The Delta independent., 1910-09-02

There is an opening for Touring
mill at this point for some enter
prising man.
Last Friday. samples TO Eelta's
products weighing $40 pounds, were
The Town Company are having all
the sage and greasewood brush grub
he'd from the town-site and burned.
Mayor Vandeventer is having the
school and court house squares plow-
ed preparatory to sewing them with
grass.
Col. ]. T. Bailey, while passing
the divide between Delta and Plateau
Creek couple of weeks ago. ascer-
tanned the altitude to be 1O.975 feet.
l.. C. Alley has ordered from the
East. 1000 currant cuttings, which
he intends setting out this fall on his
Gunnison valley farm. He is going
into the nursery business rather ex-
rensively.
A. r. King has been appointed
agent of the Fireman's Fund life in
surance company. of San Francisco.
California, one of the solid COM
panies of the country. He will take
risks on farms. city property and
merchandise.
From one grain of wheat sown
on ranch five miles up the Uncom-
pahgre last spring, there were grown
l57 stalks. The stalks were eaten
of by mules before maturing Henry
Hammond vouches for this. and he
counted them.
Delta is situated in a basin with
high mountains on three sides and
open to the southwest. To the south
is the Uncompahgre range rising like
giant sentinels, whose peaks are
covered with snow the year around.
The Elk range lies to the east about
forty miles distant. These two rang
es are the highest and most rugged
in Colorado. To the north is Grand
mesa. To the west and southwest
lies the Uncompahgre plateau. This
sfiguration of the country undoubt-
edly have a great influence on the
climate. making the winters warm
and the summers cool and comfort
able. Anyone who has lived in DEN
YER can readily see that Delta has
n much finer climate than that en-
joyed at the capitol. While the nights
are cool. the days are not very warm
breeze springing up every after
noon from across the plateau which
perceptibly cools the otherwise hot
rays of the sun.
1t is scarcely over a year since
the Ute unfolded his tent and silent
ly stole out of this valley. In this
short space of time the transforma-
ton has been almost magical. In
stead of wild sage waste. where
the deer and the coyote held full
sway. now is seen the cabin of the
squatter. The brush has given away
to cultivated fields. the trail to good
roads. the low tepee to the log
house and the desert is being made
to blossom as a rose. On every hand
signs of better civilization are to
be seen in good comfortable homes.
orchards. gardens and stock Last
week we visited the ranch of Major
F. II. Burkhardt. four and a hall
miles up the Uncompahgre valley,
| and to say that we were surprised
at the progress made, would not hall
express 1t. considering that ii has
been but about a year since the
place was first staked. MIR. Burk-
hardt has ranch of 100 acres, 40
of which are cleared and under cul-
tivation. and is clearing the remain
der as fast as time will permit,
Last year he planted oats principally
and reaped in the neighborhood of
sixty five bushels to the acre. which
is considered very fair crop under
the circumstances. Not satisfied at
this beginning. last spring he plant
ed 400 apple and fruit trees. all of
which are doing finely. and not one
was noticed that was dead. They
grew from twenty to twenty-five in
ches during last year. and will do
better this. Beside this he has plant
ed Strawberries. gooseberries, black
berries, raspberries, currants, grapes
and rhubarb. These paints are all
thriving. On the ranch are two good
log houses. an outdoor cellar, fine
ice house. big stable, two corrals
and chicken house. He has five
acre patch around the house fenced
and cleared for garden. The soil
is adobe and black loan, lying on
the river bank and all under ditch.
Frank has ranch that he may be
proud of. and one that will be bet
ter than gold mine to him In time
TO come. With such farms surround
Ing her on ali sides, Delta's future
Is assured beyond all reasonable
doubt.
Chicago Banker In Town.