The daily sentinel., 1909-12-16
Hon. l. N. Bunting,
Editor of The Sentinel,
Grand Junction, Colo

Grand Junction, Colo.
Dear Bro. Bunting: Your issue
Of December l contains a letter writ
ten by T. c. Henry and reprinted
from the Denver News which contains
so many errors of fact that | am con-
on my own behalf, to ask
you to print this letter.
Mr.. Henry states his introduction
as a promoter into Grand valley as
follows:
In March. 1888, / came to
Colorado from Kansas where my
operations had crowned me
wheat king" Early in April
following, Governor Crawford
the founder of Grand Junction.
my close personal friend, came
to Denver accompanied by Matt
Arch. who had undertaken to
build the Grand Valley canal.
Arch had exhausted his resources
and became badly involved be
sides, through his failure to
negotiate loan of $75, 1000 on
the project. Gov. Crawford ap-
pealed to me and without even
going over to the valley solely
upon his representations of
course, made in good faith, !
took the loan at 90c on the dol
lar. and gave Arch my check for
$27, 900.
The facts are as follows: Mr..
Arch came to Denver with Mr.. Pratt,
his lawyer. in search of capital to
build his canal. / was residing In
Denver at the time and Mr.. Arch,
whom / had known previously, came
to me to consult as to who he should
apply to. l suggested Mr.. James
Duff then manager of an English
company operating in Denver real
estate. We went to him in company
with Lawyer Pratt, was received with
the courtesy that gentleman always
accorded visitors. MIR. Pratt present.
ed the canal case to him but II did
not strike him favorably. He said
to me that there was Kansas gem
tleman in the city who might become
interested in the affair and gave me
n letter introducing us to Mr.. T. c..
Henry. The result of that interview
is matter of history. 1t was through
me that Messrs Arch and Pratt reach
ed Mr.. Henry. Mr.. Arch got the
money needed, Mr.. Pratt, / was told,
got 81, 900 commission for his sery-
ices and l got,-an agency to loan
money to ranchers in Grand valley
through the Colorado Loan & Trust
Co.
MIR. Arch, | believe is no longer
living. Mr.. Pratt, however, resides
in Denver and can testify to the truth
as here stated.
Now as to "Fruita.'' 1t was while
acting as loan agent and also mana
ger of the ditch then under construc-
tion, that / saw an opportunity for a
townsite in the lower valley, and rec
commended the purchase of the four
sections which constitute the
town of Fruita and its adjoining or
chard lands. l submitted my plans
to Mr.. Henry and they were approx
ed. / was then a believer in ten
acres enough" if set out to fruit and
also firm in the belief that the lower
valley was adapted to the growing of
all standard fruits and especially
peaches.
Mr.. Henry favored all my sugges-
lions. commissioned me to go to
Bloomington, ILL.,, to the Phoenix
Nursery Co. to select the trees for
the orchard subdivision, saw them
planted in tracts adjoining the town.
as surveyed by Mr.. A. j. McCune and
the prices at which these tracts were
sold as well as amounts received for
town lots were held to be very sat
isfactory return for the borrowed
money in the enterprise,
"A park. yes, but it was my
idea, so that n breathing place would
ever be in the heart of the then VIII
lage. "a hotel, no, because this
was business venture of Mr.. James
II. Cosgroye. "a general store
yes. "A newspaper?''-no. Mr..
Henry never put one cent into the
Fruita Star. 1t was a venture solely
my own, the outfit obtained from
Denver on time purchase contract
This l published until, leaving the
valley having lost all hoped to make
me easy in my circumstances, l leas-
ed the Star" to Mr.. c. w. Haskell
who agreed to insure the plant in
order to secure Mr.. Cresswell against
loss (before it was paid for) against
fire. The insurance policy was made
out, but never paid for and so did
not come into my possession and
when building and plant turned to
ashes, with them went all my hopes
of remaining In the town born of my
brain. aided by Mr.. T. c. Henry's