Arizona republican., 1920-08-17
PARADISE AWAITS SETTLERS ABOVE
 GRAND CANYON
Nearly 30O,O00 Acres Rich
 Land Where Frost Never Touches and Where Grass
 And Water Are Plentiful


 Upon the other side of Lees Ferry in Coconino county there is an immense level plain, comprising between 25O. .OOO and 100000 acres where the frost never touches, where the soil is a rich red sandy loam, where there are no rocks no cinderS, where the grass grows knee-deep and there is grazing the year around, where water is plentiful
 Peaches, pears, apples, almonds figs and dates have grown there for years in the orchard planted by the original settler, John D. Lee, during his exile there while he was a fugitive from jus tlce following the great Meadows Mormon massacre many years ago.
 The land has never been serveyed. It is 125 miles from the learest railroad point south, 235 miles from the nearest one north, which is Marysville, Utah.
 Anyone who pleases may go to House Rock valley, which is the name of this potential garden of the gods, and take up a homestead. His right may be disputed by the cattle barons who graze the land-the Grand Canyon Cattle company-but the law will be on his side and he can even take land that the cattle company has improved if he wishes. the company having the single right to remove the improvements.
 Few Settlers There
 There are a few settlers there now. The Beans have a ranch there, man from Texas has another, and last No vember J. M. Cook, the pioneer Indian fighter, government scout and guide, still a vigorous man despite his nearly eighty years, went in there hunting mountain lions, and decided to spend his declining years in what he believes is the nearest place to Paradise this side the River Jordan He wrote to the government whether he might home stead there. He asked that his letter be answered directly from Washington instead of being referred to Phoenix It was answered direct from Washing ton and told him he could settle any where in the vast tract that he chose He took his daughter and went there
 The Grand Canyon Cattle company are not especially nice to settlers Driven out once before farther west by incoming homesteaders. they do not scrupIe to make it unpleasant for those who venture within the realm of their stolen domain north Of the colorado. They persecuted the Beans. but lost out. For a time they had control of Lees Ferry, the only point for hun dreds of miles where teams or cars can cross the torrent, but now Col Cook is the ferryman.
 The latter recently induced two ad- ditional settlers to go into Rock House valley He has several more on the way He says he is going to let home seekers know where they can Ind homes and live lives of independence and comparative ease.
 Valley Is Triangular
 Col Cook-We don't know whether he is a colonel or not, but he looks like one and has seen government service enough to have won that commission several times, and is an educated, in- teresting, handsome old chap besides was in Flagstaff a couple of days this week. He brought in IA varieties of grasses that grow, without irrigation, in Rock House valley. Some or the specimens are nearly five feet m length.
 The valley is bounded on one side by the river, on another by perpen- dicuIar wall of rock 2000 feet high, on another by the Buckskin mountains. It is triangular in shape. A creek runs through it and when no water is run hing in it the Grand Canyon Cattle company takes a team and road scraper of the wash, where they get water for the cattle. Col Cook says that he be- Iieves water can be obtained anywhere in the valley by digging 25 or 30 feet.
 But water is not much of a problem up there, for, although this has been one of the driest seasons in years, they had heavy rains there month earlier than we did in Flagstaff.
 Col Cook says that he believes everyone here should do all they can to advertise House Rock valley and en- courage homesteading there. He says that this would be the main trading center for the volley--Coconino Sun-