The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1910-10-29

CONTRACTOR VIEWS
PROPOSED SITES

struction Company, Cleveland,
Ohio, accompanied by w. D.
Hoover, general manager of the
San Luis Valley Sugar Beet Com
pany, spent two days, early this
week, reconnoitering the Monte
Vista district for suitable factory
site Options have been taken on
two or three of the most promis-
ing tracts and deal for the site
will be closed as soon as contract
for construction is let.
1t is question with the sugar
men as to whether it will be more
advisable to obtain the 100000
daily gallons of water necessary
for factory purposes, direct from
the Rio Grande river or to estab-
lish series of wells. If the latter
course is taken it will give the APP
parently limitless supply Of artesi-
an water in this section thorough
''try out"
Mr.. Dyer, who built the sugar
factory at Las Animas, says that
the Las Animas factory is supplied
with water by the well system and
that it has given entire satisfaction.
He has built between forty and
fifty sugar factories throughout
the United States; among them,
one in the Snake River Valley of
Idaho which is in the only other
sub-irrigated beet section in the
country. He states that sub-irri-
CATION is the natural method of
raising beets and that he has i'm
plicit confidence in the San Luis
Valleys future as a beet raising
district.
As is usual with the newcomer
to the Valley, Mr.. Dyer had i'm
pressions, prejudices and opinions
regarding the shallowness OF soil,
amount of alkali and limited scope
of farming territory. After he had
been riding for many hoprs ipsO.
w. Sylvester's car. noting heavily
stubbled fields on both sides of the
road, he gazed into the dim dis
lance, trying to find an end to the
agricultural evidences, and remark
ed rather peevishly: Aren't you
afraid that you haven't enough
under cultivation" 20. W."
grinned and said that he thought
he had sufficient gasoline in his
''go cart" to take the contractor
over a little more ground before
dawn the next morning. But Mr..
Dyer had an appetite longer than
his curiosity and returned to Monte
Vista in time for supper.
The factory sites tentatively Sc
lected range from a quarter to three
quarters of mile from town, each
peculiarly adapted to some par
ticular phase of factory use.
II have seen about all the sugar
districts in this country" said Mr..
Dyer, and good many in others
but can see no reason why the San
Luis Valley should be second to
any. There is splendid and sutfi-
cient water for all purposes; plenty
Of territory; suitable soil and sea
sons even longer than necessary
Mr.. Hoover said that unless
local stock subscriptions were more
tartly than is anticipated, he ex.
pected bid for construction OF
the factory would be accepted by
November tenth. "There may not
be q great deal of ground work
done this winter but as soon as
the contract is let, construction
will be begun-in the mills that
manufacture the machinery which
transforms the beet into sugar.
This work will be rushed all winter
and, as weather and conditions
permit. ground work will proceed
at the site We may select"
All the directors Of the sugar
company, Mr.. Hoover reports, are
combining efforts to bring factory
matters TO speedy conclusion.
John Gilmore, n rancher and