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 The Resources, 
 Wealth 
 
 Industrial Development 
 
 -OF- 
 
 COLORADO. 
 
 P0BLISHED BY THE 
 
 Agricultural Depariiment, Colorado Exhibit, 
 
 AT THE 
 
 World's Columbian Exposition, 
 June I, 1893. 
 
 Press of G. M. Collier. 
 
 copyf A. 
 

 This pamphlet, representing the resources and indus- 
 trial development of Colorado, was prepared under the 
 auspices of the Colorado World's Fair Board of man- 
 agers, having the indorsement of the Executive of the 
 State, together with the commercial bodies of the various 
 counties, and is presented with the compliments of 
 
 C. S. FAUROT, 
 
 Supt. Agricultural Department for Colorado, 
 
 World's Columbian Exposition. 
 
Introductory. 
 
 IT is the purpose of this pamphlet to aid the reader in forming some 
 definite conception of the irnmensity and varied character of 
 Colorado's industrial resources. To this end a brief review of 
 each separate industry is presented, showing the great possibilities of 
 the State in combination. For the information of inquirers concern- 
 ing advantages of location, investment of capital or pursuit of trade, 
 a descriptive and statistical report of each county is given, showing in 
 detail the distribution of wealth, material resources and the peculiar 
 advantages and attractions of the respective localities, according to 
 -their merits. 
 
Industries of Colorado. 
 
 THE wheels of progress have turned rapidly in Colorado. They 
 now keep pace with the whirling machinery of all the indus- 
 trial world, and each successive year leaves a record of advance- 
 ment unequalled in the history of civilization. The eminent states- 
 men who formed our National Congress half a century ago derided 
 the idea of white settlement being possible west of the Missouri 
 river. No portion "of the great West has played a more conspicuous 
 part than Colorado in the changes which have been wrought in 
 national history since those times. 
 
 The first settlement in Colorado was made by a party of gold 
 seekers, who located on the site of Denver in 1858. The first discov- 
 ery of gold was made in the spring of 1859, ^°^^ i' ^^s the fame of 
 this discovery that gave rise to the memorable Pike's Peak flood of 
 immigration, which became the basis of the present population and. 
 also the beginning of the wonderful industrial development of to-day. 
 Colorado was organized as a territory in 1861, and when admitted as 
 a State in the Union in 1876 had a population of only 65,000. By 
 the census of 1890, it was accorded a population of 412,000. Its actual 
 population in 1893 can safely be estimated at 450,000. 
 
 Attracted by the great wealth and diversity of Colorado's natural 
 resources, the more intelligent and courageous have come to the new 
 country to bring it under the control of their genius and their labor. 
 They have come from the fields and shops and the luxurious homes 
 of North America, and they have come from every civilized quarter 
 of the globe. So that it is the concentrated energy and genius of the 
 world that is developing Colorado. In all the departments of industry 
 the State is only in the primary stage of its development, with bound- 
 less wealth in the possibilities of its soil for agriculture, in its enor- 
 mous treasures of silver and gold, in its vast deposits of coal and iron, 
 and its immeasurable and diversified resources for manufacture. 
 
 The natural advantages of Colorado present a surprising study to 
 people abroad. The State comprises an area of 103,477 square miles, 
 or 66,205,875 acres. It has two natural divisions — mountains and 
 plains. The mountains are filled with the precious metals, with 
 coal, iron and stone, with marble and granite and innumerable min- 
 erals of commerce and manufacture. In silver and gold it is the 
 largest producer in America. The great park system of the Rocky 
 Mountains, embracing the famous San Luis Park, South Park, Middle 
 Park and North Park, comprises an area collectively larger than that 
 of Ohio. Thesp parks are valuable for stock raising and agriculture 
 and contain some of the noted watering-place resorts, hunting and 
 fishing grounds of Colorado. 
 
RESOURCE6 OF COLORADO. 5 
 
 The plains east of the mountains constitute more than one-third 
 of the total area of the State, and the lands everywhere possess a 
 rich soil, highly productive of all manner of crops wherever water 
 can be applied, wheat, oats, rye, barleyj, corn, potatoes and alfalfa 
 being the principal crops. In the eastern tier of counties crops are 
 successfully grown without irrigation. The western slope of the 
 mountains comprise level mesas and broad valleys, the latter watered 
 by numerous streams, being extremely rich in soil and productive to 
 a high degree of all the fruits and cereals of the temperate zone. 
 The mesas possess great fertility, especially adapted to fruit culture. 
 Separated from all these sections by mountain ranges, the plains 
 and valleys of Southwestern Colorado, embracing a large territory, 
 are equally rich in soil and bountifully productive of orchard, field 
 and garden crops. 
 
 Within the mountain division, the State has its water supply from 
 numerous rivers, creeks and springs, which, starting in little rivulets 
 from the snow banks at lofty altitudes, ripple down the steep inclines 
 and unite their forces in the valleys below. Thus the eight principal 
 rivers of the State — the Arkansas, the South Platte, the Rio Grande, 
 the San Juan, the Gunnison, the White, the Yampa and the Grand, 
 are formed, together with their numerous tributaries, giving ample 
 water supply for irrigation, leading in all directions through the prin- 
 cipal agricultural sections of the State. These water-courses have also 
 been useful in marking out the lines of pioneer travel, leading the 
 way to the great gold and silver discoveries, and in later years indis- 
 pensable as aflfbrding routes for the railroads through mountain canons 
 to the mining camps and great agricultural valleys of the State. They 
 have also opened the way for lines of railway through the State and 
 across the continent. 
 
 Until of recent years, Colorado was known abroad only as a min- 
 ing and grazing country. Within the past ten years the birth of new 
 industries has been numerous, and their growth phenomenal. Min- 
 ing, with its immense yield of wealth, is of secondary importance 
 when compared with the combined industries of the State. Agricul- 
 ture has taken great strides of progress within the past five years, and 
 the revenue derived from the soil is fully equal to that of all 
 mineral production. There are 1,844,500 acres now in cultivation 
 under the irrigation system, and there are in addition 2,238,238 acres 
 under ditch, unoccupied and awaiting settlement and tillage at the 
 Tiands of the immigrant farmer. 
 
 Not only this. There are many millions of acres, rich in soil, 
 that must eventually be brought under tillage by the new systems 
 now being promoted for the increase and the more economic use of 
 the water supply. No field in the United States is more promising 
 to the farmer of the future. 
 
 The live-stock industry ©f Colorado is one of the permanent 
 sources of wealth. The well-regulated stock farm is a leading feature 
 of the business, and the cultivation of blooded cattle and fine stock 
 
Q THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 on the farm has become an extensive and profitable branch of the 
 industry. ' 
 
 Of coal, iron, lead, copper, stone, marble and granite there is an 
 ample supply for thousands of years to come, and the fine clays for 
 manufacture and building are in supply beyond the range of compu- 
 tation. Petroleum exists in many parts, and one developed field 
 supplies the State and many outside markets with refined oil and the 
 lubricants. Manufacture is taking great prominence throughout the 
 State and at leading cities, there are iron works and foundries, roll- 
 ing mills and factories, woolen mills, cotton mills, paper mills, and 
 an innumerable variety of less important establishments in successful 
 operation, all combining, in their primary stage, in starting the new 
 era of manufacturing in the West. 
 
 Not the least among Colorado's advantages is its healthful climate 
 and the many splendid mineral springs and delightful health resorts 
 distributed throughout the mountains, which have become attractive 
 and beneficial to many thousands of invalids and pleasure seekers in 
 their annual visits to the West. 
 
 The gain which the State made in population from 1875 to 1885 
 was 147,163, and the gain in the succeeding five years was 216,645. 
 Population in 1890 (census), 410,809. Estimated population in 1893, 
 450,000. 
 
 With a combination of industries and material resource so varied 
 and so abundant, Colorado stands unsurpassed by any country in the 
 world in its inducements to the home-seeker and the capitalist — to 
 the former a promise of a home with peace and plenty, to the latter 
 the opportunity of fortune. 
 
 Agriculture. 
 
 THE progress that has b^en made within the past ten years in the 
 agricultural development of Colorado is a striking fulfillment 
 of a remarkable prophecy. The prophecy is singular because 
 of its extravagance, the source from which it came, the remote period 
 in the past at which it was uttered, and because of the more recent 
 corroborative declarations many years before civilization had made 
 a foot-print west of the Missouri river. In the year 1831, when the 
 western boundaries of American settlement clung closely to the 
 Mississippi river, M. DeToqueville, the learned French statesman 
 and political economist, made a journey through portions of the 
 sterile and savage West, as emissary of his nation. His report com- 
 prised a volume of scholarly literature, entitled "Democracy." In a 
 note of his observations upon the arid region, his prophecy concern- 
 ing it ran as follows: 
 
 "To the south-west, Mexico presents a barrier to the Anglo- Ameri- 
 cans. Thus the Spaniard and the Anglo-American are, properly 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. 7 
 
 speaking, the two races which divide the possessions of the new world. 
 The limits of separation between them have been settled by treaty. 
 * * Vast provinces extending beyond the frontier of the Union 
 toward Mexico are still destitute of inhabitants. The natives of the 
 United States will people these solitary regions before their rightful 
 owners. They will take possession of the soil and establish social 
 institutions, so that when the legal owner at length arrives he will 
 find the wilderness under cultivation and strangers quietly settled in 
 the midst of his inheritance. Even the countries which are already 
 peopled will have some difficulty in securing themselves from this 
 invasion." 
 
 Whatever prophetic power might have inspired the writer, doubt- 
 less he looked forward a century or more for the realization of the 
 vision. Within less than a generation the forces were at work and 
 the movement had begun toward the present high state of civilization 
 in Colorado and all the West, which is now an exact fulfillment of 
 De Toqueville's prophecy. 
 
 Then thirteen years after De Toqueville, there came another 
 prophet, who, upon a mission of personal curiosity and interest as a 
 student of the world's history, traveled over much of the ground 
 viewed by his predecessor, and at the very spot which has become the 
 center of this civilization and the nucleus of that industrial develop- 
 ment predicted by De Toqueville, his corroborative prophecy was 
 made. This was in 1844. The purpose of his journey from the 
 Missouri River to the Pacific Ocean was to solve two problems, 
 namelj', first: The feasibility of a transcontinental railway route, and 
 second, whether or not the arid plains and the prairies could become 
 cultivable and habitable. On his return from the Coast in 1844, sur- 
 rounded by hostile Indians, beset by the more savage beasts of the 
 wilderness, and camping one night upon the ground where the 
 magnificent City of Denver now stands, in the presence of four wan- 
 dering white companions, who had drifted together by chance, this 
 man made the prophecy that he would live to see all this wild waste 
 of country come under the dominion of civilized Americans; that the 
 plains would be cultivated and bring forth fruits and grain; that the 
 mountains would yield great treasure of silver and gold, and that the 
 very ground upon which he stood would be the site of a great city, 
 the center of commerce and the metropolis of the West. 
 
 Wonderful prophecy! Astounding fulfillment! Farms, homes, 
 towns, cities, villages dotting the plains, nestling in the valleys and 
 crowning the mountain heights ! Two millions of acres of agricul- 
 tural land under cultivation in the State! the value of the products 
 of agriculture, mining and manufacture reaching one hundred and 
 forty million dollars a year! Assessed valuation of the State, I240,- 
 000,000; estimated real valuation, $720,000,000. Four hundred and 
 fifty thousand people in the State and the magnificent City of Denver, 
 with a population of 150,000 souls! 
 
8 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 At a later date and while at the time standing singly and alone in 
 a controversy with such eminent statesmen as Clay, Calhoun and 
 Webster in the Senate of the United States, this same distinguished 
 citizen gave utterance to the following prophecy in an oration which 
 is to this day preserved with the archives of the Nation. He said: 
 
 " The West is destined to surpass in agriculture, stock raising, 
 mining, and eventually, in manufacture. Every advantage seems to 
 be hers, save only greater proximity to Europe, and if the East 
 commands European commerce the Golden Gate opens upon Asia 
 and sends her argosies to all the ports of the broad Pacific. Beyond, 
 peradventure, the West is to dominate the East." 
 
 These words were spoken at the time when the white man of 
 America was fighting with the Indian for a foot-hold and a habitation 
 on the western banks of the Missouri River. 
 
 In less than twenty years from that time the plow had made great 
 furrows in Colorado and the virgin soil brought forth in generous fold 
 at the touch of .intelligent cultivation. 
 
 The First Crops. 
 
 The beginning of agricultural development in Colorado was on a 
 scale exceedingly small. Narrow strips of bottom land along the 
 small streams near the foot-hills were cultivated as early as i860, but 
 at first only vegetables were raised. For some years afterward the 
 raising of wheat and other grains was more the work of experiment 
 than as a distinctive business enterprise. The methods of seeding, 
 cultivating and harvesting were the most primitive known to Ameri- 
 cans, and the first wheat ready for the thrasher was tramped out by 
 horses or beaten out with the flail of ancient use. Until after 1865, 
 there were no crops of commercial importance and no quotations of 
 prices. Hay, as it was harvested, mainly from the native grasses, 
 constituted the principal crop. The harvesting of hay for the pur- 
 pose of keeping and fattening the horses of the settlers and stock 
 traders of those early times was the principal source of revenue to 
 the farmers. All other products were mostly for home consumption. 
 The surplus was sold, usually at exhorbitant rates, in the Denver 
 market. 
 
 From i860 to 1870, the greater part of all the produce and all the 
 provisions, clothing, etc., consumed in Colorado towns, mining camps, 
 and even upon the ranches, were hauled across the plains by ox teams, 
 a distance of 600 miles, the enormous freight rates more than doubling 
 the commercial value of the staple articles, while many things of 
 lowest value were thus placed at highest price. 
 
 Everything for consumption or for use in the industries just com- 
 ing into life, even the lumber which entered into many of the pioneer 
 buildings, and the seeds with which the crops were planted, were thus 
 carted across the plains', amid the perils of savage life, and many a 
 rich caravan was looted by the Indians, and the bones of men, women 
 and children slaughtered left to bleach upon the desolate plains. 
 
 i 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 9 
 
 In i860, wheat sold in Denver at 7 cents per pound; potatoes, 8 
 cents ; hay, $15 to I30 per ton, and during hard winters it went up to 
 $50 and |i®o per ton. 
 
 As late as 1865 many of the staple articles were not to be had at 
 any price, even in the markets of Denver. There is on record in that 
 year an instance wherein a single sack of Irish potatoes was sold for 
 ^60 to a Denver grocer, who retailed them at 60 cents per pound 
 and said he lost money by it. As showing the range of enormous 
 prices prevailing in that year (1S65) for the necessaries and the luxu- 
 ries, the following is a true copy of a cancelled bill upon the books 
 of a pioneer Denver merchant: 
 
 To Br. 
 
 To 3 pounds bacon at 40 cents $ i 20 
 
 2j^ pounds butter 3 00 
 
 2 pounds dried blackberries i 50 
 
 24 pounds flour 5 25 
 
 li pound of tea '. . , . i 75 
 
 2 plugs tobacco I 50 
 
 I box matches 25 
 
 6 pounds sugar 2 40 
 
 8% pounds pork 4 47 
 
 3 quarts syrup 3 45 
 
 I can corn 1 40 
 
 I sack salt 2 40 
 
 1 can peaches i 25 
 
 5 pounds coffee 4 00 
 
 10 pounds potatoes 2 oo 
 
 These first farm operations were confined to a small area, princi- 
 pally in Boulder and Jefferson counties, a few miles only from the 
 small village of Denver, which was then, as it now is, the center of 
 population and trade. The first irrigation of which there is any record 
 was the construction, in 1861, of a small ditch taking the water out 
 of Boulder Creek at a point which is now the Twelfth street bridge in 
 the City of Boulder. This watered a small area of valley land within 
 the immediate neighborhood. The second ditch, constructed a year 
 or two later, which received the name of the Farmers' Ditch, carried 
 the water over the plateau to the north of Boulder, a distance of 
 some miles, establishing the first example in the system of true irri- 
 gation which has become so widespread in the present day. 
 
 During these earlier years, however, as immigration increased, 
 settlements multiplied along the rich valleys of Boulder creek, the St. 
 Vrain, the Little Thompson, the Big Thompson, the Cache la Poudre, 
 the Platte river and others of its tributaries forming the great Platte 
 valley, which is now the great agricultural center of Colorado, 
 embraced within the counties of Arapahoe, Jefferson, Boulder, Lari- 
 mer and Weld, and now extending from the base of the mountains to 
 the north-eastern limits of the State. Before the farmer came this cen- 
 tral ground in the valley of the Platte had become historic and famous 
 by the exploits of John C. Fremont and Major Stephen S. Long, 
 coincident with the daring deeds of such famous frontiersmen as Kit 
 Carson, Jim Bridger, Jim Baker, Jim Beckwith and others, who, in 
 the early days constituted the videttes of the civilization of the coun- 
 try. It was upon these grounds, while still the savage red man held 
 dominion of the plains, that the spirit of agricultural enterprise first 
 
10 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 found a permanent abiding, and in the valleys of all these streams 
 scattered about at wide intervals, the pioneer farmers built their 
 homes, cultivated the lands, sustaining their families and producing 
 a scanty surplus for dependent settlements, and laying the fou-nda- 
 tion for great development in the future. But the extension of agri- 
 culture in a general way to the uplands and the planting of cereals, 
 except to a very limited degree, did not occur until about 1870, which 
 ushered in the railroad era. In the same year the famous Greeley 
 colony, under the leadership of the celebrated editor and statesman, 
 Horace Greeley, came, locating in Weld county, on the present site 
 of the City of Greeley, establishing the first farms in what is now 
 known in Colorado as the great Cache la Poudre and Platte Valley 
 agricultural section, the leading wheat and potato producer of the 
 State. Until this time the true development of agriculture had been 
 retarded, because the extensive irrigation required involved the con- 
 struction of great canals at large expense, and the majority of farm- 
 ers, still small in number, were too poor for such undertakings. 
 Again, from the lack of experience with the climatic and other con- 
 ditions of the country, development proceeded slowly. The crops 
 were of uncertain yield and not generally relied upon as a source 
 of supply. 
 
