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'My Experiences in the Salt River Valley"
Being a Letter Written by "Josiah Hayfork,", the Farmer from the North; to His Old Friend, C, E. Stastny-
A Record of Facts Told in a Readable Way.
"-
I
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Phoenix, Arizona, July 1, 1010.
Dear Friend Stastny:
Well, bust my buttons, 1 bure tinder
took a job when I agreed to write up
ray trip down here so the rest of the
folks back home will know something
about it, and had 1 not promised it, I
would never have done it, never. 1
expect you folks will not believe half
of this lam writing now, nnd I am
sure 1 don't blame you. I did not be
lieve it myself, so the only way for you
to do is to come and see it, like I did.
Now I believed it would be about the
same as it was when I was in ltonanza
County a year or so ago. All I wrote
at that time to the Solon Economy
was:
"Mr. Editor: They claim tho finest
climate on earth, and I have no reason
to dispute it. They claim of having
the best soil in America, now 1 don't
know about that but I know they are
very charitable, they all want to sell
out to our people so as to give them a
chance to get rich." Now the Bonanza
folks also claimed that they can grow
everything there, but strange to say,
I found that they don't grow much of
anything.
JOSIAH IS SKEPTICAL
Hut here in the Salt River Valley it
is different; if 1 have to describe every
thing they do grow, not what they
dan grow, I sure-have a job on my
hands. Of course, I did read some time
ago in some magazine that this valley
hud the best climate in the country,
that the soil is as rich as can be and
that Uncle Sam is building the largest
reservoir in the world, caused by the
Koosevelt Dam that is costing eight
million dollars, but 1 did not take much
stock in this magazine story. Every
since I read in this same magazine a
few years ago that Uryan would sure
be elected to the White House and lost
u two dollar hat on the1 strength of this
statement with my neighbor and a two
gallon jar of apple butter with his
wife, I certainly have no faith in any
stories in those dog blasted magazines.
Hut having visited many 6o-called
ltonanza localities in the West in the
past ten years, where every man was
willing to sell his farm at a fancy
price and the real estate men booked
the country, I was surprised to find
tningjso.iliffext'iit here, . ., And- I-found.
that the majority of people did not care
to sell out, und some of them ucted to
me like a person that has a good thing,
and is dead willing to keep It.
A fink Tim
Well, I certainly had a swell trip
down here anyway. You see, 1 come
on the Santa Fe railroad, the one that
gives you those fine Uarvey meals.
The Santa Fe folks ain't got any land
to sell, but they treat everybody just
so they was a rich relation. I stopped
off at the Grand Canyon, the most
wonderful hole in the ground the Lord
eve,r made. It sure was the biggest
sight I ever see and I nover missed our
county fair in 40 years. You can
change cars at Ash Fork, Arizona, to
go down to Phoenix, and there certain
is a fine hotel, the "Escalante," there,
They have fair prices, too, and any
land seeker will enjoy that hotel.
There sure is n lot of fine scenery on
the Santa Fe. Twice a month you can
buy twenty-five day round trip home
seekers' tickets at low rates from all
places in the middle West, and every
spring and fall there nre regular set
tlers' or colonistb' tickets to this valley
still cheaper.
a roon nECRr-riox
So when we left the Santa Fe train
in Phoenix, a fine city of about twenty
thousand people located in the heart of
the valley, there was no reception com
mittee with the band to meet us, and
no real estate men lined up with their
auto wagons and carriages to give us
a free ride and enlarge on the beauties
of the country. Outside from a few
hackmen and hotel runners nobody
paid any attention at all to us what
ever. And my surprise was still great
er than when we registered in a nearby
hotel no real estate man or his agent
approached us with the invitation to
visit the nearby real estate oflice just
around the corner, and to inspect some
great snaps in real estate. Was it
possible that I found at last a new
locality in the west where land sold on
its merit? Afterwards 1 found out that
this was" actually the case here, and
the people realized that the present
price of their land according to what
it produced was a very conservative
one, and that no boom price existed
hete yet. Next day I spoke to a man
who has been living on a small piece of
land near this city for the past nine
ducements and bait was thrown out to
outsiders as here. The real estato men
don't seem to besiege us as in other
localities, and eveu the settlers hero
and the owners of larger tracts act as
if they did not care a cent whether
they sell or not. Now this man looked
me over for a'minute or so and saidt
"Mister, if yon only knew It, we offer
the best inducements on earth here, to
new settlers, but probably not such
us you expected to find here. We have
the most productive soil in the whole
country, an almost perfect climate, and
now that Uncle Sain has given plenty,
of water to irrigate our valley, we can
grow everything that you can grow up
north, that people grow south, east or
west. And 1 am here to tell you that
no country on earth can offer better
inducements to the new settler."
