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Show SOUTHEASTERN UTAH. A Correspondent of a Colorado Paper Pa-per Describes a Delightful - Locality. Mr. S. Richardson, a correspondent of the Gunnison Free Press, writes to that journal under date of March 15th, as follows : My place is on the east side of; Grand river, in Utah, about 100 miles below Grand Junction by river, and something more by rail 'and wagon road, or trail. I The Colorado valley, in which I live, com-! com-! mences about twelve miles below the mouth of Dolores river, and embraces four distinct valleys watered by Mountain streams. The most northern is Salt creek, the most eastern is Fisher, the most central, in which I live, is the Bijou, and the most southern is Little Castle. All contain fine agricultural lands, and nearly all are open to settlement. I have deferred writing until the spring opened, so that I might be enabled to say something of the winter as it has appeared ap-peared to me. I have kept a record of the coldest weather, and found that there was in the Bijou valley only one week of frost in December, and that the last one, when on the coldest night the mercury fell 7 degrees below freezing point. In January, the coldest night, 2 degrees above zero was indicated, with about half the month without frost. During February Febru-ary the thermometer stood about the same as in December, and thus far in March- we have had a little frost, but not enough to freeze running water, except one night. During all those three months and a half there has been much stormy weather, with snow and rain mostly rain, with at no time over one . inch of snow, which would soon disappear the next day without mud; but all around on the east there has been a snow line all winter, varying in altitude from 5,000 feet upwards. The altitude of these valleys val-leys being less, than 4,000 feet, except Fisher, upon which the snow line commences, com-mences, and which lies north of the La Sal mountains. The soil in all these valleys is a red sandy loam. In fact the entire region is red, rocks and all, hence the name Colorado Colo-rado valley, as given by the government. These valleys are all connected by wagon roads which have been made since I came ; but yet all are isolated from the world by road, and literally walled in by a rim rock varying from 700 to 1,000 feet. However, we expect soon to build a wagon road from the Bijou to Thompson Springs on the D. & R. (. Western, ninety-two miles west of Grand Junction. " Little. Grand valley, which is twelve miles further down the Grand, has been settled now about five years, although the first settlers came seven years ago. The valley contains several hundred inhabitants, in-habitants, most of whom are Mormons, who follow general farming, and have done much ' at fruit raising, enough, I think, to settle the matter and establish the fact, that there is nowhere to be found a better country for fruit raising, as nearly everything in that line can be pro-1 duced, except the most tropical fruits, and some of them can be. I am plowing and arranging to set out figs, prunes, raisin grapes, and apricots for general crop, besides other large and small fruits. Peaches grown there are very fine, and not excelled anywhere. The growth of trees is wonderful. I have seen these shoots grown several feet on apple stocks in a nursery in one year, and over an inch through large enough to set in an orchard in one year from bud or graft, and the topmost leaves still green. Little Castle and Bijou valleys have the same climate and soil, but there are no Mormons in the Bijou, only Gentiles. A few settlers have come in and taken up land, but yet there is more to be had, just as good, with good water on it. Along Grand river there are placer mines which pay, and which I am satisfied satis-fied Will TaV WaeS to nrartfp minora some of which have been worked during the winter. Those placers below the mouth of Little Castle creek are especially espe-cially good, and are now being worked by a company. A few men, however, have staked nearly every bar along the river, some of whom are holding a half-dozen half-dozen claims. Five dollars per day can easily be washed out with a rocker in some places, and in others much more. The only reason why these valleys have not been settled sooner is their inaccessibility. inaccessi-bility. I have settled here permanently. It is my last move; and although neigh-I neigh-I bors are scarce, we will soon have a thriving thriv-ing population. Little Castle valley has Six settlers. Fisher four. Little Castle is named for its castles, Bijou for the beauty of its stream, and Fisher for its first settler. We few pioneers have everything to do,- and with but limited means at command yet it is only a question of labor . and provisions. provi-sions. .With a climate that admits of seven months without frost, with thousands thou-sands of deer in the hills and fish hv the streams, the grub question is not a serious one, if a person will rustle onlv a little j By the first of June a full crop of vegetables vege-tables will be produced, and two weeks after small grain will be harvested. Then will commence planting for a second crop for winter use. The only natural product pro-duct lackmg is coal. The principal wood in the valleys is cedar, pine, oak and cottonwood. Up around the mountains are large quantities of yellow pine and spruce, all very fine. Salt common, and m the lower end of Little castle valley there are some ancient cliff dwellings, and old salt wells where the ancient Aztecs once made salt. |