 True Development of Agriculture. 
 
 Since 1870, one of the finest and most extensive systems of irrigat- 
 ing canals in the world has been constructed, and it is from that time 
 hither that husbandry has attained about all the triumphs worthy of 
 record. It is also essential to note that all the development which 
 entitles Colorado to first-class rank as an agricultural State has 
 occurred within the past ten years. The progress that has been made 
 within this period is shown more effectually by oflBcial statistics of 
 irrigation and agriculture than by any elaborate statement of facts, 
 though they compose a marvelous and fascinating story. 
 
 In 1880, when the State contained a population of only 154,000, 
 Colorado imported 500,000 bushels of wheat and flour for home con- 
 sumption, 2,000,000 bushels of corn, 500,000 bushels of potatoes, 
 1,000,000 bushels of oats and 100,000 tons of hay. At that time there 
 were only 600 miles of irrigating canals in the State. In 1893, with a 
 population of 450,000, there are 12,406 miles of irrigating canals and 
 ditches in the State, representing 4,855 ditches and 4,082,738 acres of 
 highly productive lands, accessible to water. Of this vast area 
 1,844,500 acres are actually irrigated and under cultivation. Added 
 to this rqust be taken into account a number of scattered areas where 
 the land is tilled without artificial irrigation and a safe estimate of 
 the total area actually embraced within the farm lands of the State 
 would be 2,000,000 acres, though it is not designed to convey the 
 impression that an area so enormous in proportion to the population 
 is closely cultivated with every acre bearing its harvests. It is stated 
 upon the authority of the State Engineer, that by its economical use 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. H 
 
 the annual water supply is sufficient to irrigate all of the 4,000,000 
 acres and more now under ditch. Thus in land and water, (leaving 
 out of account, if need be, the millions of acres of non-irrigated, but 
 productive lands), Colorado has now the agricultural resource for the 
 maintenance of additional millions of population. 
 
 DistribTitlon of Agricultural Areas. 
 
 The distribution of agricultural areas in Colorado, with reference 
 to natural streams, the valleys, parks and plains, with reference to 
 elevation and climate and the products the more successfully grown, 
 relative to the sections respectively described, is a most interesting 
 study. In fact it now becomes the most valuable point of information 
 to the home-seeker. The horticulturist will naturally seek a fruit 
 growing country. Another, may prefer the land of corn and the 
 melons, while many may choose the sections where the cereals yield 
 the best returns for the labor and capital invested. 
 
 Taking the State as a whole, every cereal, fruit, root and grass 
 cultivable in the temperate zone can be profitably grown in Colorado. 
 The Colorado farmer is now puzzled to determine, out of the multi- 
 tude of varieties of successful crops that which he should cultivate 
 for the best success and the greatest profit. The best adaptability 
 shown thus far is for the culture of wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn, 
 potatoes, fruits, alfalfa and all the hay-making grasses. The leading 
 crops in the order of their importance, as cultivated, are wheat, oats, 
 alfalfa and potatoes. Whether of field or orchard, the culture of a 
 single crop, either of fruit or grain or grass, can be made an industry 
 of profit. Everywhere it is a great country for garden vegetables of 
 every description, and these products are unexcelled in any country 
 of the world, while the average yield per acre is enormous. Small 
 fruits are prolific to a marvelous degree. In several counties both on 
 the eastern and western sides of the Continental range, both upon 
 the farms and at the United States, experimental stations, successful 
 crops of a very fine high grade Havana leaf tobacco have been 
 raised, the plant meeting every condition of climate and coming to 
 maturity in due season. 
 
 The crops in their varieties that are most profitably grown have 
 been shown. They are the most profitable because being the predom- 
 inating crops. But it might be properly mentioned in this connection 
 that there is greater profit per acre in barley than in any of the more 
 universally cultivated cereals. The peculiar adaptability of soil and 
 climate matures barley to a higher degree of excellance than else- 
 where in the Union. Greater than all, are the profits of the orchard, 
 which as yet is an industry extremely young, but most precocious in 
 growth. Colorado is destined to be the great fruit producer of the 
 West. 
 
 All this great combination of products are grown in every agricul- 
 tural section of the State, but the special adaptability of certain crops 
 
12 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 to the respective divisions of the State is the question now to be con- 
 sidered for the benefit of the immigrant farmer seeking a location in 
 the West. 
 
 Rich soil, excellence of product and speedy returns in the markets 
 close at hand, are the strongest attractions to the farmer seeking a 
 new location. Colorado offers unrivalled advantages in all these 
 requisites. The yield per acre depends upon location, soil, climatic 
 influences and methods adopted in the cultivation of the crops. The 
 farm lands of Colorado have not less than five natural divisions 
 with reference to soil and climate as well as geographical position. 
 These divisions are the northern and southern portions of the open 
 plains east of the Continental range ; the valleys, mesas and parks of 
 Southern Colorado, lying east and west of the mountains, and the 
 valleys and mesas of the western slope. The principal areas for 
 wheat and other cereals are the northern, southern, western south- 
 western and extreme eastern portions of the State. Corn culture is 
 confined principally to the Arkansas valley and the eastern tier of 
 counties, the former section being peculiarly adapted to corn and als« 
 to fruit culture. Wheat and other cereals grow successfully in all 
 tillable lands of Western Colorado and crops of high average are 
 raised annually ; but this is essentially a fruit growing country, and 
 the best efforts of the settlers in this new country are devoted to the 
 orchards and the vineyards, the oldest of them having an existence 
 of only ten years, but unsurpassed in the generous yield and excel- 
 lence of their fruits. Potatoes, alfalfa and all other grasses and 
 clovers grow in great abundance in all portions of the State. Classed 
 among the experimental crops are such products as sorghum, buck- 
 wheat, navy beans, broom-corn, hops, sugar beets, hemp, flax, 
 tobacco and other plants that have proven successful. These crops 
 are experimental only in the sense that their culture has not been 
 extensively adopted. Any one of these products might be selected 
 out of the great variety and made profitable as a specialty. Hop cul- 
 ture especially, is destined to become an industry of great importance. 
 
 The State is divided into six great irrigation divisions, arranged 
 according to the natural drainage represented by the principal 
 streams, namely, the Platte, the Arkansas, the Rio Grande, the San 
 Juan, the Grand, the Green and the White and Yampa rivers. These 
 are divided into sixty-seven districts, each district being under con- 
 trol of a water commissioner. 
 
 IsTortlierii Colorado. 
 
 The division of the Platte comprises the agricultural section of 
 Northern Colorado, watered by the Platte, the St. Vrain, the Cache la 
 Poudre and their numerous tributaries. It embraces Jefferson, Boul- 
 der, Larimer, Weld, and a small portion of Arapahoe county. This 
 is the agricultural heart of the State. It was first settled, had the 
 earliest and best markets, and is the richest and best developed 
 agricultural portion of the State. While all field crops and orchards 
 thrive in this section, the leading products are wheat, alfalfa, oats and 
 
RESOURCES OF COIvORACO. ^g 
 
 potatoes, Weld county being the banner wheat and potato producer. 
 Within the last few years, particularly in localities in easy communi- 
 cation with Denver, there has been a very decided growth in many of 
 the lighter forms of agriculture, such as dairying, apiculture, garden- 
 ing, horticulture and the like. The production of fruits, vegetables, 
 milk, butter, honey, etc., is now among the leading sourees of revenue 
 to the farmers of Northern Colorado, all these products having ready 
 market at good prices in Denver and other cities of the plains. 
 
 This is the portion of the State that is settled in all the courses of 
 industrial life, where all the industries required under present condi- 
 tions are in operation and all the material resources in process of 
 development. It is in that self-sustaining condition of independence 
 that it may be symbolized as an individual having the full-sized form 
 and strength of an adult, but yet having many years to grow. Its 
 fields are fully occupied and highly cultivated under the irrigation 
 system, and its cities and towns with their concomitant industries, 
 have grown in equal measure with the general thrift of the land and 
 its people. The country is rich and strong, as a- result of development, 
 and still possessing unknown wealth of natural resource, thus contin- 
 uing to be an inviting field for capital and labor. All available 
 agricultural land being under proprietorship, the prices range much 
 higher than in the newly-opened sections, and, are therefore not so 
 accessible to the immigrant seeking a cheap home, which may be 
 found in locations equally favorable. But to the person who prefers 
 the conveniences and luxuries of a well-populated and well-ordered 
 country, the northern portion of Colorado oflFers every attraction and 
 every advantage of business success. 
 
 While the five counties named are properly designated as the agri- 
 cultural portion of Northern Colorado, in its broadest sense the val- 
 ley of the Platte to which all streams in this division are tributary, 
 comprises all of North-eastern Colorado, its water-shed covering an 
 area, approximately, of 21,000 square miles, or about one-fifth of the 
 area of the State. It flows through, or touches nine counties through- 
 out its course to its exit into Nebraska. Within this magnificent 
 domain are the resources of an empire. The area embraced in the 
 irrigated counties of Arapahoe, Jefferson, Boulder, Larimer and Weld, 
 is of itself, an empire of wealth. It numbers 1,200 irrigating ditches, 
 with an aggregate length of 3,500 miles, and covering 1,100,000 acres 
 of land, of which at least 700,000 acres are actually irrigated and 
 cultivated. It had, according to the last census, a population of 
 176,115, but which can safely be stated at 200,000, or nearly one-half 
 the population of the State, lu the five counties named are 350 
 school -houses and school-property valued at I3, 000, 000. There are 
 725 miles of railway within the same area or about one-fifth of the 
 entire mileage of the State. The assessed value of property in the 
 district is $124,327,259. More than one-half the whole assessment 
 of the State, and indicating an actual wealth of $373,000,000. With 
 
14 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 the City of Denver as its metropolis, this section is destined to be 
 the great manufacturing center, as it now is the commercial magnate 
 of the Great West. 
 
 Tlie Arkansas Valley. 
 
 The division of the Arkansas embraces the counties of Pueblo, 
 Otero, Bent and Prowers, comprising the largest area of agricultural 
 land in the State. The Arkansas Valley as an agricultural country 
 represents the most marvelous transformation from the natural condi- 
 tions of sterile waste to a state of high cultivation in the history of 
 western settlement. In 1880 the whole country was a barren plain, 
 with naught but sand and buffalo grass in view, and the immigrant 
 farmer passed through the country in search of agricultural lands 
 further west. A few farmers settled in the valley in 1881, and the first 
 test of the soil proved surprisingly successful. From that date popu- 
 lation increased. The greatest development has taken place within 
 the past five years, the original county of Bent having, during that 
 time, been divided into four counties, owing to the increased popula- 
 tion and the change in conditions whereby the great cattle range had 
 been converted into a country of farms. The Arkansas River courses 
 centrally through, and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa F^ and the 
 Missouri Pacific railways traverse the country on either side the 
 stream. Numerous large irrigating canals have been constructed, 
 taking their tortuous routes for hundreds of miles through lands that 
 have no superior in America for richness of soil, for capabilities ©f 
 varied production. The desolation of a few years ago has been con- 
 verted into vistas of lovely landscape, adorned with towns and villages, 
 with beautiful fields and delightful country homes. Everywhere the 
 soil is deep, rich and highly productive of grain and grass and fruit. 
 All the cereals thrive with a high average production. Soil and 
 climate are especially adapted to corn. It will be the leading corn 
 country of the State, while the orchard and the vineyard in the 
 Arkansas Valley will become one of the great industries of the State 
 in the future. The climate is agreeable, lands are cheap, and every 
 condition favorable to farming. The valley contains millions of fine 
 acres open to settlement. 
 
 Division of tlie Rio G-rande. 
 
 This division comprises the famous San Luis Valley, embracing 
 large proportions of Saguache, Rio Grande, Costilla and Conejos 
 counties. This is one of the most lovely stretches of agricultural 
 country in the world. It is known on the maps as San Luis Park, 
 being a part of the great park system of the Rocky Mountains. It 
 comprises an area of many thousand square miles. It is centrally 
 located among the southern tier of counties and fringed on all sides 
 by the high mountains, its soil being enriched by the disintegrating 
 masses, as they have washed down through countless ages from these 
 lofty places. Soil and climate are favorable for agriculture and the 
 live stock industry. The leading crops are wheat, oats and potatoes. 
 Other field products that thrive are barley, rye, alfalfa and other 
 
REvSOURCES OF COLORADO. 15 
 
 grasses and clovers. All the hardy vegetables grow in great abund- 
 ance and attain enormous size. In this valley the highest maximum 
 yield in wheat and oats ever known in the State have been attained. 
 Its greatest development as an agricultural country has occurred 
 since 1885. Being supplie«d by nature with an abundance of water, it 
 is equipped with a system of irrigation unsurpassed in the State. 
 Numerous agricultural settlements have been made, and the valley 
 is dotted with towns and villages. The wheat crop of 1892 is esti- 
 mated at 500,000 bushels, which is an enormous yield, according to 
 the acreage sown. San I/uis Valley is surrounded by rich mining 
 camps, including the great Creede camp with which it enjoys railroad 
 connection, and is thus assured of a constant cash market for every- 
 thing it produces from the soil. 
 
 The "Western Slope." 
 
 The division of the Grand comprises the principal agricultural 
 area of Western Colorado, or the "Western Slope" as it is called as a 
 distinguishing term. The Grand River flows through the northern 
 portion of Mesa county, forming a junction with the Gunnison River 
 which flows through portions of Montrose and Delta, the two main 
 streams and their numerous tributaries draining Montrose, Delta, 
 Mesa and Garfield counties, which comprise the great farming and 
 fruit growing section of Western Colorado. The Grand Valley proper 
 in Mesa county, with the City of Grand Junction in the center, is 
 what is distinctively known as the great orchard and vineyard of the 
 State. 
 
 This country has a history of peculiar interest. It formed a |)art 
 of the Indian Reservation and was the favorite land of the Utes until 
 their final removal in 1882, in which year the first white settlements 
 were made in the Grand Valley. Agricultural development began in 
 a small way in 1883, when the many advantages of industrial resource 
 became known to the outside world. The tide of immigration set in 
 that direction and in the two or three successive years the wild aspect 
 of the country along the main streams was converted into homes and 
 farms, towns and villages, and all the industries of a commonwealth 
 were put in motion. All this great western portion of the State 
 possesses immense wealth in the precious metals, in iron, coal, stone, 
 marble and many other resources, and is especially adapted 
 to stock-raising. While the country is productive of all the 
 ordinary farm crops, the early settlers discovered the superior advant- 
 ages of soil and climate for the cultivation of fruit. Orchards and 
 vineyards were speedily planted and the first year of bearing proved 
 a success exceeding all expectations. Population rapidly increased, 
 farms were planted to the cereals and hay-making grasses, and large 
 areas were planted in vineyards and orchards, embracing all manner 
 of fruits excepting only the citrous varieties. The results during the 
 nine years of development, after only six years of actual production 
 from the tree and the vine, have been marvelous. Hundreds of miles 
 of irrigating canals have been constructed, and many thousands of 
 
IQ THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 acres placed under cultivation. The fields have yielded with generous 
 response in grain, while the orchards have been burdened to the 
 ground with their prolific bearing ®f the most luscious fruits. Peaches, 
 pears, apples, plums, cherries, nectarines and apricots are the princi- 
 pal tree fruits. The peach becomes the leading crop in the Grand 
 Valley. This is peculiarly the home of this fruit. It has no superior 
 in the world for richness of flavor, far surpassing the California peach 
 in this essential point of excellence. The small fruits are the goose- 
 berry, currant, raspberry, strawberry and blackberry. Strawberries 
 grow large in size, exceedingly fine of flavor and in great abundance. 
 Grapes grow in great profusion, of fine size and richest flavor. All 
 the varieties are grown successfully and the choicest California varie- 
 ties are not surpassed in their native soil. In the culture of the grape 
 and the peach, Colorado has, in so brief a period, become the rival 
 of that great fruit growing State, supplanting its products in the local 
 market and also in popular favor wherever the Colorado product finds 
 its way. Time has been too brief for the cultivation of the soil and 
 the development of the orchards to their full capacity, but in these 
 first steps of fruit growing, the average orchard in full bearing gives 
 a return of $500 per acre, strawberries |2oo to $300, and grapes from 
 $300 to $400 per acre. But the orchards have not yet reached more 
 than half their capacity. When the trees have reached their full size 
 and mature bearing period, their present production will have doubled. 
 By this time thousands of acres of new orchards will have come into 
 bearing. Then indeed will begin the era of great commercial import- 
 ance of the fruit industry of Colorado. 
 
 What these revelations of time will be is well illustrated by the 
 experience of the first settler and pioneer fruit-grower, who located 
 on the North Fork of the Gunnison, in Delta county. This man hav- 
 ing already selected his location, went into the country immediately 
 following the exit of the Indians, taking with him a trunk filled with 
 nursery trees in variety which he planted. These trees having now 
 fully matured after a growth of ten years, the owner recently picked 
 from one tree I52 worth of peaches. A year or two after his settle- 
 ment, this farmer ( Mr. Wade ) planted a large orchard with all the 
 variety of tree fruits, including also an extensive vineyard. In 1889, 
 these trees and the vineyard came into their first good bearing. In 
 1890, Mr. W. sold to B. six acres embracing the varieties at the rate 
 of $360 per acre, or a total sum of |2,i6o. In the next two seasons 
 (1891-92} B. sold from his two crops a sufficient amount of fruit to 
 pay the purchase price and had $800 left after deducting all living 
 expenses for self and a large family. Since that time he has refused 
 $500 an acre for his small but wealthy fruit farm. Instances of alike 
 results have been repeated in Delta, Mesa and Montrose counties. 
 Each of these counties possess peculiar advantages of agriculture 
 and horticulture, though it is true of Delta that its possibilities of 
 cereal production are fully equal to its capabilities for fruit, while in 
 Montrose county general agriculture and stock -growing take pre- 
 
RESOURCES OF COI.ORADO. 17 
 
 cedence of all other industries, at the same time showing great possi- 
 bilities of fruit culture. While the Grand Valley has become so noted 
 for its peaches, the prolific and splendid production of the pear and 
 apple in Montrose and Delta, it is believed by some leading fruit- 
 growers, will in time, establish these two fruits as the leading orchard 
 products of Western Colorado. However, in the present status of 
 the industry, the Grand Valley in Mesa county is the favored section, 
 and the leading producer for all varieties of fruits, the orchards and 
 vineyards having the advantage of age, the country having a much 
 larger and better development, and the soil having special adaptation 
 to certain kinds, as for instance, in the culture of the peach. In 
 view of the fact that only a small per cent, of the many producing 
 orchards throughout this vast section have reached half their capac- 
 ity of bearing, and takin^into account the more important fact that 
 the greater development of this country in the past few years consists 
 in the planting of ..new orchards, these orchards comprising many 
 thousands of acres of young trees which have never yet borne their 
 first fruits, the future of the fruit industry of the State in its relation 
 to commerce becomes an interesting study. In reckoning the results 
 of such future development, the present great achievement of North- 
 ern Colorado, the wonderful capabilities of the Arkansas Valley and 
 the fair promise presented by South-western Colorado must be taken 
 into the account. 
 