UK BAYS, "SHOW MK."
Well, 1 looked at him like a man
from Missouri, but after investigating
things carefully here t had to come to
tho conclusion that he was right, dead
right. He told me that for himself he
did not care to sell, and really he did
not know any of his neighbors that did
care to sell. Uowsomcver I had met a
fellow by the name of Lloyd C. Thomas
who had beeu spending several morithf
in Phoenix and who is now helping n
company by the name of the llartlett
Heard Land & Cattle Company settle
up a tract about three miles from
Phoenix. He had told me about this
Company and has usked me to see them
in Phoenix, In fact to tell the truth I
hadn't known much about this Salt
River Valley until that Thomas fellow
got to telliu' me about the alfalfa and
the grain and the fruit and other
things. That's what got me interested
So next duy 1 went to hunt the ofilce
of that company here, but 1 tell you,
they have us nice a lot of buildings
here as we have bafck in Des Moines.
Of course, not us many of them. And
they have beautiful public buildings
scattered through town surrounded by
stately palms nnd blooming flowers
and this in the middle of December!
I finally found their office on the south
east corner of Center nnd Adams
streets.
IN THE IIAKTLKTT-HEARD OFFICE
The head manager of Bartlett-Heurd
.year. -During our talk I impressedif company - was-out, -init -Thomas- hnd-J
to him the fact that in all ray travels I
never found a place where so little in-
told rae that they was mighty fine
fellows and that there was several very
nice fellows working with this Com
pany who would be pleased to show
me the country. One of them got hold
of me, told me to sit down nnd make
myself easy, and began to tell me
about this land. Hut honestly, here I
found a man that was n cross between
our ofd auctioneer Johnson and Hevens
our Snndny school teacher. He was as
enthusiastic and demonstrative as
Johnson when he described my worn
out old bay team at last fall's sale, but
at the same time as dignified and
gentlemanly ns Hevens with his class
on Sunday. Now what he told me ke
started to put on a piece of paper so 1
could partly remember it, nnd to tell
the truth I did not believe one-half of
what he did tell me, but 1 did not tell
him that, because he was a bigger man
than I. Hut when he told me that he
would take rae out next day and show
me the ranch, I just thanked htm, but
resolved there and then to get a rig
ami see those things in my own way.
Hut here is what he said: Alfalfa,
wheat, barley, outs, sorghum and
corn, can be growu with success. Al
falfa is now selling from 13 to 14 dol
lars per ton, wheat for $2,55 per hun
dred pounds, and barley a dollar and a
half. You can grow oranges, lemons,
grape fruit, figs, apples, peaches, pearB,
and all sorts of small fruit. All kinds
of vegetables are grown here, winter
und summer, and bring good returns.
They get from $100 to 200 from an
acre of cantaloupes or melons, and
sugar beets make from 15 to 20 tons to
the acre. Horses, cattle and sheep do
well here through the whole year with
out being housed up and bring good
money to the farmer. Hogs get fat on
alfalfa nnd everything always brings
good prices here. Your Wife now
would get 40 cents a pound for her
ouuer ann ;u cents a dozen lor eggs.
Hut here I stopped putting down the
rest of the good things he told me, be
cause 1 just thought this way: You
wait until you have more than about a
dozen farms in this here country, and
you wont get those fancy prices, and
your market will not be ns good as it
is now.
HE OOF.8 INVE8TIOATING
Hut next day I did hire a team nnd
with a driver drove in the surrounding
country for eight or ten miles to see
things myself. I also bought a half
pint of Kentucky snake medicine, us a
person never knows what may happen.
