The Delta independent., 1910-03-18
Grand Junction Sentinel Says
Many Mesa County Peo-
pie Were Swindled.
TRANSACTED A BIG BUSINESS
State Officials Are Investigating Its
Methods and Sensational Devel-
Opments Are ENpected.-A Giant
Enterprise Promised. Which May
Fail to MateriaIize.


For many weeks there have been
stories going over this city and coun
ty regarding the alleged unscrupul-
GUS methods being employed by a
certain alleged irrigation, power and
colonization company, which has
advertised far and wide that it will
bring over 125, 900 aacres of land in
the Grand and Gunnison valleys un-
der cultivation through the building
of a mighty canal 125 miles long to
extend from the Whitewater country
clear up into the North Fork coun-
try taking in vast tracts of land of
more or less fertility.
This company, maintaining head
quarters in the city of Denver, has
advertised extensively throughout
the East sending tens of thousands
of pieces of literature and in nearly
all of this literature beautiful or
chards in this valley have been
photographed as orchards growing
in the section wherein land was to
be sold and water rights contracted
by this company.
1t is charged that gross misrepre-
jsentations have been made in much
lof this advertising matter and this
lasksx has been made the innocent
sufferer as result of the methods
en- mployed by these people to get east
ern people interested in their lands
and project.
1t is reported that not less than
400 sales of lands and alleged water
rights have been made by this COM
psny to eastern people who think
they are buying fine fruit land tracts
soon to be irrigated in this valley.
IL is known that the company has
brought scores of eastern people into
this county. saw to it that they did
not stop in Grand Junction and talk
with local people. rushed them out
in autos and other vehicles to view
these lands, induce them to buy, and
to make a first payment down and
then get them out of the county as
quickly as possible. Ii is reported
that the number of people who have
been induced to come into this valley
in this way and who have been in
duced to make purchases and pay
ments down. is remarkable indeed
Nearly every day some new story
connected with the operation of this
company has come to light.
The company. so far as can be
Learned. has no Grand Junction rep
resentative. The company. in fact,
has avoided Grand Junction as much
as possible and endeavored to keep
local people in the dark as to their
operations.
The Sentinel has for several weeks
been making investigations concern
ing this particular company and their
scheme and it has yet to find anyone
who has regarded the project feas-
ible. the proposition above reproach
or the actions of the company en-
titled to commendation. In fact gen
eral condemnation of the scheme and
surprise at the number of eastern
people being induced to come into
this county and make purchases.
bave been expressed on nearly every
hand.
Many most sensational charges
direct and said to be backed with un
shakable evidence. are likely to be
formally filed within a few days.
1t is claimed by some people who
have made Investigations that this
company is composed of people who
have filed and had their relatives to
file on hundreds and hundreds OF
acres of land under desert act,
then when a positive buyer is found
he or she is shown some tract OF
! land valuless unless II can be irri-
gated, led to believe that it Will
soon be irrigated. induced to enter
n contract and make payment
down, and then the land is relin-
Quished to them but the guarantee
of the water right, on which de-
pends the value of the land is
missing.
Already steps are being taken
against this company. In yesterday
mornings Denver News was the
following most interesting story con-
cerning these steps and the alleged
methods employed by the company.
Waiting upon DR.. b. l.. Jefferson
' r.yiatnr NJ thA ct NJ LAND hoard vAa-