 The statistics of trade show that during the past year (1892), 1,100 
 car-loads of California fruit were shipped into Denver for distribution 
 and local consuniption. While Denver, as the central market of the 
 State, requires so great an amount of seasonable fruit, it is a well- 
 known fact that since the orchards came into bearing, not a crate of 
 Western Colorado fruit has ever reached that city except by some 
 special arrangement for very small consignments, notwithstanding 
 the Colorado fruit, full ripe and fresh picked from the stem, always 
 commands a price 20 to 30 per cent, in advance of the California 
 product. All the fruits raised in Western Colorado thus far, find a 
 ready sale at good prices in the local markets and the surrounding 
 mining camps, commanding prices 100 per cent, higher than the same 
 classes of fruits in other sections of the State; hence the great profit 
 per acre, on fruits in that section as cited in that portion of the State 
 in the foregoing. But when these vast areas of young orchards come 
 into full bearing there will be a great surplus from local consumption, 
 and that surplus, in its season, will undoubtedly be suflScient to sup- 
 plant a large proportion of the California trade. What with the 
 possibilities of the other fruit sections named, Colorado within a few 
 years will be able to supply all the home markets, and with the still 
 further development to be made by the population of the future, she 
 can furnish the markets of the neighboring States of the West. 
 
 Vast areas of these rich farm and orchard lands of the Western 
 Slope, including other counties than those designated, remain open, 
 unoccupied and inviting to settlement by the home-seeker in the West. 
 
13 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Among the settlements, where the lands have been placed within the 
 reach of water by irrigating canals, good lands for general agricul- 
 tural purposes, unimproved, may be purcha|,ed for f lo per acre; im- 
 proved lands at $^o. The cost of perpetual water-rights is f lo to 
 I12.50 per acre. Cost of water by rental, $1 per acre. In some parts 
 good land suitable for farming and stock-raising miay be obtained for 
 less than $10; but, the cost of water is everywhere uniform and must 
 invariably be added to the cost per acre of land, for no crops are 
 raised in these parts without irrigation . 
 
 Orchard lands exclusively command higher prices, regulated by 
 location with reference to development of the country, nearness to 
 centers of population and convenience to railway shipping points. 
 Improved orchard lands vary in price trom I30 to $700 per acre, in- 
 cluding water-rights, the greater proportion of such lands selling fot 
 from |ioo to |2oo per acre. Xhe higher figures appertain more par- 
 ticularly to portions of Grand Valley in a high state of development. 
 Unimproved orchard lands command nominally ^10 per acre. At 
 this price the poor man who is unable to buy a large farm may obtain 
 a ten-acre fruit farm which will be sufficient for all his needs, for 
 $100. Additional costs, fencing $70; water right, $100. He may 
 plant his ground to all the varieties of fruit at the following rate for 
 the entire area of ten acres: Apples, $150; peaches, $136; apricots, 
 $212; pears, I212; grapes, $150. Thus, he may establish an orchard 
 of as many varieties of fruits as he may choose, at a cost of about 
 $500, and while for the first two or three yeairs the trees are growing, 
 he can make the land pay the purchase price in small fruits and 
 vegetables. 
 
 In the general agriculture of Western Colorado, the average of 
 cereal products per acre are equal to the highest average for the State, 
 while the maximum products of many valley farms in all the counties 
 named is extraordinary, showing an amazing fertility of soil. There 
 are also advantages of climate, peculiar to the topography, the 
 altitude and the conditions of atmosphere prevalent on the Western 
 Slope of all great mountain ranges, which aid materially in the prime 
 growth and perfect ripening of farm products as well as the fruits. 
 
 Q-reen River Division. 
 The Green River division embraces the western portions of Routt 
 and Rio Blanco counties, watered by the Green, the Yampa and White 
 rivers and their tributaries. This is a vast extent of country, lying 
 directly north of the Grand River division and forming the north-west 
 corner of the State. The land is partly mountainous and may be 
 described as varying in all the characteristics of a "broken " country 
 with its mountains and lesser hills, its rugged, rocky domes, its mesas, 
 its valleys and its plains, its heavy timbered forests and its beautiful 
 mountain lakes. In all parts the soil is rich, but the climate is less 
 favorable to general agriculture than in the loweir lands south. All 
 manner of cereals can be grown, but the seasons do not admit of their 
 
RESOURCBS OF COLORADO. 19 
 
 profitable cultivation ia the larger portion, particularly in the north. 
 Alfalfa, potatoes and all the hay-making grasses and garden 
 vegetables are successfully grown, and the soil yields ia great 
 abundance. The country, therefore, though sparsely settled, is occu- 
 pied by the class of people for whom it was by nature intended. It 
 possesses every advantage for the live-stock industry, and here is 
 where some of the finest horses and best cattle of the State are bred 
 and raised. Having an abundance of pure water, finely sheltered 
 grazing lands for the summer and autumn and an abundance of the 
 best of hay for feeding through the winter and early spring. No 
 country in the world offers better advantages for the live-stock indus- 
 try. I^arge herds of cattle every year reach the markets of Utah and 
 the East from this section. Throughout the country, particularly in 
 Routt county, within the past ten years a number of enterprising 
 stockmen have established stock-farms for the exclusive business of 
 breeding, and the annual sales in the Denver market from these farms 
 prove the perfect adaptation of the country to the breeding and cul- 
 ture of fine stock; wherein the heavy draft-horse, the roadster and 
 thoroughbred of blue grass pedigree form a conspicuous part. In a 
 large portion of Rio Blanco county experiments in fruit growing have 
 proved successful, and it is likewise true that wheat and oats come to 
 maturity with a high average yield, but as yet the agricultural settle- 
 ment is limited, though extensive preparations in the way of irriga- 
 tion canals have been made for the future population, which will be 
 composed of farmers, cattle men and people devoted to all branches 
 of the live-stock industry. In the irrigated sections of Rio Blanco 
 county the yield of v/heat and oats per acre has been very large. 
 The Grand Valley in Garfield county is also a rich section, productive 
 of all farm crops and orchard fruits. In both Rio Blanca and Routt 
 counties there is great wealth of natural resources ; the forests become 
 a great reserve of useful timbers for the generations to come, and are 
 bountifully stocked with game, the streams and lakes swarm with the 
 finest fish, and there are beautiful parks and mineral springs and 
 delightful places of health and pleasure resort. All in all, this is a 
 country that possesses many attractions to the home-seeker, and will 
 be preferred by many because of its great combination of industrial 
 resources and its many peculiar attractions. It contains an abund- 
 ance of unoccupied lands that may be obtained cheaply and on the 
 easiest of terms, while there are vast tracts of government land that 
 may be filed upon by homestead entry at $1.25 per acre. 
 
 The San Juan Division. 
 1/3. Plata and Montezuma counties, occupying the south-western 
 corner of the State, comprise about all the valuable agricultural area 
 in this division. These counties with their rich valley and mesa lands, 
 productive in a high degree of all manner of crops, likewise possess 
 great wealth of natural resource, such as coal, iron, stone, the pre- 
 cious metals and the minerals of commercial and manufactural value. 
 
20 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Here is comprised a vast area of agricultural lands, having the advant- 
 ages of a Southern climate, where the production of all manner of 
 cereals and fruits is highly remunerative. The country has an abund- 
 ant supply of water, possessing many attractions of nature for health 
 and pleasure, and embracing all the advantages of material resources 
 that establish towns and cities and form the combination of industrial 
 and social life as it exists everywhere in the commonwealths of high 
 civilization. To be precise, a farm of eighty acres in I^a Platta or 
 Montezuma county, is the basis of a fortune and a guarantee of a 
 supply of all the necessaries and luxuries of life. In every essential 
 the land is adapted to all the cereals, and root crops, to fruit culture, 
 and all varieties of clovers and hay-making grasses. The products 
 are rich, and grow in enormous yields per acre. These lands, covered 
 with rich native grasses become an open pasture all the year round, 
 and therefore afiford all possible advantages for the live-stock indus- 
 try. Thus the opportunity is oflfered t© every farmer to possess his 
 fields of grain and hay, his garden, his orchard and his herds of 
 sheep and cattle, each department becoming a perennial and never- 
 failing source of profit As in all other portions of the State these 
 lands may be cheaply obtained on easy terms, at prices ranging from 
 a homestead entry to an improved and expensive deeded farm. 
 In Souttiern Colorado. 
 
 The counties of Las Animas and Huerfano, in the southern portion 
 of the State lying immediately east of the Continental range, while 
 possessing immense resource of coal, mineisals and other material, 
 embrace a large scope of agricultural lands in the fertile valleys of 
 many streams, together with many hundreds of square miles of 
 grazing lands upon the open plains. A large proportion of the farm- 
 ing lands are under cultivation, and the value of the crops and the 
 live-stock interests form a large contribution to the aggregate wealth 
 of the State. Huerfano county is watered by the Cucharas river, 
 Huerfano and Santa Clara creeks and smaller streams. The valleys 
 are broad and extremely rich in soil, producing the cereals and 
 grasses, the more profitable crops being oats, alfalfa, potatoes and 
 garden vegetables. About 20,000 acres are under cultivation by the 
 irrigation system. 
 
 Las Animas county is watered by the Las Animas river, Purgatoire 
 creek and numerous smaller streams, having 75 miles of irrigating 
 canals and 35,000 acres of land under cultivation. Oats form the 
 leading crop in point of yield per acre, the most profitable crops being 
 potatoes, alfalfa and other clovers and grasses. The City of Trinidad, 
 for many years before American civilization in the West a Mexican 
 village, is the county seat with a population of 5,000. The two coun- 
 ties combined contain the largest coal-producing fields in the State, 
 and the largest coke-ovens in the West are located at Trinidad. Here 
 is also the leading market and manufacturiag point between Pueblo 
 and Santa F6, New Mexico, and by reason of the combination of 
 important industries in all this section of the country, the future 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 21 
 
 kolds great promise for agriculture, all products having a home 
 market and always commanding the best prices. Three Mnes of rail- 
 ways traverse both counties, connecting with all parts of the State. 
 
 Eastern Colorado. 
 
 Eleven counties, forming the eastern end of the State and embrac- 
 ing more than one-fifth of its total area, stand separate and distinct 
 from the agricultural areas of the State as known under the irrigation 
 system. In this part there are few running streams and little or no 
 irrigation. Within this area there are not less than 12,000,000 acres 
 of fertile land. It has been from the days of earliest settlement a 
 part of the great cattle range of Colorado and designated as the ' 'arid 
 region." The country has never been regarded by the early settler, 
 nor is it now regarded by the farmer under the irrigation system with 
 the hope of its reclamation. Nevertheless a few farmers emigrating 
 about ten years ago from Western Nebsaska and Kansas, made settle- 
 ments in one or more of these counties along the new lines of rail- 
 way which then entered the State. For a livelihood they first turned 
 their attention to stock-raising and to limited farming as an experi- 
 ment. At that time the present counties were embraced in the few 
 old and very large counties that covered the plains. The first crojs, 
 consisting namely of corn, wheat, oats, hay and potatoes, proved so 
 far successful that the experiment was tried the following year on a 
 larger scale. The effort was regarded as an experimient because the 
 new-comer, in the absence of irrigation was obliged to depend upon 
 the rain-fall for his crops, a possibility to which all men in Colorado, 
 before that time, were skeptical to the degree that it was unanimously 
 pronounced impossible. But in the second and third years crops of 
 these new settlers proved sufficiently successful to be encouraging, 
 and they doubled their acreage and increased the varieties of their 
 crops. The rains came in season, the fields of grain continued to 
 grow and thrive, population increased, a new people came each year 
 into all these new counties, towns aad villages, with their schools 
 and churches and work -shops, gradually grew into existence, and in 
 the tourse of time, through all of Eastern Colorado there were dis- 
 tributed well-defined industrial settlements, and these products forced 
 a recognition as a j)art of the aggregate volume of the State's wealth. 
 Hence, in 1887 and 1889 the new counties which are recognized as 
 comprising the agricultural section of Eastern Colorado were organ- 
 ized and are known collectively as the "rain-belt" area of Colorado. 
 
 In 1890 the crops of this section were utterly destroyed by drouth. 
 But this was the only season of such a disaster during the period of 
 eight years, where progress has been made. The crops grown in that 
 section are not so diversified and not nearly so productive as it is 
 possible to make them in the irrigated portions; it is not to be ex- 
 pected that they grow so luxuriantly or mature so perfectly; never- 
 theless the crops grow and struggle through drouth and heat of this 
 arid region and ripen for the harvest. In late years increased areas 
 
22 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 have swollen the balance of crops from the sufl&ciency of home supply 
 into a surplus for the markets. Thus the farmers of Eastern Colorado 
 have been enabled t© prove-up the claims to their lands, establish 
 their homes, improve their farms and increase the machinery of their 
 industrial operations. They claim a permanent abiding, with the 
 hope and promise of future success, and now invite the immigrant 
 farmer to stop within their borders, establish a home and become a 
 citizen of their respective counties, offering the inducements of 
 cheap lands and a certainty of a livelihood and a living. 
 
 The " Divide." 
 
 This singular configuration of the plains, is entitled to a. place in 
 the agricultural description of the State, being distinct in its char- 
 acteristics from all other sections. Starting from the foot-hills in El 
 Paso and Douglas counties, occupying portions of Douglas, El Paso 
 and Elbert counties, and running from west to east a distance of more 
 than loo miles, and varying in width from 25 to 40 miles, is a range of 
 hills known as the "Divide." It is so-called because it divides the 
 eastern or plains portion of the State into its northern and southern 
 divisions, sending the water-courses, on one side northward toward the 
 Platte, and on the other southward toward the Arkansas river. The 
 hills are covered with valuable timber and interspersed with numerous 
 valleys of rich agricultural and grazing lands, the hill-sides being also 
 cultivable and productive. The principal products are potatoes, hay 
 and corn. Wheat, oats and barley are also grown, the latter being 
 the more profitable crop. The land is especially well adapted to 
 potatoes. It is a section of the country especially favored by the 
 elements, becoming a conductor of the storm-clouds from the moun- 
 tains eastward far into the plains. It is therefore visited by frequent 
 and copious rains in the cropping season, and it is this peculiar phy- 
 sical feature that gives to Douglas, Elbert and a portion of El Paso 
 county the credit of raising crops without irrigation. On account of 
 its advantages of good water and good grazing, as well as the capacity . 
 of the soil for raising all manner of stock feed, it also becomes a 
 suitable country for cattle, and the dairy becomes a profitable part 
 of the general industry of the farmer. In its general topography 
 there is much to remind one of scenes in the Eastern States, where 
 the farm lies in the midst of the hills and valleys, the forests and the 
 streams, those delightful poems of nature that sing sweetly through 
 all the prosaic toils of the year. 
 
 Isolated Areas. 
 
 There are yet many farm areas that are not taken into account in 
 the general reckoning of agricultural possibilities. These are the 
 small farms and farming communities in a manner isolated from the 
 agricultural divisions proper, being located in the small parks and 
 narrow valleys of the high mountains. These farms are numerous 
 and their products important, because furnishing an important part 
 of the supply in their local markets. As a rule these farms produce 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 23 
 
 but little grain. In some localities the valleys are highly productive 
 of oats. Their principal products are hay, potatoes and garden vege- 
 tables, which always command high prices in the mining districts and 
 become a source of large profits to the producer, who also usually 
 attaches profitable herds of cattle and other stock to his farm. 
 
 Prices of Land. 
 One ®f the first and most necessary questions asked by the new- 
 comer and the intending immigrant, is that concerning the prices of 
 lands. The process of occupying Government land at I1.25 per acre 
 under the homestead entry law, is universally understood. Farm 
 lands near the larger cities command from I50 to I150 per acre, gar- 
 den $100 to I500 per acre, and can scarcely be included in the list of 
 lands generally sought. Railroad lands can be purchased at from 
 $3,. 50 to |io per acre, in some portions ranging as high as I15. State 
 lands, except in favored sections, have about the same range of value. 
 The lands commanding |ioo or more are under ditch, well watered 
 and pay a handsome profit when thoroughly cultivated. They are 
 especially valuable for small fruits and garden vegetables. Lands 
 equally rich in soil but not so favorably located, may be purchased in 
 the new settlements in all parts of the State at a range of from $5 to 
 $30 per acre. In all irrigated portions the cost of water must be 
 added to the price of all unimproved lands. 
 
 Average Yield Per Acre. 
 For all sections combined the average production per acre is esti- 
 mated by the most careful statisticians as follows: Wheat, 22 bushels 
 per acre; oats, 40; rye, 20; barley, 30; corn, 45; potatoes, 150; alfalfa^ 
 4 tons; clover, 3; timothy, 2; native grasses, ij^. These averages in- 
 clude large areas of poor soil and also high altitudes in many counties, 
 where short seasons and cool weather forbid certain maturity, or 
 where in large agricultural communities the average is less than that 
 given for the State. The capabilities of Colorado soil where fully 
 cultivated have been amply tested by annual experiments at the State 
 Agricultural College of Colorado. The maximum results have been 
 as follows: Wheat, 91 bushels per acre, field crop; largest yield of 
 rye, 52 bushels; oats, 102 bnshels; potatoes (Irish), over 400 bushels 
 to the acre; barley, 72 bushels. Corn has been made to yield 67 
 bushels (shelled.) 
 