Well, we drove, and drove, and drove;
beautiful cultivated fields and gardens
aR far as your eye could reaoh. Thomas
had told me tnat It was the finest
country he'd over seen and he's been
over qutto a little of the west. Hut I
wasn't expectin' to see things as grand
ns they are. Yes, hjr, It was a grand
sight. I stopped several farmers coin
ing to town, asked them questions
about tho country nml the crops, but
strange to say, they nil told me about
the same ns tho man in the ofilce. Now
this was either one of tho best countries
on earth, or the whole trlbo of the an
cient Ananias has settled in this valley.
Hut the next day 1 was going to know
the truth yes, sir, I intended to go to
the Court House and find out from the
books,
I-ItODUOTH OF AFRICA, TOO
That afternoon while driving along
tho road I sighted a flock of chickens,
good Lord, every one of them was as
big as my three year old colts. First,
I laid these all to my snake medicine;
but no, I had not even touched it, So
I stopped the driver and asked him If
he sees any giant chickens in that there
pasture, He looked, smiled, a ml said,
"No. but I see a flock of ostriches, but
that is nothing uncommon here. They
started a few years ago with one pair
of birds. It pays to raise them; they
are worth at four years old, from W
dollars up to 1000 dollars a pair, im
pending on tho quality of tho feathers,'
They pick them every eight months,
and the feathers from eacll bird brlnp
about 20 to 30. tlollurs a year. Those
birds live to be 60 yenrs old and more."
Now this was news to me. I have been
told repeatedly that every thing that
grows In America can be gr6wn here
but even the products of Africa I Good
Lord, that stumped me.
JOHlAtl AT THE COUItT HOUSK
So the next day I visited the county
court house and 1 found out this from
the county otUelnls. The actual value
of property in this county is about 48
million dollars. There is now near
here one hundred and' tweuty five
thousand acres of rich land in a high
state of cultivation, nnd when the
Roosevelt dam is completed they will
be able to irrigate about two hundred
thousand acres of land. They have
several flour mills in this valley that
grind up the tvheut they grow here.
And they get from 35 to 40 bushels of
wheat to the acre. They have now
twelve thousand mlloh cows In this
valley, and 8 creameries muko ten
thousand pounds of butter a day from
the farmers, besides a lot of cheese.
They have a large million dollar beet
sugar factory here that works up their
sugar beets; they have several fruit
packing houses that pack oranges,
grope fruit, and other fruit grown
here.
JOSIAH 18 CONVINCED
Now to mnko the story short, I have
decided to buy a forty acre patch thrco
miles from Phoenix from tho Hartlett
Heard people, and here I shall spend
tho rest of my days. You see, I am
getting sort of rheumatic back In Iowa
livery winter nnd my old woman, she
always suffers from a sore throat every
winter, more or less, so hero I will
settle for better or worse for tho rest
of my life. I can enjoy tho 330 sun
shiny days hero in a year, and even If
It docs get hot here thrco months in a
year, It won't bother mo ns much ns
tho long winters up north with Its
snow, and raw changeable weather.
Hut let me tell yon, there may bo some
half sick folks here that como from nil
parts of the United States to get well
here, or to escape frpm the undertaker
there, but there nre lots more people
that come here well and hearty and
they nro making on the average as
much money on 40 acres of good ir
rigated land ns they would on 80 or 100
it cres back up north. This hero thing
lb no new experiment, but a Bettlcd
I fact and If some of you people don't
realize it now, while you can got gooa
land In 3 miles of this hero city for
8150 an acre, you will probably realize
it later on when this same land will
soil for (500 an noro or more, tho same
as land of the same character sells for
now in California. Now I close my
letter and hope that some of you peo
ple will profit by my experience. Re
member, I came here like tho man
from Missouri, but they did show mo
here, sure enough, yes sir, nnd I am
not sorry for it either.
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW
More about tho Vnlley nnd tho "IMl."
ranch just- write to Lloyd C. Thomas
at Alliums, Nebraska. Ho will wrlto
you all about it. They do not sell
more than 40 ncres to anyone, and to
no one but people will actually settle
on the land. Remember this land has
been cultivated for many years' and ia
all In crop now Course if you want
to buy somethin', say 20, 40. 80 or 100
ucres far Investmtnt why Thomas will
tell you just where you can get it and
the Hartlett-Heord people will show It
to you. Yours truly,
Josiah Hayfoiik.
