition by the gov
eminent. and probably $4,000 acres
more of land equally as good as that
at Romeo will be ready for settlement
in the course of the next five years.
This will not be cheap land, but il
will be land like that about Romeo.
where success is not matter of the
Dry. but of farming right. 1t is likely
that most of this land will also be
taken by these Hollanders."