 Colorado's Agricultural ExMbit at tlie World's Fair. 
 The maximum as well as the minimum and average products as 
 represented in Colorado's agricultural exhibit at the World's Fair, are 
 taken from among the ordinary field-crops and come from all parts 
 of the State. Among them are sheaves of oats taken at the roots that 
 stand 7J^ feet high, the yield being 112}^ bushels to the acre, and 
 weighing 48 pounds to the bushel. The largest yield represented for 
 oats is 136 bushels per acre, weight 35 pounds. The heaviest oats 
 shown, weigh 52 pounds per bushel. 
 
24 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The most remarkable display is that of the wheat produced in 
 various portions. Specimens taken from a forty-acre farm yield as 
 high as 94 >^ bushels per acre. The largest average yield is from a 
 farm of 800 acres, 52 bushels to the acre, weighing 62 pounds per 
 bushel. One of the most surprising revelations made in this collec- 
 tion, is the great number of varieties of the leading products. Their 
 classification shows the following: 
 
 Wheat, varieties 277 
 
 Rye 12 
 
 Barley 45 
 
 Oats 50 
 
 Corn , , 15 
 
 Millet 6 
 
 Buckwheat 2 
 
 Tobacco 6 
 
 Flax 3 
 
 Native grasses 125 
 
 Cultivated grasses 8 
 
 All these things show the possibilities of Colorado soil. When it 
 is remembered that there are large areas of land of low preduction, 
 the high averages as they have been reliably reported is suflBcient 
 recommendation. It places Colorado ahead of all other States in the 
 Union for all products. But it is in the enormous figures representing 
 some maximum yields that we find the true possibilities of Colorado 
 soil illustrated. These great yields, in some instances representing 
 many acres or an entire farm in different portions of the State, are the 
 results of intense, intelligent application of labor and advanced meth- 
 ods, with the design of making the soil yield the best possible results 
 and largest profits. In some instances these efforts were applied to 
 lands where an entire county can be made to produce an average 
 double the high average yield of the entire State. These statements 
 doubtless will be taken as exceedingly liberal if not extravagant, but 
 they can be verified by the most substantial evidence — the product 
 itself with proof of its nativity. 
 
 Irrigation. 
 
 REDUCING the total area of the State to acreage, there are approx- 
 imately 66,000,000 acres within its borders. The great Conti- 
 . nental range divides this, giving about 25,000,000 acres to 
 Western Colorado and about 40,000,000 acres to the eastern side of 
 the mountains. According to the estimates of the State Engineer, 
 there are about 16,000,000 acres of mountain drainage, from which the 
 western side draws water for its 9,000,000 acres of valley and mesa 
 lands, whereas 30,000,000 acres of plains have approximately 10,- 
 000,000 acres of mountain drainage. Thus it appears that the western 
 side is amply provided by nature, with water supply for irrigation, 
 while a less proportion of drainage is similarly provided for the 
 30,000,000 acres on the eastern side. The greater part of this immense 
 
RESOURCES OF COI.ORADO. 25 
 
 area is arable land, possessing wonderful fertility and capable of 
 sustaining a dense population. From measurements it has been 
 ascertained tiiat over the 10,000,000 acres of mountain drainage for 
 the eastern side there is an annual precipitation of 34 inches, 40 per 
 cent, of which reaches the plains. This 40 per cent, would give a 
 depth of 13 or 14 inches over 10,000,000 acres, if the total amount 
 were distributed through irrig'ating canals. What with the increased 
 moisture from seepage, as the irrigating ditches multiply, and the 
 frequency of precipitation from evaporation, there is a gradual and 
 natural conversion of large portions of the arid area into arable lands, 
 
 The large extension of the irrigation system thus far, while greatly 
 increasing the cultivable areas of the plains, has resulted in the 
 increased capacity of water, rather than the exhaustion of supply, 
 however indisputable the fact that, all material force has its natural 
 limit. By seepage, the water, after being used, returns to the bed of 
 the stream, and becomes a new source of supply from a point where 
 the limit of first supply may be reached. Thus the waters of the 
 Platte valley flowing out through North-eastern Colorado, are used 
 three times over, increasing the flow from the base of the mountains 
 to the eastern boundary of the State 611 cubic feet per second. Upon 
 the same principle, under the reservoir storage plan, which is fast 
 becoming a part of the irrigation system of Colorado, the water may 
 be repeated in its use as often as it returns to the bed of the stream. 
 
 In thus reducing irrigation to a scientific basis, both of study and 
 experiment, it will be the work of the next ten years, to bring under 
 cultivation the wide donJain between the Rocky Mountains and the 
 Eastern border. As the possibilities of agriculture in Colorado are 
 limited only by the water-supply, and, as the vast domain of arable 
 land lies ready for the plow, the logic of the problem is to so utilize the 
 abundance of the water-supply as to distribute it upon the largest 
 amount of this virgin soil. What has already been done in this direc- 
 tion has been the work of private capital, under the judicious man- 
 agement of the State, and the existence of 12,400 miles of irrigating 
 canals, reclaiming 4,800,000 acres of arid land, is a startling exhibit 
 of the gigantic strides of progress that have been made within the 
 past twenty years. Great as this progress has been, projects of 
 immense character are now under execution to increase the water 
 supply and extend the cultivable area. Within the past two years, 
 not only large additions have been made to the canal system, but 
 numerous reservoirs, some of them of enormous capacity, have been 
 erected in various parts of the State, and these reservoirs will afford 
 a perpetual water-supply for many thousands of acres otherwise inac- 
 cessible to water. 
 
 The superior advantages of irrigation are manifest. The farmer 
 can raise standard crops each successive year without failure. His 
 lands, unlike the soil of the older states in rain countries, requires 
 comparatively little fertilization. Ordinarily, land will hold its stand- 
 ard productiveness for ten years. After that, fertilization becomes 
 
26 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 more or less a necessity. The sediment deposits by irrigation is a 
 constant fertilizer of itself, while the yearly rotation of crops keeps 
 the land in a healthy, productive condition. The farmer has entire 
 control of the making of his crops after germination, inasmuch as 
 when he needs water he can apply it as the case may require. No 
 crop is burned up by continued drouth and none destroyed by exces- 
 sive moisture. His grains, grasses and vegetables are superior in 
 quality in not having too much, but just enough moisture at times 
 when they most need it. 
 
 Process of Irrigation. 
 
 The following simplified description of the process of irrigation is 
 given for the benefit of those who, living remote from the arid regions, 
 have never witnessed the method of the distribution of water through 
 the fields: 
 
 A large ditch or canal conveys water from one of the mountain 
 streams, stretching out for many miles upon the plains. Leading 
 from this main ditch at intervals — as frequent as there may be farms 
 to irrigate — are laterals or smaller ditches, which are made to run 
 through or alongside the farm. From these first laterals still other 
 and smaller laterals are made to run into and across the fields, and 
 leading from these a number of furrows are made through the fields 
 with a plow. By these channels the water is made to flow through 
 the land. The water turned from the main canal into the first lateral, 
 thence into the second, and thus into the furrows, which may be 20 
 or even 50 feet apart, spreads over and soaks the ground till the 
 desired moisture is obtained. By a system of gates and gauges at the 
 head of the laterals, the water is measured as it is turned on, and any 
 amount may be obtained, as needed. The furrows which distribute 
 the water are run in such direction, required by the lay of the land, 
 as will give them only a slight descent. A shovel full of earth thrown 
 into the opening of the furrows at their junction with the small lat- 
 eral, keeps them closed. When the land needs water, the little gate 
 or sliding-board at the main canal is raised as far as needed to let in 
 the required amount of water. This is raised or lowered as the case 
 may require in the course of irrigating a farm. The larger furrow or 
 second lateral being filled with water, the irrigator opens the upper 
 ends of the little furrows by taking out a shovel full of earth. These 
 furrows then become filled throughout their- length across the field. 
 The water seeping through and overflowing the sides of the furrows, 
 gently trickles along over the surface and soaks into the ground. 
 Flowing thus from each side, the waters soon unite between the fur- ■ 
 rows and thus the moisture becomes uniform and general. If it 
 should be desirable, the farmer may remove all obstructions and by 
 clipping ofi" a bit of dirt at intervals, from the sides of the furrows, 
 flood his land till the water will everywhere cover the surface. In 
 this way a farmer can, within an hour or two, give an entire farm that 
 which would be equal to a heavy soaking rain. This may be done so 
 thoroughly that in scfme lands the crops may flourish through the 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 27 
 
 hottest season without, another irrigation. These floodings are often 
 given about the heading-out time and the result is the production of 
 heavier, more perfect grain. 
 
 The amount of water used per acre during a season varies slightly, 
 according to the nature of the soil, the lay of the land and its rela- 
 tion to the irrigation system, the new lands requiring a greater 
 amount. By the economical use of water it is estimated that the 
 amount required is about one cubic foot per second to fifty-three 
 acres. This is an average, but in some parts eighty, and even one hun- 
 dred acres have been irrigated with one cubic foot. The annual cost 
 of putting Water on the land by rental is from I1.50 to $2.50 per acre, 
 which includes cost of water and needed repairs to ditch. Superior 
 quality, higher average yield per acre and the certainty of a crop 
 every year are the supreme advantages of irrigation. 
 
 Colorado Soil. 
 
 IN its general nature the prevailing soil of Colorado is a sandy loam. 
 This is varied in some parts by clay, adobe and other constitu- 
 ents. It is everywhere rich, having a uniformity of depth on the 
 plains, while in the bottoms or valley land it reaches from three to 
 seven feet. In its average, Colorado soil has been found to be supe- 
 rior to that of all Eastern States, Analyses of Colorado soils have 
 shown especially that they contain in ample proportions all the 
 chemical elements that give plant life, with a source of supply from 
 which to draw a large measure of recuperative force. It is of stand- 
 ard chemical authority, that soils consist of the more or less com- 
 minuted fragments of rocks, mixed with certain products of their 
 chemical decomposition, and with SQme organic matter, as the debris 
 of vegetation. The objection raised to the soil of the arid region is 
 that sand forms too large a proportion of its component parts. In 
 this very fact, to which exceptions are taken, lies the greatest advan- 
 tage. A soil of fine sand may be highly productive, especially if it 
 originates from easily decomposing rocks, because the amount of 
 surface that the grains expose and the close texture of the soil main- 
 tain it in a proper degree of moisture, and allow a sufficient solution 
 and accumulation of food for the plants ; also the clay has a remark- 
 able porosity and retentiveness for water, for ammonia and most solu- 
 ble salts. Whether or not it is true that the receding waters of the 
 great ocean in some remote period left a sedimentary deposit as a 
 basis of our soil, it is true that through unknown ages since that 
 period, the clouds of dust and sand which occasionally spread over 
 the plains have been steadily sweeping down from the vast mountain 
 area and building up the surface. Hence, in early days the plains 
 were called the great sandy desert. But that was an error of vision 
 
28 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 and of judgment from a lack of practical contact. These glistening 
 grains of sand form a part of the great body of decomposed rock and 
 mineral matter which con tribute to the soil food and vitality to plant 
 life. The sand itself decomposes in time and becomes a chemical 
 constituent of the soil. It will not be claimed, for these reasons, that 
 the soil of the West is inexhaustible. All things in nature must have 
 rest and recuperation. But experience has proved that the sandy 
 soils of the plains are of all soils the most enduring. The water 
 from the mountains which furnishes irrigation to the farms, serves 
 also as a perpetual fertilizing agent. The change from the state of 
 nature in which the human race must first have lived to the pastoral, 
 or to any higher mode of living, must have been the work of ages. 
 The first industrial people of whom we have mere traces of history, 
 must have consolidated in the countries watered by the Nile, the 
 Euphrates and the the Tigris. The sediment of slime and mud from 
 the over-flows which make the soil of these valleys so rich is noth- 
 ing less than the silt of decomposed rock and mineral, mixed with 
 organic matter, which itself is a mass of decayed vegetation, serving 
 the purposes of a fertilizer and a soil builder. 
 
 I-n Colorado we have a soil that is responsive in an extravagant 
 degree, wherever water can be applied. It may not be so abounding 
 in richness as the valleys of the Nile and the Euphrates, but it 
 receives a perpetual replenishing of vitalizing elements. We ha^e 
 no overflows like that of the Nile, but we have a never failing suppi^y 
 of water by the system of irrigation, which insures uniform anJ( 
 never failing crops. Under this system the water serves the double 
 purpose of irrigating and fertilizing the land. Nevertheless it is true 
 that the soils of Colorado, like the soils of all other countries, after 
 long use, must be renewed by rest, rotation of crops and by the appli- 
 cation of manures and other fertilizing agents of common-place use. 
 This silt from the mountain rocks becomes a potent factor ; but the 
 winds and the waters contribute only nature's share, and the limits 
 to her share fall far short of the measure of exhaustion by constant 
 use to meet the wants and the exactions of mankind. 
 
 State School Lands. 
 
 THE land department is one of the most important branches 
 of the State Government. Colorado owns by original grant 
 about 3,000,000 acres of school land and 385,000 acres belonging 
 to other grants. In addition, the State has recently acquired from 
 the Government 655,686 acres of indemnity lands, more than half of 
 which will soon be brought under the irrigation system. The 
 amendment to the land laws enacted by the Legislature two years ago, 
 renders it possible for settlers to establish homes on State lands upon 
 a very small investment. It reads as follows: " On lands selling for 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 99 
 
 $3 50 per acre, 10 per cent, of the purchase money on the day of sale, 
 the balance in eighteen equal annual payments at 6 per cent, per 
 annum. Lands selling at more than ^25 and less than I75 per acre, 
 20 per cent, cash, on day of sale, the balance in fourteen equal annual 
 payments at 7 per cent, per annum, ' ' etc. Under this provision of 
 law a quarter section at I3 per acre would amount to I560. Of this 
 amount, 10 per cent, in cash would amount to $56, and, annually 
 thereafter, the payments would be $28 per annum at 6 per cent, on the 
 amount remaining in deferred payments after each payment made. 
 
 State school lands may also be leased at varying prices, ranging 
 at from 5 to 50 cents per acre per season. In thus leasing, the settler 
 is at liberty to make any manner of improvements he chooses. 
 Should the land be sold at the expiration of the lease, the State will 
 refund the full value of the expenditures made in such improvements. 
 At the same time the land, by reason of these improvements, will have 
 enhanced so much in value that the lessee, having the benefit of his 
 improvements as part payment, will have the advantage of all rival 
 bidders. These lands are selected in the most desirable localities for 
 agricultuce, and are becoming the nucleus of many centers of popu- 
 lation. 
 
 Fruit Growing. 
 
 MUCH of the future wealth of Colorado will be derived from the 
 orchard and the vineyard. The State is destined to become a 
 rival of all fruit growing countries, not excepting California. 
 Fruit culture has already become a permanent industry and its possi- 
 bilities are great beyond even the realization of people afe home. The 
 facts concerning it are naturally incredible to people abroad. But in 
 this, Colorado is great, as it is in so many of its separate resources. 
 It is not a country where it is merely possible to attach an orchard of 
 a few chosen varieties to a farm, but containing vast areas that stretch 
 out in millions of acres, having soil and climate that are perfectly 
 adapted to fruits of all varieties, except the citrons and other semi- 
 tropical kinds. The period of experiment has passed. More than 
 twenty years ago apples and the small varieties of stone fruits were 
 grown in small orchards on the eastern side of the mountains in 
 Northern Colorado, the trees bearing sufficiently to test the possibil- 
 ity of fruit culture, but a knowledge of the wide extent of country 
 and the numerous localities susceptible to it has been a development 
 of the past ten years. Within this period small orchards and vine- 
 yards in many parts of the State have grown into the magnitude of 
 large fruit farms. Many of these are bearing rich harvests, and it is 
 now only a question of sufficient time for the younger orchards in the 
 more favored sections to mature, when Colorado will be a rival in the 
 markets of the West by the abundance and excellent quality of her 
 
30 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 fruits. The apple is the staple fruit and all the standard varieties are 
 grown. For delicious flavor the peach excels the California product, 
 and is unsurpassed by any State in the Union. Grapes of all the 
 choice varieties have a most prolific growth in many parts of the 
 State, and their cultivation thus far bespeaks unlimited possibilities 
 for the vineyard. The most luscious and abundant of all small fruits 
 is the strawberry. It grows wonderfully in all parts of the State, it 
 is unexcelled in the world for size and sweetness, and where properly 
 cultivated will yield from 3,000 to 4,000 quarts per acre. 
 