DRUGSmJEWELRY
We are now prepared to do all kinds of
Jewelry and Watch Work
This department is in charge of an expert
and all work guaranteed
Homesteader Suicides
Another poor misguided individual
in the person of C. F. Booth, living on
a Kinkaid homestead near Chadron,
has left this world by the work of his
Qwn hand. The body was discovered
last Saturday evening hanging in his
claim shanty by Charley Wagner, who
said that the body had been hanging
there for at least twentyifour hours.
Coroner McDowell left Sunday morn
ing for the scene of the suicide and
the body was b ought to Chadion and
taken iu choice of by the county
authorities of Sheridan county. It
was reported at fust that Mr. Booth
had been lynched but there were ab
solutely no traces of any violence and
no reason lor such an act. He bud
been brooding for a long time on the
hard life he had to lend and as his dis
position was a morbid one the
for an act of this kind
Fire at Crawford
Our Prescription Department
is kept up in the best manner possible, our drugs are
always pure, and all prescriptions
are carefully compounded
Don't Forget the Place
BRENNAN'S CORNER
DRUG AND JEWELRY STORE
reason
About two o'clock Monday morning
the fire alarm was souuded and a good
ly number of citizens responded to the
call, although it was generally supposed
that our fire fiphters had all departed
for Alliance to celebrate. The fire
was in the lear of the Little Palace
barber shop, and it is supposed to haye
been caused by neglecting to give
proper attention to the stove used in
heating water for the bath room- The
flames were conveyed to the upper por
tion of the Barber saloon in the ad
joining room and before the fire was
extinguished considerable damage re
suited to the interior of the barber
shop and the saloon- Crawford Tri
bune.
Speedomaniacs.
(Fremont Herald)
Now that one of Omaha's most
prominent citizens suffered death at
the hands of a speedomanic, we may
look for more drastic uction by the .
p'olice regarding the manner in which
nutoists speed within the city limits. .
Few people have been able to go along
without at 6ome time being shocked by ,
ine nearness ot ueam from oncot these
careless or recklesB drivers. At the
present time it is only possible to avoid
getting hurt on streets or highways by
keeping off the streets or highways.
There are manv careful, sensible
drivers of cjrs, but every now and then
some one of them is reported as being
reckless and apparently indifferent to
consideration of the question of danger
in driving. It will be the duty of the
police to watch such men closelv.
Where there is occasion to doubt their
ability to handle the cars within tiie
speed limit pull "cm,
Strayed From my place three miles
northeast of Alliance, one iron gray
mare four years old, branded with
I on left shoul'dcr. Wire cut on
left hind leg. Will give reward for in
foimutiou lending to her return. -Jos
McGinn, t
Ii. D. HUNGER
OF THE
Munger Optical Co.
OF DENVER, COLO.,
Sole Manufacturers of the Peerless Lenses, is equipped
with the latest instruments for testing the Eyes,
has the machinery here in Alliance,
Opposite Postoffice,
and
I
for grinding lens to fit each individual eye.
We solicit the most difficult .cases and
antee satisfaction with the Peerless
where all others fail.
guar-Lens
I
COME IN AND SEE US
July Rate Tours
You can make nn eastern trip any day at very low rates
lower than ever before. There is such a variety of rate tours em
bracing so many sections of the Eabt that it is impossible to de
scribe them here. Consult with us.
If the East does not appeal to you, try a Pacific Coast tour or
a vacation in Yellowstone Park or in Colorado.
The "Wyoming Dry Panning Convention is held at Cheyenne
July 20th, and special rates have been authorized from "Wyoming.
The Wyoming extension has been completed to Thermopolis,
where 18,000,000 gallons of water at a temperature of 180 degrees
flow daily. This beautiful resort is destined to become one of the
most attractive, and effective health restoring localities in the
country.
Call or write, describing your proposed trip, and let us help you.
Bilffl
Q. L. GRIGGS, AGENT
Alliance
L. W. WAKELEY, G. P.. A.. .Omaha
&tijc'aaA n
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