 The portions of the State bast adapted to fruit culture, are the tier 
 of counties skirting the eastern base of the mountains, the mesas and 
 broad valleys of Western Colorado, the mesas of South-western Colo- 
 rado and the great stretch of plains lying along the valley of the 
 Arkansas river. Thus we have as areas for fruit growing, the valleys 
 of the Gunnison, the Grand and White rivers in Western Colorado, 
 the Mancos and the Animas in South-western Colorado, the great 
 Arkansas River valley, and the counties of Arapahoe, Jefferson, 
 Boulder, Larimer and Weld on the eastern side, as first-class fruit- 
 growing sections, the combined area being larger than the entire State 
 of Ohio. The counties above named, together with Fremont county 
 on the upper Arkansas, embrace the old or first established fruit-grow- 
 ing sections. Fremont county is famous by reason of its age and 
 prestige for the variety and excellence of its fruits. In the remainder 
 of the Arkansas valley, embracing Pueblo, Bent, Otero and Prowers 
 counties, the orchards have scarcely grown out, of the nursery, having 
 just passed the first years of their bearing, but prove every possibil- 
 ity of fruit culture, possessing every adaptation of soil, climate, ^^ater 
 and lay of the land. The few years of experiment prove the eminent 
 success of the orchard and vineyard. The valleys of the western 
 side embrace the fruit-growing counties of Mesa, Delta, Montrose 
 and Garfield, which, having an existence as a white settlement only 
 during the past twelve years, have become famous during the past three 
 years as a great fruit-growing section of the State. Different parts 
 of the State, while producing all varieties, have a special adaptation 
 to one or more kinds of fruit. The western side is called the home 
 of the peach, the eastern side that of the apple. Grapes, however, 
 have a prolific growth in all fruit-growing sections. This especial 
 adaptation is marked in a splendid new fruit-growing section in 
 Arapahoe county, embracing a large area of up-lands along Cherry 
 creek valley, beginning in the suburbs of Denver, and stretching 
 twenty-five miles to the South, watered by the great Castlewood reser- 
 voir. While all kinds of fruit can be successfully grown in this sec- 
 tion, the tender varieties of small fruits being especially prolific, 
 the soil possesses special adaptation to apples, pears, plums and 
 cherries, and these grow in wonderful abundance. In the "foot- 
 hill" counties of Northern Colorado, above named, the apple and 
 the small fruits, leading with the strawberry and also the grape, are 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 31 
 
 the most profitable crops, though the pear aad the small stone fruits 
 form a large part of the orchard. 
 
 The commercial advantages of fruit culture in Colorado are very- 
 great. Many of the surrounding States and Territories produce little 
 fruit of any kind, with no prospect of doing so. The central mar- 
 kets of Colorado have become large distributing points for foreign 
 fruits, while; the local consumption is enormous. It is a near proba- 
 bility that all this local demand may be supplied with home-raised 
 fruits, and in time it will be possible for Colorado to supply a large 
 'part of the demand from neighboring States. 
 
 ,The Mining Industry. 
 
 IT is not sufficient to say that Colorado is the leading producer of 
 gold and silver in America. In all countries possessing the pre- 
 cious metals, the permanency and profit of the mining industry 
 become questions of first importance. The history of mining in any 
 particular State or section of country is of little moment, except as it 
 may serve to illustrate future possibilities. The greatest of all con- 
 cerns is a knowledge of the extent and nature of the mineral forma- 
 tions. Such knowledge, as it has come to light through discovery and 
 development within the brief period of the past ten years demonstrate 
 the illimitable possibilities of mining in Colorado. 
 
 From 1859, the year of first discoveries, to 1870, the year of the 
 first railway in the State, the value of all precious metals produced 
 in Colorado was 127,500,000. In 1878 the production was 19,282,191. 
 The period between that year and the present marks the era of true 
 development in the mining industry of the State. From the first 
 record of production in 1859 to the close of 1892, the total output 
 from the mines approximates in value |4oo,ooo,ooo. The value of the 
 total output in bullion (gold, silver, copper and lead), for the past two 
 years was as follows, silver in 1891 having an average value of 0.9855, 
 and in 1892 its average value being 0.8300: 
 
 1891 Value of output .f 33,548,934 
 
 1892 " " " 32,342,571 
 
 The figures representing the annual increases for a period of suc- 
 cessive years show more particularly the result of increased effort in 
 the field of operation than as an indication of the immense mineral 
 resources of the State, unless such figures are coupled with the history 
 of marvelous discoveries that have been made in recent times, each 
 new find leading to still greater successes in the field of discovery. 
 In 1871, the total value of the output of gold and silver in the State 
 was only 13,029,000. In 1891 the value of gold and silver was approx- 
 imately $28,000,000; of lead, 15,050,000 and copper |6oo,ooo, making 
 an approximate total of |33,5oo,ooo for that year. 
 
32 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 For the thirteen years which have followed the carbonate discov- 
 eries at I^eadville, the mines of that great camp have given an annual 
 average production of J12, 000,000 in gold, silver, copper and lead, 
 starting out in 1871 with a yield of 110,333,700, its production for the 
 past year being about that amount. While these figures show that 
 I,eadville has steadily represented nearly one-half of the State's 
 mineral production for a period, all the older districts have increased 
 in wealth; and among the large number of discoveries that have been 
 made in new mineral fields, that camp has two very close rivals, 
 which in future years will swell the volume of the State's production 
 to proportions which, as a prediction merely, would seem incredible. 
 But the practical miner and the geologist who have learned a little of 
 the formations at Aspen and Creede can demonstrate that the former, 
 through development, and the latter through more extensive explora- 
 tions, may product fabulous treasures for centuries to come. Aspen, 
 closely following Leadville in the history of its establishment, was 
 from the beginning known to be great in riches. Its proud position 
 of second place with a record of |7,ooo,ooo production, is the result 
 of persistent eflFort and improved methods of development within the 
 past three years. The record of this camp is made almost exclusively 
 on the development of well-known mines, while there are hundreds 
 of new ones in the district having great promise.* 
 
 Creede has a history of less than two years. With its limited 
 development to be taken into account, it is one of the greatest pro- 
 ducers of silver in the world. In its recent monthly reports of output 
 it now takes rank with Leadville. It is claimed by geologists that 
 this camp at some point within twelve miles of Creede possesses the 
 mother vein. If this be true, it is a camp with no limit to its resource 
 within the knowledge or practical research of man. 
 
 Leadville, after all its yield of wealth, has reached the point of 
 still greater discovery deep down in its mines, and is now growing 
 richer in this new field of exploration, while there are still many 
 undeveloped mines just beginning to contribute their share of wealth. 
 These three districts are conspicuously illustrative of the permanent 
 character of the mining industry of Colorado. The simple mention 
 of the many mines in the districts that are known to be rich and 
 awaiting development would make the material of a book. The 
 older mines continue to' be the reliable sources of wealth. The new 
 ones form that great reserve of wealth that cannot be reckoned and 
 no words can properly express the appalling measure. The pioneer 
 counties of Clear Creek, with its deep mines and its silver, and Gilpin, 
 with its quota of gold, continue to contribute their share of treasure, 
 with no sign of decrease. Within the past few years also many rich 
 discoveries of gold have been made in the great silver-producing dis- 
 trict of Ouray, in that part of Colorado known as the Silvery San 
 Juan, so-called because the entire country, embracing the counties of 
 Ouray, San Juan, San Miguel, Dolores and LaPlata, is a vast field of 
 mineral, where every mountain is striped with fissure veins, laden 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 33 
 
 with silver. In Ouray county the true value of the mines has been 
 proved since, within the past few years, the railway has reached the 
 center of the great mining camp. This is likewise true of San Juan, 
 San Miguel and Dolores counties, where the mines by the hundreds 
 have just reached the stage of profitable development. In all these 
 counties the new and undeveloped mines, rich beyond all calculation, 
 predominate, while old mines grow richer in production as the miner 
 delves toward the unknown and mysterious depths in search of the 
 hidden treasure. Boulder county, among the oldest of mining districts, 
 has within the past two years brought to the fore some new discov- 
 eries that are great in wealth, while the old mines have yielded 
 increased treasure. 
 
 The discovery of the great Cripple Creek gold district, which is 
 almost coincident with that of Creede, is another illustration of the 
 progress of mining in its primary stage of development. It is known 
 as one of the rich mining districts of the State, with great yield of 
 precious metals, while it is true that the mines of largest development 
 have scarcely been opened. In respect of its importance so far as 
 mere discovery goes, it is analogous to Creede in that, from the begin- 
 ning, it attracted throngs of mining people who immediately possessed 
 themselves of mineral locations, built towns and began to produce 
 the precious metals, many persons establishing their fortunes. These 
 things have occurred within less than two years past. In less than 
 six months after its establishment, a railroad branch terminated at the 
 center of Creede Camp, connecting it with all centers of the State. 
 So important is Cripple Creek that a railway to ramify that district, is 
 now under construction In both camps large capital is invested, the 
 most modern and costly machinery brought into service, and oper- 
 ations on a grand scale are in progress upon the comparatively few 
 mines that have any development worthy of note. This is a fact, th6 
 more important because of the great number of prospects that will in 
 future years be ranked among the rich producers of the State. 
 
 But of other sections in many parts of the State that have not yet 
 attained prominence, it can truthfully be said that they are likewise 
 rich in prospects. The mountains of the Western Slope for the most 
 part have been explored only to the extent that they are known to 
 possess immense wealth of mineral treasure, as yet undeveloped. 
 
 The meagre facts and figures above presented, are designed to 
 show the limited development thus far, relative to the vast area 
 embraced within the mineral belt of the State, for within this belt 
 there are many rich mining districts yet to be discovered, and many 
 rich mines yet to be developed in the districts that have been explored 
 in years past. It has been the history of many of the richest mines 
 of the State that in the first stages of their development they were 
 regarded as of little or no value and often abandoned by the original 
 locators. There are many thousands of such prospects in the State, 
 and they await only the same application of genius and labor that has 
 brought so many millions of treasure out of the Rocky Mountains in 
 
34 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 the past ten years. Prior to 1879, the mining enterprise of Colorado 
 was mainly the eflfort of discovery. The few years which have elapsed 
 since that time, it has been shown, has been a period of development. 
 That this development work has only a fair beginning, is a self-evident 
 truth. The deeper the mines are worked the broader the scope of 
 development and the greater the amount of gold and silver extracted, 
 while the most encouraging results are obtained from the beginning of 
 development work on many of the new properties. These prospects, 
 scattered throughout the mining districts of the State, represent 
 to-day the same situation in mining that gave to the industry its great 
 impetus in 1879-80. In this great aggregation of mere prospects is 
 the assurance of treasure for the centuries to come. In the mining 
 industry this is the main opportunity for the capitalist or the immi- 
 grant seeking fortune in Colorado. Among the greatest advantages 
 to mining in Colorado is that of railway construction. The greater 
 part is of recent years. With the exception of Gilpin and Clear 
 Creek counties, the mining districts of the State were entirely with- 
 out railroads prior to 1879-80. Now, the State is fretted with these 
 lines of steel, reaching every important mining camp thus far devel- 
 oped in Colorado. The introduction of all manner of improved and 
 powerful machinery has also caused a revolution in the mining indus- 
 try. Great profit has thus been added by the easier mining and suc- 
 cessful treatment of low grade ores, and in many parts it is appre- 
 ciated that ores are now mined at a cost of cents where formerly it 
 was dollars. The wealthiest capitalists of Colorado are those who 
 have made their fortunes out of mining. Being the first of all indus- 
 tries to attract population, it has built cities in the mountains and on 
 the plains; was the first motive power in the development of the coal 
 and iron resources of the State; led to the establishment of manu- 
 factories and has aided in the advancement of every industry in 
 Colorado. 
 
 There*seems to be a providence in the history of mining in Colo- 
 rado, as it has appeared in the history of mining throughout the West 
 since the days of the first gold discovery in California. Immediately 
 following the first discoveries of gold in California, the gold fever 
 broke out among the people of America. The contagion was the 
 natural consequence of an unhealthy and unstable financial condition 
 wherein there was a demand for universal remedy. That remedy 
 was needed in its application to the whole people of America. It was 
 the great impetus that set the people in motion toward the industrial 
 conquest of the West and the production of gold, that came as a 
 result of the feverish agitation, palliated the sufferings of America's 
 many millions by giving them a sound currency. As one of the 
 immediiate results, the tide of Western immigration began to ebb and 
 flow. First rolling across the continent from the Atlantic to the 
 Pacific, it surged back again, covering the broad country of mountains 
 and valleys with civilized habitations, and set the wheels of industry 
 in motion. 
 
RESOURCES OF COIvORADO. 35 
 
 In more recent years the develdpment of silver gave new impetus 
 to industrial life, and the great tidal wave of Western immigration 
 came once more. The great discoveries of silver that have been made 
 since 1859 have a more significant meaning than merely the progress 
 of the mining countries in their industrial affairs. It meant in the 
 outstart a ready and providential means of relieving the Nation from 
 its distress incident to and closely following the great civil war; and, 
 of greater importance still, by adding to the volume of the Nation's 
 currency its immense treasure of coin, it has given relief, employment 
 and prosperity to millions of people, thus lifted from a condition of 
 want, and, greater than all results, bringing to the western half of 
 the continent the most marvelous progress in industrial development 
 ever witnessed in the world. 
 
 Now it transpires in the midst of a political crisis which threatens 
 calamity to the silver industry and to the people of the Nation as 
 well, that the new gold fields have been discovered in Colorado. In 
 the very primary stages of their development, large yields of gold are 
 tteing made, while new discoveries are reported almost every day. At 
 the present rate of production, when added to that of other gold- 
 producing districts, the yield of gold in Colorado in 1893 will run 
 high up in the millions. It seems also to be one of those providential 
 dispensations in the affairs of man that other mining States are equally 
 fortunate, and that with their combined wealth of gold and silver the 
 great coin-producing West will be equipped to meet every exigency 
 in the present problem of the world, and naiurally force a settlement 
 of the financial question in favor of the American people. 
 
 Manufacturing in Colorado. 
 
 THERE are two principal manufacturing points in Colorado — Den- 
 ver and Pueblo — the leading cities of the State. In five other 
 cities of less magnitude, young establishments of various man- 
 ufacture are thriving and give great promise for the future. In all 
 the centers of population there are various kinds of productive enter- 
 prises, of which the articles created may properly be classed as manu- 
 factures. Colorado is scarcely known beyond its borders as a manu- 
 facturing State, yet the statistics from all reliable sources give an 
 approximate value of $70,000,000, to the products manufactured in 
 1892. It must be understood, however, that this large figure represents 
 tht products of the smelters and the oil refineries, the former reaching 
 far into the millions, forming nearly one-half of the total value, the 
 latter supplying the State and other markets with refined and lubri 
 eating oils, adding not less than $2,000,000 to the total value of the 
 annual output of manufactures. When it is considered that Colorado 
 is but a youth in statehood, with an age of sixteen years, and having 
 
36 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 a population of little less than half a million, these figures appear 
 extravagant. They would be ridiculously so, were it pretended that 
 they represent the products of leading manufactures, such as give 
 industrial strength to all manufacturing States or countries. Each 
 leading industry is followed by a train of kindred enterprises, how- 
 ever small, but so numerous and so diversified that the estimated 
 value of product is within the limits of reasonable calculation. The 
 metal industry, which takes first rank, is a giant in its infancy, rep- 
 resenting an annual product of f 10,000,000, of which ;^5,ooo,ooo is 
 drawn annually from the manufacture of iron and steel. All other 
 manufactures embrace a long list of miscellaneous industries, that 
 draw upon and bring to view the most wonderful diversity and abund- 
 ance of raw material known to exist in combination in any country 
 of the world. The development of these resources and the opera- 
 tions in manufacture from from them thus far, though embracing 740 
 establishments, employing 20,000 people, a capital of $24,000,000, 
 and supplying a large foreign, as well as the natural home demand, 
 is but the beginning of a great era of manufacturing in Colorado. 
 The mere statement of volume and value of manufactures, even after 
 making all allowance for the youth and small population of the 
 State, is of little significance until the facts are made known concern- 
 ing the great variety and immeasurable, incalculable supply of raw 
 material from which these products come. Then there arise ques- 
 tions concerning the facilities for utilizing these materials, the cost 
 and profit of manufacture and the market demand for the manufac- 
 tured products Colorado possesses every advantage for the most 
 favorable answers to all these and kindred questions. 
 
 First in importance among these vast resources is iron, which 
 exists in great masses in many parts of the State, conveniently 
 located and easily accessible jpy railways from the principal manufact- 
 uring centers and possesing all the qualities requisite for the finest 
 Bessemer steel, as demonstrated by the large iron and steel works 
 which have been in operation at Pueblo for the past ten years. Then 
 follows a large list of materials embracing lead, copper, zinc, common 
 clays, fire-clays, plastic clays, silica, lime, cement, gypsum, wood, 
 stone, granite, marble, onyx, mineral paint, kaolin, cryolite, and an 
 innumerable variety of commercial and manufactural minerals. The 
 products of the farm, the range and the dairy must also be taken into 
 account as among the sources of supply, the wool and hide interests 
 alone forming the basis of great prospective manufacture. Nature 
 has endowed the State with every possible advantage of manufacture. 
 An abundance of coal, wood, stone, water-power and all other requi- 
 sites distributed throughout the State in close proximity to the great 
 iron beds and equally convenient to all the great deposits of raw 
 material embraced in the list of manufactural resource. Natural gas 
 has also been discovered in many parts, and that source of wealth and 
 power only awaits the day when its proper development is required. 
 Thus nature has brought together every material and convenience for 
 
RESOURCES OF COIvORADO. 37 
 
 varied and extensive manufacture, and nothing is needed but the 
 people, the capital and the skilled labor to build and expand upon the 
 broad foundation already laid in the young establishments, which 
 have begun to utilize these vast resources. 
 
 Naturally, the first question which arises, is that concerning the 
 markets for Colorado products. It will be seen by a glance at the 
 map of the United States that -Colorado occupies nearest the central 
 position among States west of the Mississippi River, and becomes the 
 great railwa}'^ inlet and outlet between the two oceans and between 
 British America and the Gulf of Mexico. Geographically it is the 
 great western center of traffic and travel, ramified by nine main 
 lines of railway and their numerous branches, which give to it direct 
 communication with all the States and Territories of the Continent. 
 This great western country, which forms the larger part of the Nation, 
 is rapidly being filled with an industrial population. No State of this 
 section possesses so great a variety of resources. From these Western 
 States there is now and will ever be an increasing demand for such 
 wares as can be produced without limit in Colorado. While it may 
 be true that in many lines of established manufacture, the demand 
 ma^?- for the present be limited to home supply, the time Is drawing 
 near when Colorado must be prepared to meet the requisitions from 
 all these surrounding States and Territories. Increased capacity of 
 the present manufactories and the establishment of many new indus- 
 tries are the works now needed to anticipate the requirements of a 
 growing new country. The greatest industrial strength of Colorado 
 lies in the certainty of such a future, coupled with her great reserve 
 of material resource, which awaits only the time when it is most 
 needed. For the present, in many of the industries of Colorado 
 which have thus far depended upon home patronage for maintenance, 
 there is the keenest competition and people abroad are not advised to 
 leave their moorings and enter this field, unless it be with the pur- 
 pose of expansion for future operations. But there are opportunities 
 for many new industries in Colorado, where men of practical expe- 
 rience and adequate capital, would have greater possibilities than in 
 any part of America. ^ 
 
 Manufactories in Denver 
 
 Recent official statistics of manufacture in Denver, (compiled by 
 the Manufacturers' Exchange,) which probably represents every 
 line, except that of irpn and steel manufacture, which is thus far con- 
 fined to Pueblo, show a surprising array of industries in operation, or 
 under process of construction, among the latter a steel rolling-mill, 
 which will be the largest establishment of the kind west of Chicago. 
 The following is a tabulated summary of these manufactories embrac- 
 ing hundreds of establishments and scores of varieties of manufac- 
 tured goods and wares. 
 
38 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 
 
 
 INDUSTRIES. 
 
 Employes. 
 
 Wages. 
 
 Output. 
 
 Chemicals 
 
 Clay 
 
 Food '. . 
 
 ■ 
 
 20 
 1.950 
 1,237 
 
 97 
 959 
 
 $ 20 000 
 
 763 000 
 
 702 600 
 
 65,500 
 
 776,300 
 
 993,640 
 
 836,000 
 
 1,272,695 
 
 65,000 
 
 1,022,500 
 
 79.000 
 
 862,500 
 
 1,578,129 
 
 $ 80,000 
 
 1,300.000 
 
 6,609,500 
 
 273,000 
 
 
 Metal 
 
 2.522.000 
 
 
 1,667 
 795 
 
 1,401 
 
 70 
 
 825 
 
 252 
 
 1,108 
 
 2,254 
 
 2,260,000 
 
 1,240.000 
 
 , 22,0.11.123 
 
 510. ooe 
 
 2,0:i:.,000 
 
 237.000 
 
 2,630,000 
 
 3,823,992 
 
 Sewing 
 
 Smelting, etc 
 
 Soap 
 
 Stone 
 
 Textile 
 
 Wood, etc 
 
 
 
 12,635 
 
 $ 8,536,864 
 
 f 45,571,615 
 
 
 The cla}' and metal industries are foremost in their importance for 
 manufacture from native raw material, the paper industry taking 
 rank with them because of the establishment in 1S91 of the Denver 
 Paper mills, which supplies a large 'part of the Western demand for 
 printing paper. It is questionable whether any other given area of 
 the same size in the United States has clay in equal quantity, quality 
 and variety as the vicinity of Golden, fifteen miles west of Denver, 
 and lying immediately in the base of the foot-hills. The same ledges 
 furnish both plastic and fire-clays. These deposits are the main 
 source of supply for the pressed brick, Roman tile, fire-brick, fire-clay 
 goods and sewer-pipe made at, or, near Denver. Similar beds also exist 
 near Boulder and Morrison, while in the suburbs of Denver there are 
 forty-two yards making common brick from local material, averaging 
 125,000,000 brick per annum, representing a value of 1750,000. The 
 pressed brick industry is represented by five companies and the bricks 
 are made in all shades of color to meet any architectural demand. 
 Various styles of building tiles are also made. The local outpii; of 
 fire-brick exceeds 3,000,000 per annum and the bricks are shipped 
 throughout Colorado, New Mexico, Old Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, 
 Idaho, Utah, Montana, and even as far as Portland, Oregon, where 
 they realize double the price of English imported fire-brick. Fire- 
 clay roofing tile is one of the features of manufacture from the Golden 
 clays, and superior paving bricks of Denver manufacture have been 
 satisfactorily tested on the streets of the city. Sewer pipe is exten- 
 sively manufactured from these clays, supplying the Colorado market 
 and shipping to Utah, Wyoming and New Mesico. The Colorado 
 market and the principal mining districts of the West are supplied 
 with assayers' supplies from the fire-clays of this section, and these 
 goods because of their superior quality are also sent to Old Mexico 
 and South America. Floor tiling is also a specialty. The excellence 
 of the local clays and the growing importance of the home market, 
 has led to the establishment of two potteries, making stoneware, etc. 
 A third plant makes flo^wer pots only. 
 
RESOURCES OF COIvORADO. 39 
 
 The manufacture of food products consists of canned goods — veg- 
 etables, fruits and meats — crackers, flour, maccaroni, packing-house 
 products, pickles and sauces, vinegar, and there are a number of 
 large establishments for these various articles of supply, the value of 
 the annual product of one packing-house being $2,300,000 according 
 to the production of 1892. 
 
 The leather industry shows merely the great advantages offered for 
 an extensive tannery in Denver, with an average of 75,000 hides that 
 could be annually utilized, but which are now shipped to Eastern 
 markets. 
 
 In the metal industry there are some very extensive works, such 
 as art metal and wire works, foundries, machine shops for engines 
 and boilers, brass founderies, builders' hardware, plating, sheet metal 
 works, tinware, stoves, etc. One large stove foundry in Denver, 
 manufactures modern patterns in large part from Colorado iron, but 
 other establishments use little of the native material for want of 
 facilities for making the native pig. The company also does general 
 foundry work. 
 
 The Denver Steel RoUing-Mill company was organized last year 
 for the purpose of manufacturing barbed wire, wire nails, cotton ties 
 and staples, and later on wire cables, copper rods, copper wire and 
 shovels. The plant will consist of eleven buildings, of which five, 
 viz: the wire-drawing mill, the mail mill, the barbed wire mill, the 
 boiler and engine house, and office building, are already finished. 
 The new factory jvill have a capacity of about five cars per day for all 
 products. The company will start in with about 150 employes, and 
 when running to the full capacity will employ from 400 to 500 men. 
 
 In Decernber, 1892, the Denver Paper mills, situated near Denver, 
 were completed at a cost of $370,000 for the production of news print 
 paper. These mills now supply many of the newspapers of Denver, 
 and meet many-demands from other Western States, the value of the 
 annual product having already reached a rate of $320,000. The paper 
 is made from the white spruce wood of Colorado. This paper, besides 
 reaching throughout Colorado, finds a large sale in Washington, 
 Dakota, Arizona, Texas, Utah, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska. In 
 addition, the manager is now erecting a mill for the manufacture of 
 book and letter paper, which, when completed, will be the largest 
 single mill for that purpose in the United States, and will cost I500, - 
 000. A still further addition will be a large mill, under the name of 
 The Denver Sulphide Fiber Company, for the conversion of wood 
 into pulp, by the soda process and the manufacture of manillas and 
 other wrapping paper and also roofing and flooring paper. The three 
 plants will cost an aggregate of $750,^09, and the works in operation 
 will represent a cash investment of $2,000,000. This pamphlet is 
 printed on paper tnanufactured by the Denver Paper mill. 
 
 The value of the product from the Denver smelters in 1892, in 
 gold, silver, lead and copper, was $21,934,623. 
 
40 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The manufacture of textile fabrics is in its infancy in Denver. It 
 is only three years since the first of the existing factories commenced, 
 and there are as yet but three of them, viz. : a cotton factory, employ- 
 ing 221 people; a knitting and" blanket mill, employing twenty-five; 
 and a small factory producing tassels, fringes and general passamen- 
 terie. The Overland Cotton mill commenced operations late in 1891, 
 and manufactures sheetings, drills, ducks and canton flannel and 
 besides having a good home market, ships extensively throughout 
 the entire country, lying between the Missouri river and the Pacific. 
 The Hitchcock Woolen mills manufacture ladies' and gents' fine 
 underwear and blankets, using Colorado wool of the finer kinds for 
 the medium goods and the coarser wool for blankets, the sales of 
 which practically demonstrating the broad field opened in Colorado 
 for the wool industry. 
 
 The year 1892 has been marked by manufacturing developments 
 in Denver, and is but another demonstration of Denver's destiny to 
 be the great manufacturing center of the whole Trans-Missouri coun- 
 try on account of her central location, possession of cheap coal and 
 varied raw materials, good railroad collecting and distributing facili- 
 ties,, fine climate, and plenty of intelligent white labor practically at 
 Eastern prices. Denver still needs and presents good opportunities 
 for the following industries: A malleable iron plant, a steel foundry, 
 a plant for the manufacture of horse shoes, a plant making iron soil 
 pipe for plumbers, gas fixtures, etc., an agricultural implement 
 works; woolen mills maTcing the cheaper and medium grades of 
 blankets, also cassimeres, general men's suitings and women's dress 
 goods, a carpet factory utilizing Western wool, a knitting factory 
 making medium grades of underwear, a stocking factory, a factory 
 making cotton rope, twine, etc., a silk factory, a window shade fac- 
 tory, a wool pulling factory and sheep-skin tannery, a leather glove 
 factory, a fabric glove factory, a silverware factory, utilizing local sil- 
 ver, an envelope factory, a hat factory, a bellows factory, a glue fac- 
 tory, factories making mens' and boys' shoes and the heavy grades 
 of laborers' boots and shoes, a linseed oil mill, a window and plate 
 glass factory, pottery making queensware, etc., a beet sugar factory. 
 
 Pueblo Manufactories. 
 
 The natural advantages favoring Pueblo as a manufacturing city 
 are many. Among the most prominent is her location as regards con- 
 venience to the vast mineral wealth of the greater portion of the 
 States, the abundance of cheap coal for fuel, the vast deposits of 
 valuable clays and stone in close proximity to the city, the Great 
 Arkansas Valley capable of producing untold quantities of raw 
 material for use in manufacturing; the great water-power afforded by 
 a fall of seventeen feet to the mile, of the Arkansas river at Pueblo, 
 and also the significant fact that all these vast resources, lying within 
 Pueblo's easy reach are drawn to her by her railroads which lead out 
 in eleven directions. And she is so located in this valley that every 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 41 
 
 incoming train from whatever direction has a "down hill pull " to her 
 very gates. The development of manufacturing industries in Pueblo 
 has been phenomenal. Pueblo certainly presents abundant opportu- 
 nities for the profitable investment of oapital. 
 
 The following facts and figures which have been carefully com- 
 piled, give the present capital, number of employes, annual product 
 and pay-roll of its industries: 
 
 Capital invested $14,457,025 00 
 
 Value of product (including smelter) 30,234,775 00 
 
 Annual pay-roll 7,497,222 00 
 
 Average monthly pay-roll 624,768 50 
 
 Number of men employed 8,738 00 
 
 The iron and steel working concerns of Pueblo, which utilize the 
 iron ore product of the State at present, number about one dozen, 
 and include steel works, iron and brass foundries, rolling mills, spike 
 and bolt works, boiler works, machine shops, wire works, iron water 
 pipe works, mining machinery and car repair shops, and iron bridge 
 works. These are the institutions which have given Pueblo the title 
 which she so justly bears — " The Pittsburg of the West." The mag- 
 nitude of these iron and steel industries will be better understood 
 when the fact is known that they employ over 2,000 men and 
 have an annual pay-roll of over ^1,600,000 while the annual product 
 is over $5,000,000. These institutions do a large business throughout 
 the greater portion of all the Western States and Territories, from the 
 Missouri river to the Pacific coast. The great Bessemer Steel plant 
 is one of the largest and most complete plants of the kind in the 
 Union, covering over forty-seven acres of land, and has a capital and 
 surplus of over fo, 200,000, while over 1,500 men are constantly 
 employed, the works running night and day the year round. This 
 company manufactures all sizes and sections of railroad steel rails, 
 merchant bar iron, merchant steel, railroad spikes, nuts and bolts, 
 Bessemer and foundry pig iron of all grades, speigleism and ferro 
 manganese. The company also produces many millions of pounds of 
 iron ore per annum from its iron mines in the mountains not many 
 miles west of the city. 
 
 The production of railroad steel rails, merchant steel, merchant 
 bar iron, pig, etc., during the year 1S92, was over 170,000 tons, while 
 recently another immense furnace has been added, and the capacity 
 of the works has been enlarged in all ways, and further improve- 
 ments are projected and are being carried out. This company recently 
 took a large contract for steel rails as far east as the Missouri river. 
 Among the other large plants in the iron and steel line, are the large 
 mining machinery works, with a paid-up capital of $250,000, foundry 
 and machine shops, boiler works, brass foundry, etc., etc. 
 
 Oil refining and parafine have become leading industries of the 
 State. The extensive operations carried on in this line in Pueblo, 
 necessitates the employment of nearly 250 men, with an annual pay- 
 roll of ^140,000, while the capital invested is $1,120,000, with an 
 annual output of about $1,200,000. The Rocky Mountain Oil Com- 
 
42 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 pany has a paid-up capital of $1,000,000. The company's oil field is 
 located near Florence, Colo., where they produce their oil, having 
 put down thirty wells and are putting down others at the rate of two 
 per month. The company owns its own pipe-line (thirty miles in 
 length) from Florence to Overton, a suburb of Pueblo, and here is 
 located on a tract of sixty acres of land, its refinery, which is one of 
 the most complete in the country. Here are manufactured from the 
 crude oil of Colorado, all the varieties of illuminating and lubricat- 
 ing oils known to the art. Also parafine wax candles and coke, 
 while the company will soon add the manufacturing of electric car- 
 bons, the raw material for which is produced from their tar stills. In 
 addition to these, chewing gum and toilet articles, such as vasaline, 
 toilet soaps, axle grease, etc. will be manufactured here. The output 
 of the company in finished products at present is $750,000 per annum. 
 The annual output of crude oil is 20,000,000 gallons; product of illumi- 
 nating oil, 8,000,000 gallons ; various grades of lubricating oils, 
 8,000,000 gallons. 
 
 The Continental Oil Company is also doing an extensive business, 
 handling many kinds of illuminating and lubricating oils and gaso- 
 line. Their trade also extending over a large territory. Pueblo has 
 long been noted for her extensive smelting and refining works. 
 There are now four smelting plants in Pueblo, and about 1,000 men 
 employed by these establishments. During the year 1892, these 
 smelters produced gold, silver and copper to the value $11,760,918.23, 
 representing nearly 400,000 tons of ore. 
 
 There are two very ample reasons why there is located at Pueblo 
 numerous extensive establishments manufacturing pressed brick, also 
 fire-brick, and in fact all classes of brick, also fire and coke oven tile, 
 crucibles, scarifyers, mufflers, etc. etc., also plain and fancy pottery. 
 These reasons are: First, that near or within easy reach of the city, 
 is a great variety of clays of high commercial value, and these have 
 naturally drawn the artisan. Second, the home market demands for 
 all manufactured products of clay have drawn capital for the develop- 
 ment of this vast natural resource. 
 
 The home market is created by the large number of brick build- 
 ings constantly being built in the city, and in fact in all the cities and 
 towns in the State, and also by the numerous coke ovens and smelt- 
 ers in Colorado and other States. There are at present about one 
 dozen brick manufacturies in the immediate vicinity of Pueblo, with 
 about 300 employes and a pay-roll of $200,000. The combined paid- 
 up capital of these industries is about $350,000, and the value of their 
 product is about $1,350,000, representing an annual output of about 
 40,000,000 pressed brick, 10,000,000 fire-brick, 7,000 tons of coke oven 
 tile and furnace linings, and 15,000,000 common and stock brick. 
 
 In addition to the foregoing there are manufactured in Pueblo 
 various products of leather, of lumber into fine office furniture, 
 brooms, and brushes, candles, cement plaster, electric light carbons. 
 
RBSOURCES OF COLORADO. 4g 
 
 electrical supplies, caadies, carriages, wagons, carts, furnaces, jew- 
 elry, horse-radish sauce, trunks, valises, tar products, toilet articles, 
 awnings, wagon covers, stencils, seals, clothing, carpets, quilts, mat- 
 tresses, carbonated beverages, cigars, confectionery, pottery, stone- 
 ware, tents, blank books, iron cornice, harness, ice, bottled goods, 
 and many others. Other establishments of a miscellaneous charac- 
 ter ship large quantities of goods to the adjoining States and Terri- 
 tories, in addition to supplying the local demand. 
 
 In El Paso County. 
 That portion of El Paso county immediately surrounding Colorado 
 Springs and Manitou is rich in materials for manufacture, and con- 
 • siderable effort has been made in this direction during the past few 
 years. These resources consist mainly of clays, sands and silica, 
 stones and minerals. The clays are utilized in Colorado Springs in 
 the manufacture of pottery and various kinds of brick, while the 
 principal manufactures are located at Colorado City, a suburb adjoin- 
 ing Colorado Springs and having a population of 4,000. Here is 
 located an extensive glass works plant which disburses $20,000 per 
 month in wages to its employes. The principal manufacture of this 
 establishment is light green hollow ware and bottles for the Manitou 
 mineral water. The latter is a special and exclusive branch of the 
 industry. The waters of Manitou Springs as they gush from the deep 
 rocks at the base of the mountain, are so highly charged with car- 
 bonic acid gas, that no bottle made elsewhere is found strong enough 
 to contain them. Bottles of certain thickness and of material assuring 
 certain strength only are considered safe for this water. All the 
 materials requisite are found within close proximity to the Springs, 
 and the bottles are made at this factory only two and a half miles dis- 
 tant from them. An additional plant has been established for the 
 manufacture of flint glass, the materials for which are close at hand, 
 and among the recent discoveries near by is an immense deposit of 
 cryolite, in which it is expected to find the elements for clear and 
 merchantable glass. A building has been constructed for the extrac- 
 tion of these elements and the production of aluminum is one of the 
 possibilities of manufacture at this plant. A large machine shop has 
 been erected in connection with the glass works and various smaller 
 industries are conducted in the town. ' Colorado City is an eligible 
 site for manufacture of various kinds, with an inestimable abundance 
 of the raw materials in great variety at its very doors and for many 
 miles around. 
 
 In Las Animas, 
 The principal manufactories of Las Animas county, are located in 
 Trinidad, which is conveniently situated to coal, iron, wood, stone- 
 clays and other manufactured minerals. Principal establishments: 
 One rolling-mill, one foundry, two smelters, three flouring mills, one 
 planing-mill, four stone quarries, five saw-mills, one cement plant. 
 Estimated capital Invested. fooo,ooo; value of annual output, $250,- 
 000. The leading advantages of manufacture are unlimited supply 
 
44 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 of coal delivered to manufacturers at $i per ton, a great variety of 
 raw materials and the highest cash market in the State for manu- 
 factured products. There are ten coal mines in operation near Trini- 
 dad, and coking is a large industry at that place. Number of ovens, 
 650; men employed, 700; capital invested, 1390,000; output in 1882, 
 tons, 201,177. The manufactories most needed are woolen mills, tan, 
 neries, beef canning, glass works, brick yards, cotton mills and other 
 establishments to utilize the cheap fuel and raw material so abundant. 
 
 Other Manufacturing Points. 
 
 The town of Golden, in Jefiferson county, is situated in the midst 
 of the largest and most varied known deposits of manufactured clays 
 in the State, and the local manufactures from these resources are fire- 
 brick, pressed brick, tiling, pottery, plaster of paris, sewer pipe, stone- 
 ware, calcined fire-clay, etc. Among other manufactures of Golden, 
 are paper, lead pig, lime, wagons, beer, ale and porter. 
 
 The City of Boulder, in Boulder county, possesses an iron foundry, 
 machine shop, clay pipe factory, a brewery, three planing-mills and 
 a number of smaller industries, while an extensive canning factory is 
 among the industries at Ivongmont, in the same county. 
 
 The City of Durango, in I^a Plata county, has taken the initial 
 steps toward utilizing a few of the many resources of raw material in 
 South-western Colorado, and has in operation a number of establish- 
 ments other than smelters representing important productive enter- 
 prises. The Durango Iron Works, with a capital of $50,000, employs 
 fifteen men, with an annual pay-roll of |i5,ooo. The main building 
 is 40x150 feet, with a foundry addition of 40x160 feet. It has two 
 cupalos, brass furnace and all necessary equipments for a first-class 
 foundry. Two flouring mills annually convert 250,000 bushels of 
 wheat into flour. Two pressed brick establishments have a capacity 
 for the manufacture of |8o,ooo brick per day, employing a capital of 
 $45,000. Lime, plaster, charcoal, planing-mills and saw-mills are 
 among the establishments for manufacture, and are important in the 
 value of their output. Durango has four smelters for the treat- 
 ment of the high and low grade ores of the great San Juan region, 
 employing hundreds of men and producing millions in bullion and 
 other smelter products. 
 
 In addition to the extensive manufacture of lubricating oils and 
 other products from the great petroleum field at Florence, half a 
 million dollars are invested in various manufactories at Canon City, 
 Fremont county, drawing mostly upon the resource of native raw 
 material. Such establishments embrace a roller process mill, a 
 canning factory, machine and boiler works, carriage works, brick and 
 tile manufactory, mineral springs bottling works, a cigar factory and 
 other small establishments. 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. 45 
 
 Colorado's Great Coal Fields. 
 
 IN the great coal measures of Colorado there is a fuel supply for 
 unknown centuries to come. Estimates based upon official geolog- 
 ical surveys, under both the United States and the State govern- 
 ments, have placed the coal-bearing area of Colorado at varying figures, 
 from 25,000 to 40,000 square miles. The most recent estimate, made as 
 the result of actual geological measurement by Prof. A. C. Hills, of Col- 
 orado, gives an area of 18, 100 square miles as the available capacity of 
 the coal fields, distributed over the State as follows: 
 
 ESTIMATED AREA. OF COIyORADO COAI, FIEI,DS. 
 
 Square Miles. 
 
 Grand River Field (Western Colorado) 6,950 
 
 Yampa River Field (Northwestern Colorado including part of 
 
 Wyoming 1,100 
 
 LaPlata Field (Southern Colorado) 1,250 
 
 Raton Field (Southeastern Colorado) 1,300 
 
 Northern Colorado Field 6,800 
 
 North Park Field 300 
 
 South Park (Canon City and Tongue Mesa district — Central). . 100 
 Dakota Measures (South-western Colorado 300 
 
 Total 18,100 
 
 ESTIMATED AVAII.ABI,E COAI,. 
 
 [By the term '* available " is meant the area accessible to mining and 
 transportion, according to present methods and facilities, and forms 
 only one-eighth of the total area containing coal deposits.] 
 
 Available gross tonnage. 
 
 Grand river 26,384,800,000 
 
 Yampa Field 5,961,500,000 
 
 , La Plata Field 3,387,200,000 
 
 Raton Field 4.490,200,000 
 
 Northern Colorado Field 10,000,000,000 
 
 North Park Field 2,568,600,000 
 
 Canon City, South Park Field 429,000,000 
 
 Dakota Measures 169,300,000 
 
 Estimated available tonnage 55,197,100,000 
 
 According to the foregoing figures, the States which rank Colorado 
 in area of coal land are Illinois, with 36,000 square miles, and Mis- 
 souri with its estimated 26,887 square miles. Pennsylvania has only 
 a little more than half the area, while Colorado divides honors with 
 Iowa for third rank. This immense area embraces all varieties of 
 coal, each in great abundance, including two extensive districts thus 
 far discovered of the finest anthracite, while the best of lignites pre- 
 dominate in all parts of the State, with numerous deposits of bitumi- 
 nous and semi-bituminous coals. Prices of coal at the principal 
 markets range as follows, retail: Anthracite, $9.25 per ton; bitumi- 
 nous, $5; lignites, $3.5o@i$4.5o per ton; coal for furnace, $1 to $2 per. 
 ton, according to location. 
 
 The average thickness of the coal seams now being worked is 5 
 feet, 5 inches; the thickest, 45 feet; the thinnest, i foot, 8 inches. 
 The average price paid miners for digging and loading coal and tim- 
 
46 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 bering the working places is from 65 to 75 cents per ton, screened 
 coal. The average cost of producing the coal on cars, including 
 royalty, is about $1.70. Number of men engaged in coal mining in 
 the State, 6,164; average annual wages, ^4,905,159, estimated. Esti- 
 mated total output for 1892, 3,358,000 tons. 
 
 Stone and Marble. 
 
 ANY attempt to compute the enormous quantity of useful stone in 
 Colorado would be futile. The figures representing calculations 
 upon weights and measifres, would exhaust all the minerals with- 
 in the comprehension of the human mind. Sand-stones, lime,lava rock, 
 granite and marble abound everywhere from the eastern foot-hills to 
 the western extremity of the Rocky Mountains. Quarries are numer- 
 ous on every line of railway through the mountains. Marble of finest 
 quality and of all colors exists at many places, and in one county 
 alone, the beds are said by experienced quarrymen to be inexhausti- 
 ble. The stones are of the most durable kind and of every known 
 color and texture, classified as red sand-stone, gray, pink, white and 
 yellow sand-stone, lime-rock, lava-rock and other varieties, together 
 with the granites of many shades and colors. These building stones 
 are used in Colorado to the exclusion of all other stones, and are 
 coming into great demand in many parts of the country. The solidity 
 of the stones and their beautiful colors make them everywhere desira- 
 ble, and their transportation has become an important part of rail- 
 way trafl&c. The stone buildings of Denver and other Colorado 
 cities are uniformly unique and beautiful. There have been immense 
 quantities of the finest flagging, dimension, bridge and pier stone, 
 marble and paving blocks taken from the Colorado quarries and sent 
 to Kansas City, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Omaha and Chicago. The 
 rapid growth of building in the State, together with the increased 
 demand abroad is daily widening the scope of the stone business, 
 which is already an industry of great proportions, giving occupation 
 and maintenance to thousands of people. As yet there is but little 
 development in marble, but in this material in due time Colorado 
 will rival the world. 
 
 The Live Stock Industry. 
 
 Cattle. 
 
 UNDER the present changed conditions due to agricultural devel- 
 opment a peculiar interest attaches to the live-stock industry 
 of Colorado. Cattle raising had its beginning with the 
 first settlements in the State, and continues in the lead, a source 
 of considerable revenue and giving employment to many people. 
 
REvSOURCES OF COLORADO. 47 
 
 Nearly all the wide expanse of plains and valleys was the undisputed 
 domain of the cattle king, and the business was conducted almost 
 exclusively upon the ranges that covered a territory sufficient for a 
 vast empire. For many years the estimated number of cattle in 
 Colorado was 1,500,000 head, three-fourths of this number being the 
 " wild rustlers of .the plains." The number is now estimated by the 
 best authorities at approximately 900,000 head. The decrease in 
 number is no detriment. It means an improvement in the stock and 
 better profits for their keeping. The great ranges have been broken 
 and contracted, the herds have been distributed in smaller numbers 
 throughout the State, and the larger proportion is now maintained 
 upon the farms or within the province of agriculture, within easy 
 reach of the owners. The movement for some years past has been 
 toward a combination of the agricultural and stock-raising interests, 
 similar in every essential to the methods of the Middle States. The 
 finest hay-making grasses and clovers on the continent grow luxuri- 
 antly in Colorado. Of all these clovers, alfalfa is the best, and no 
 grass or clover is known that will produce hay so valuable as feed 
 for cattle. In this product alone, Colorado possesses untold wealth, 
 and this new element in agriculture has entered so largely into the 
 live-stock industry that its cultivation will promote cattle-raising in 
 the State more than all other conditions combined. This changed 
 condition is especially favorable to the careful breeding and raising 
 of stock of all descriptions, and among the public benefits which 
 have followed of late years is the establishment of the dairy in many 
 places and on an extensive scale, this enterprise, in its turn, involving 
 the breeding of improved graded and thoroughbred stock. These 
 and numerous other conditions favorable to the live-stock industry 
 bespeak its increase and improvement for many years in the future. 
 
 The range cattle business, however, will not cease for many years 
 to come. There are many millions of acres of unclaimed Government 
 land on the eastern and western sides of the range and in the moun- 
 tain parks, where there is room for great herds to browse and fatten 
 and multiply. While there has been a drppping off in the herds of 
 the eastern ranges there has been a large increase on the Western 
 Slope. Here the country is new and comprises a vast territory of 
 open land, hills and valleys, endowed by nature with every condition 
 favorable to live-stock. Here the water is abundant, the climate is 
 milder, and the mountains and lesser hills afford protection from the 
 rigors of winter. Southern and South-western Colorado are sections 
 equally favorable to the live-stock industry, and cattle-raising con- 
 tinues to be a profitable business of the people. 
 
 Horses. 
 
 The breeding of blooded and thorough-bred horses has, within the 
 past few years, become an industry of extensive scope and profit in 
 Colorado. In addition to a number of thoroughly equipped stock-farms 
 in various portions of the State, almost every farmer owns one or 
 more brood mares, and in some instances a herd of them, for the 
 
48 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 reproduction of itaproved stock, while the greater tendency is 
 toward the raising of mixed breeds, in which the heavy draft horse 
 predominates. There are a number of stockmen devoted entirely to 
 the reproduction of fine thorough-bred and trotting horses. These 
 horses have a ready sale, and bring good prices in the local markets. 
 Colorado possesses many advantages to the horse. The climate is 
 beneficial to the animal, as in like manner it is beneficial to man. 
 Respiration in a rarefied atmosphere, giving development to the 
 chest, gives also superior lung power and a quickened temperament, 
 corresponding with this development. It also stimulates digestion, 
 and gives increased capacity to the stomach. The horse feeds more 
 liberally, assimulates freely, and, therefore, takes on flesh, strength 
 and endurance. With ample pasturage seven months in the year, 
 and with feeding upon the many varieties of nutritious hay and grain 
 through the winter, the horse can be raised more cheaply in Colorado 
 than in any State in the Union, and there is abundance of room for 
 an extensive industry in this line. 
 
 Sheep and Wool. 
 
 Colorado has a perfect adaptation to the sheep and wool industry. 
 In the few years past the best conducted flocks have paid in wool and 
 mutton about 20 per cent, of the capital invested. It is estimated 
 that there is room, resource and facilities for the raising and keeping 
 of 25,000,000 head of sheep in the State. There are now approximately 
 2,000,000 head, ranging in value from $2 to I3.50 per head for com- 
 mon, and $6 to $S for young fancy breeds. In former years the flocks 
 were maintained almost entirely upon the ranges, and, owing to the 
 lack of grazing and the extreme exposure in the winter, the business 
 was hazardous and often attended with disaster. But now all the 
 dangers and disadvantages, except such as are everywhere usual, may 
 be averted and there is no branch of the live-stock industry more cer- 
 tain of remunerative returns than that of sheep and wool growing in 
 Colorodo. 
 
 Sheep can be raised in all parts of the State, either in great herds 
 upon the range or in small flocks upon the farm. With the late great 
 increase in farming and more particularly in the cultivation of pas- 
 tures sown in alfalfa, clover or the common grasses, it is found that 
 the keeping of sheep in small numbers is more profitable. Thus has 
 come about a system of better feeding and more protection, and the 
 animals, therefore, have a better development, are more thrifty and 
 there is a great decrease in mortality from disease and exposure. 
 
 Another very important element of increased value is the steady 
 advancement that is made in breeding for improved grades. The pre. 
 vailing breed is the Spanish Merino, and nearly all the flocks have an 
 admixture of this blood. The Downs breed, the Shropshires and the 
 Cotswolds and Delaines also comprise an important number among 
 our flocks. The introduction of the California and Oregon sheep, is 
 also one of the factors in the improvement of the wool industry of 
 Colorado. The annual wool-clip is now valued at about $1,500,000, 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 49 
 
 and there is a recent improvement of about 20 per cent, in the quality 
 of wool grown. All this product has in former years been shipped to 
 Eastern markets, and extensively used in the high-grade manufac- 
 tures. Within the past year, however, a woolen mill has been started 
 in operation in Denver, the first step towards the conversion of all 
 this raw material into such woolen fabrics as are in largest demand in 
 the Rocky Mountain region. Such enterprises will multiply as pop- 
 ulation increases, and there will be a corresponding increase in the 
 demand for wool of home production. Both for wool and mutton, 
 Colorado presents many advantages over the Eastern States in the 
 sheep-raising industry. One of the prime advantages is the fact that 
 this is a land of free grass. The sheep can graze upon free grass for 
 eight months in the year and be fed with hay from cheap lands 
 through the winter. Here the limit of time for necessary feeding is 
 about three months. In the Eastern and Middle States about five 
 months is the rule. Then again the sheep raised in Colorado are not 
 subject to the ills that reduce profit elsewhere. Distemper here is 
 scarcely known; there is no foot rot, and grub in the head is rare. 
 Scab is not often prevalent, and it yields quickly to simple remedies. 
 
 Tlie Hog. 
 Hog raising as an industry is quite new in Colorado, but is becom- 
 ing an important branch of farm production. It is found that the 
 country is well suited to swine, and swine well suited to the country. 
 Many of the farmers have recently turned their attention to the cul- 
 tivation of corn on a large scale, and, as grain will not bear transpor- 
 tation in competition with the corn of other states, it must be con- 
 verted into pork and beef Of these meats, pork pays the best and 
 will be found the quickest to make returns. Alfalfa is also an excel- 
 lent food for fattening hogs. They can subsist and fatten on alfalfa 
 pasturage at a cost of almost nothing to the farmer. Though the hog 
 bears the reputation of being a filthy animal, it has been found that 
 cleanliness is as beneficial to him as to other stock. His surroundings 
 in Colorado compel him to be decent. Here the water is clear and 
 cold, and the ground uniformly dry and sandy, admitting ordinarily 
 of little mud or filth. His food and water are therefore wholesome. 
 The results are that he is a healthy animal, easy to raise, easy to 
 fatten and makes a neat, sweet flavored porker. 
 
 Climate and Health. 
 
 THE efl5.cacy of Colorado climate in the cure of lung diseases has 
 long been recognized in the scientific world. Physicians in 
 Europe, and other foreign lands, frequently send their patients 
 to Colorado for benefit, and possible cure. In all countries, high alti- 
 tude and a dry atmosphere are the healthy places for residence. 
 The purity and peculiar qualities of the atmosphere are the main 
 
5Q THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 reasons popularly ascribed. Pure, dry air, brilliant sunshine and 
 agreeable weather all the year round, are the special virtues of Colo- 
 rado climate. That the climate is especially efiBicacious in the arrest 
 and cure of pulmonary diseases, thousands of people in the State 
 can testify by their happy experiences. There are a great many 
 people who came to Colorado a few years ago, poor and broken down 
 in health, and who are now strong, active and prosperous in business. 
 
 The immediate hygienic influences of the altitude, the exhilarating 
 atmosphere and the pleasant surroundings upon both body and mind 
 of the invalid, are defined by a Denver physician as follows: "There 
 is a sufficient altitude to cause lung and chest development by the 
 increased respiration which becomes necessary; there is the dry, ex- 
 hilarating mountain air, with the absence of malaria; there is the 
 tonic effect of a bracing climate, without its rigors, an atmosphere 
 filled with ozone; cool nights in summer; a bright, sunny sky almost 
 every day in the year, conducive to cheerfulness, and bringing a 
 new pleasure every morning. It naturally follows from these condi- 
 tions, that both mind and body are constantly stimulated in their 
 functions." 
 
 The average number of cloudy days in Colorado is about forty in 
 the twelve months. This does not mean an absolute disappearance 
 of clouds during all the remainder of the time. The pocket diary of 
 an old citizen of Denver, who was cured of asthma by a residence of 
 a few years, shows a record of only thirty-three days in twelve years 
 in which the sun was not visible in the twenty-four hoars. This 
 record is important, inasmuch as it presents a peculiar phase relating 
 to the effects of sunshine, which is not overlooked by the medical 
 profession, namely the curative effect of atmospheric electricity. It 
 is affirmed that the increased electric influence of high altitude atmos- 
 phere is one of the most valuable aids in the battle' against lung dis- 
 ease. With a clear sky the electricity of the atmosphere is always 
 positive. Continued mediumship of the human body between the 
 positive air and the negative earth, is a constant renewal of vitality. 
 For this reason in part, camping out as much as possible in dry and 
 elevated countries is advised by physicians. 
 
 Persons seeking places of best advantage for health have their 
 choice between the cities, towns and suburban retreats on the plains, 
 and the watering places and other resorts in the mountains. For the 
 winter, most persons prefer the comforts, the excitement and social 
 pleasures of the city. In the summer, they derive greater benefits 
 from a jaunt through the mountains and a sojourn at one or more of 
 the numerous watering places where hot and cold mineral springs of 
 great curative merit abound. A day's journey by railway into the 
 mountains will take the traveler to heights of from 10,000 to 12,000 
 feet. Even to the healthy newcomer, the strain of sudden elevation 
 to these heights is very severe. Some of the best health resorts are 
 located in the foot-hills and the valleys, and the sufferer may go at 
 once to these places. In many instances the plains are the more 
 
RESOURCES OF COIvORADO. 51 
 
 preferable for a permanent residence, and many families take up their 
 residence at some pleasant location in a farming community. 
 
 The records that have been kept by some of thevDenver physi- 
 cians in the treatment of consumptive patients show some marvelous 
 results of a brief residence in Colorado. The records show a large per 
 cent, of improvement for patients in the first and second stages of 
 consumption. All persons afflicted, however, are advised not to delay 
 their coming until the disease has passed the first stage, while little 
 promise is offered those, except prolonged existence, who come in the 
 third stage of the disease. 
 
 The climate of Colorado, is benefipial not to the consumptive alone. 
 It will wear malaria out of the system. People come from all parts of 
 the world with broken constitutions and soon recover. These include 
 men and women with shattered nervous systems, dyspeptics, rheumatics, 
 paralytics, extreme billiousness, liver and kidney diseases and a host 
 of kindred ailments. A large per cent, of these are restored to health 
 and it is rarely that any one is not improved. In all such cases the 
 fine medicinal virtues of Colorado's numerous mineral springs play an 
 important part. 
 
 Regarding the weather in Colorado, there are some very greatly 
 erroneous impressions, particularly among people in America. Among 
 those who have neyer visited the State the impression prevails that 
 the winters are severely cold, stormy and disagreeable. The winters 
 are most delightful, averaging as high in bright, sunny days as the 
 summers. In all the temperate zone there is no country where the 
 weather is more equable, with a greater average of mildness. During 
 the cold periods of winter the mercury seldom reaches zero in the day 
 and occasionally falls to lo or 15 below at night. In such spells zero 
 would be a fair average for the coldest period of three or four days or 
 a week. The average maximum temperature for January is about 60 
 degrees, for February 60. The minimum temperature for January is 
 about 15 degrees below zero. For February the minimum is about 10 
 degrees below. The maximum temperature prevails for two-thirds of 
 the entire season. 
 
 I^ate in the spring and early in the summer the rains begin. It 
 rains frequently for weeks, and the showers are often copious, and 
 usually seasonable for the farms and pastures. Neither cyclones nor 
 sun-strokes ever occur in Colorado. 
 
 The summers are seldom excessively warm. July is the only hot 
 month, when the maximum temperature will range in the nineties, 
 and the minimum fifty. The sun shines bright and hot, but it 
 is everywhere pleasant in the shade. No country in the world can 
 excel the bright, genial, sunny weather of a Colorado autumn. For 
 the most part it is warm, but seldom too warm or too cool for com- 
 fort, and the mild, pure atmosphere prevails uninteruptedly through 
 the season. 
 
52 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Weatlier Statistics. 
 The following tables is a meterological monthly record and yearly 
 averages, for a period of five years in Colorado, as compiled by Sar- 
 geant J. J. Gilligan, of the United States Signal Service, stationed at 
 Denver. The tables of maximum, average and minimum tempera- 
 ture form an interesting study, fully confirming the most favorable 
 representations made concerning Colorado climate. 
 
 MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE. 
 
 
 Jan. 
 
 Feb. 
 
 Mar. 
 
 Apr. 
 
 May. JONE July. 
 
 Aug. 
 
 Sept. Oct. 
 
 Nov. 
 
 Dec. 
 
 1886. . 
 
 62.8 
 
 71.0 ; 68.0 
 
 74.6 
 
 89.9* 
 
 92.7 
 
 96.3 
 
 94.3 
 
 85.7 
 
 77.0 63.0 
 
 64.8 
 
 1887 . . 
 
 66.9 
 
 70.9 
 
 74 7 
 
 82.. 5 
 
 89.4 
 
 m.9 
 
 92.1 
 
 94.6 
 
 87.6 
 
 85.1 
 
 73.7 
 
 66.6 
 
 1888. . 
 
 76.0 
 
 70.. 5 
 
 70.0 
 
 80.6 
 
 80.. 5 
 
 97.7 
 
 100.3 
 
 92.4 
 
 90.0 
 
 79.8 
 
 70.2 
 
 67.5 
 
 1889. . 
 
 56.0 
 
 61.0 
 
 70.0 
 
 78.0" 
 
 83.0 
 
 92,0 
 
 100.0 
 
 98.0 
 
 94.0 
 
 85.0 
 
 60.0 
 
 66.0 
 
 1890. . 
 
 78.0 
 
 77.0 
 
 71.0 
 
 77.0 
 
 88.0 
 
 94.0 
 
 97.0 
 
 98.0 
 
 87.0 
 
 75.1 
 
 74.0 
 
 76.0 
 
 AVERAGE TEMPERATURE. 
 
 
 Jan. 
 
 Feb. 
 
 Mar 
 
 Apr 
 
 May. 
 
 June 
 
 July. 
 
 Aug. 
 
 Sept. 
 
 Oct. 
 
 Nov. 
 
 Dec. 
 
 1886. . 
 
 21 
 
 39 
 
 34 
 
 44 
 
 61 
 
 65 
 
 74 
 
 71 
 
 60 
 
 52 
 
 33 
 
 37 
 
 1887. . 
 
 31 
 
 32 
 
 46 
 
 49 
 
 60 
 
 69 
 
 69 
 
 68 
 
 63 
 
 48 
 
 40 
 
 29 
 
 1888. . 
 
 27 
 
 39 
 
 33 
 
 53 
 
 53 
 
 68 
 
 71 
 
 65 
 
 61 
 
 48 
 
 34 
 
 34 
 
 1889. . 
 
 27 
 
 30 
 
 43 
 
 51 
 
 56 
 
 64 
 
 Ti 
 
 73 
 
 60 
 
 52 
 
 32 
 
 40 
 
 1890. . 
 
 28 
 
 34 
 
 41 
 
 48 
 
 58 
 
 68 
 
 75 
 
 69 
 
 68 
 
 50 
 
 40 
 
 39 
 
 MINIMUM TEMPERATURE. 
 
 
 Jan. 
 
 Feb. 
 
 Mar Apr. 
 
 May. 
 
 June July. 
 
 Aug. 
 
 Sept. 
 
 Oct. 
 
 Nov.i Dec. 
 
 1 ■ 
 
 1886. . 
 
 —18.9 
 
 2.9 
 
 —10. 7 
 
 20.5 
 
 35.5 
 
 46.8 
 
 55.5 
 
 48.5 
 
 29.0 
 
 22.6 
 
 — 6.0 
 
 1.4 
 
 1887 . . 
 
 —17.6 
 
 -2.8 
 
 13.2 
 
 20.5 
 
 30.9 
 
 43.7 
 
 50.0 
 
 46.9 
 
 35.0 
 
 7.8 
 
 —14.2 
 
 —13.6 
 
 1888. . 
 
 -20.3 
 
 15.5 
 
 — 1.5 
 
 30.0 
 
 31.5 
 
 41.0 
 
 51.4 
 
 49.2 
 
 38.0 
 
 26.0 
 
 11.5 
 
 7.2 
 
 1889 . . 
 
 3.5 
 
 -7.0 
 
 18.0 
 
 29.0 
 
 32.0 
 
 37.0 
 
 50.0 
 
 46.0 
 
 30.0 
 
 25.0 
 
 3.0 
 
 4.0 
 
 1890. . 
 
 — 7.5 
 
 -8.0 
 
 5.0 
 
 19.5 
 
 31.8 
 
 37.0 
 
 54.0 
 
 48.0 
 
 34.0 
 
 25.1 
 
 17.0 
 
 13.8 
 
 Dash (— ) denotes below zero. 
 
 Health and Pleasure Resorts. 
 
 Many of the most eminent physicians in the world have given 
 testimony that Colorado is a land of healing. Many ills of human 
 flesh that have passed beyond the aid of medical skill, have been 
 cured by nature's remedies dispensed through pure atmosphere, the 
 gladsome sunshine and the sparkling waters of Colorado's mineral- 
 laden mountains. 
 
 Health-giving mineral springs abound in all parts of the moun- 
 tainous regions of the State, and also upon the plains some of the 
 most efficacious waters are found. Many thousands who have come 
 from all parts of the world to these healing fountains, will testify to 
 their worth. The thermal springs, which abound in great numbers 
 especially possess all those cleansing virtues which attract a suffering 
 people from their homes, and allure them to the utmost ends of the 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 53 
 
 earth in search of promised relief. In Colorado it is not an illusion. 
 Sufferers from the most serious organic diseases are positively cured, 
 or greatly improved, and their lives happily prolonged by the persis- 
 tent use of these waters, both as a bath and a drink. 
 
 These thermal springs, located in diflferent portions of the State, 
 are not always identical in their mineral elements, but in many 
 instances contain more or less of the same ingredients, in some 
 instances diflfering widely in their chemical combination, and there- 
 fore being applicable to diflferent diseases. Analyses of some of 
 these waters show a single spring to contain carbonate of soda, sul- 
 phate of magnesia, carbonate of iron, sulphate of soda, sulphate of 
 lime, chloride of sodium, chloride of calcium and magnesium, sili- 
 cate of soda and sulphate of potash. In most of these mineral 
 springs, whether hot or cold, the predominating minerals are car- 
 bonate of soda, sulphate of soda, sulphate of magnesia and iron. 
 At some of the splendid resorts, where hot springs exist, the patient 
 has all the benefits of a Turkish bath, with the additional eflEcacy of 
 these strongly-mineralized waters. 
 
 The diseases which yield the more readily to these waters, are 
 rheumatism, consumption, asthma, liver, kidney and skin diseases, 
 malarial poisoning and nervous prostration. It is not claimed that 
 miracles of cure may be wrought by these waters alone. 
 
 Not alone do these life renewing, sparkling streams which gush 
 spontaneously from the mountain sides, invite the invalid and the 
 weary. What with its beautiful towns and cities, its gorgeous moun- 
 tain peaks and lovely valleys, its awful canons, its streams and its 
 forests, its broad green parks and its charming crystal lakes that mir- 
 ror the azure heavens in the mountain tops, nature has given to Col- 
 orado with lavish hand many wooing attractions for man's delighc. 
 In all these charms is found a panacea for the iLo of budy, the cares 
 of life and the distorted fancies of mind diseased. 
 
 For the pleasure seeker and the tourist, no state in the Union, no 
 country in the world, oflfers such a combination of attractions. Up^n 
 each route of the many railway lines that thread their way through 
 the mountains there is an ever-changing panorama of interesting 
 grandeur, while the weird enchantment of far-reaching vistas is broken 
 with delightful visions of the verdant fields and meadows and valleys 
 of the plains. 
 
 The watering places of Colorado have become numerous of recent 
 years, with ample and splendid accommodations, while the stream j, 
 the lakes and parks, with their great areas of forest, afiford the richest 
 sport in hunting, fishing and rustic recreation. Those who come are 
 enchanted with the delightful scenes and a longing memory brings 
 them again year after year. 
 
54 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Educational Adyantages. 
 
 THE system of public instruction in Colorado for its excellency and 
 substantial establishment is unsurpassed by any State in America. 
 Considering the brief period of the State's industrial existence, 
 no country in the world can show equal advancement in the cause of 
 education. In two essentials especially the schools of Colorado pos- 
 sess peculiar and superior advantages, narnely, the enthusiastic devo- 
 tion of the people and the fostering protection of the State, which 
 holds within its disposal great resources of wealth, especially provided 
 for the maintenance of the schools for all time, supplemented by the 
 moderate constitutional tax levy for special school purposes. 
 
 The history of public education in Colorado was that of vicissitude 
 consonant with the struggles of the territory through the early years 
 into the organized life of Statehood. Its period of true and substan- 
 tial development, therefore has been within the past fifteen years, and 
 along with a thorough system of public schools established on the 
 permanent foundation of an ample fund that will grow with the fur- 
 ther development of the State, rather than diminish by* use, have 
 grown up colleges, universities and numerous other institutions of 
 learning, whose foundations are laid to anticipate the increase of 
 population and the great upbuilding of the West for generations to 
 come. 
 
 In the beginning of school history, thirty years ago, the respective 
 districts, each of them the size of a State, contained less than a score 
 of school population. At the time of Territorial organization, with 
 a population of 25,000, there were less than 4,500 women, and no 
 native children of school age. With the year 1870, the beginning of 
 the State's permanent growth (though still as a Territory), also began 
 the modern period, or permanent development of education. la 
 1875, Colorado contained 20,000 school children, with a school attend- 
 ance not exceeding 10,000. 
 
 By the enabling act, the State received from the general Govern- 
 ment two sections of land in every township, the proceeds from the 
 sale of which is to constitute a permanent fund, the interest only to 
 be expended in support of common schools. Seventy-two other scc- 
 tious were set apart for the support of a State University. Thus the 
 foundation of a splendid school system was early laid. Under this 
 grant it is estimated that the. State became owner of 3,500,000 acres 
 of laud, the larger part of it being the best agricultural and mineral 
 lands in Colorado, with favorable location, to be used exclusively for 
 the benefit of schools. Of this land, about 70,000 acres have been 
 sold, and nearly 1,000,000 acres are under lease, j'ielding an annual 
 income of over *8o,ooo. The recent and numerous new discoveries 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 55 
 
 of gold and silver has greatly increased the demand for leases of 
 mineral lands. From these sources, a permanent fund has been 
 created, that now amounts to about f 1,070,000. For all school pur- 
 poses, Colorado has been most liberal in the expenditure of money. 
 School-houses are numerous throughout the State, and some of the 
 largest, most splendid and costly school structures on the American 
 continent are to be found within her borders, especially in the city 
 of Denver. Since the State was admitted into the Union, in 1876, 
 there has been expended on the common schools alone, an amount 
 approximating |Si6,ooo,ooo. This does not include the State Univer- 
 sity, Agricultural College, School of Mines and the State Normal 
 School, all of which are State institutions. 
 
 The school population of the State is now (in 1893), 106,754. 
 Total value of school property, 15,790,770. 
 
 As a result of thirty years of organized effort, the greater propor- 
 tion of development being for the past ten years, the system of public 
 instruction in Colorado is as near perfection as it can be found in any 
 State of the Union, the work of a century giving them no advantage 
 in the points of excellence and advancement. Comparing the year 
 1871 with the year 1877, when the first report under the State admin- 
 istration was made, there was an increase in important particulars, 
 such as school population, enrollment, number of districts, number 
 of buildings, value of school property, etc., of 100 to 500 per cent. 
 Comparing 1871 with 1892, the last year's record, for the same items 
 there is an increase of 800 to 2,100 per cent. The growth has been 
 healthful and symmetrical. From elementary schools to university 
 development has been gradual and therefore stable. With the roots 
 of the system firmly planted in deep soil, the wonderful expansion- 
 that is now going on at the top in the higher institutions of learning 
 is natural and timely, and comes with it the assurance of a steady 
 development as with that of all other interests of the State. The grad- 
 uates of the public schools of the State are not only finishing their 
 courses in the home colleges and universities, but have been admit- 
 ted to the foremost institutions of the land, and after completing full 
 courses of study have returned, crowneji with honor and distinction. 
 The quality of the work done in the schools of Colorado may be 
 measured by the records of the graduates in positions of responsibil- 
 ity, distinction and trust, which they are filling within and without 
 the State. 
 
 The universities and leading colleges of the State are as follows ;: 
 The State University of Colorado, located at Boulder; the State Agri- 
 cultural College, at Fort Collins; the State School of Mines, at 
 Golden; the State Normal School at Greeley, all under the control of 
 the State Government. The University of Denver, under control of the 
 Methodist Episcopal Church; the Colorado College at Colorado 
 Springs; the Westminster University of Colorado, located at Denver, 
 and under control of the Presbyterian Church; the Presbyterian Col- 
 lege of the South-west, located at Del Norte, in the San Luis valley ; 
 
56 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 the Longmont College, a Presbyterian establishment at Longmont; 
 the Tillitson Academy, under control of the Congregational Church, 
 located at Denver; St. John's College and Wolfe Hall, Denver, under 
 control of the Episcopalians, Jarvis Hall, another branch, being 
 under special charge of St. John's Cathedral; the College of the 
 Sacred Heart, conducted by the fathers of the Society of Jesus. 
 There are numerous other institutions of learning and private schools 
 of varied character and in great numbers. In all the institutions 
 named, the scope of study is comprehensive, embracing the special- 
 ties indicated, the professions and the higher branches of learning 
 for both men and woman. 
 
 Cost of Living. 
 
 The ample facilities of transportation aflforded by the numerous 
 railways which connect all points in the State with the markets 'of 
 the nation, and the great increase of recent years in the home supply 
 from agriculture, manufactures and other sources, have rendered the 
 matter of living in Colorado a problem of no greater difficulty than 
 in the older States of the country. The prices current in the retail 
 markets will serve as the best indicator to heads of families: 
 
 Flour, Colorado standard, first grade, |i. 50 per cwt.; second grade, 
 f 1.35; dressed beef, loins, 14 and 15 cents per pound; ribs, 9 and loc; 
 hams, sugar cured, 14 and 15^^; breakfast bacon, choice, 15c; mut- 
 ton, 15c; butter, creamery, 33 and 35c; sweet dairy, 20 and 22c; eggs, 
 20 and 25c per dozen. All vegetables as cheap as Eastern or Middle 
 States. Dry goods and clothing, prices nearly correspond with East- 
 ern markets. 
 
 The rent of houses and rooms in the cities and larger towns is pro- 
 portionately the item of largest expense. Cottages of five and six 
 rooms (in Denver) rent for I15, |i8, |20, $25 and I35 per month, 
 according to the location and style of building. Two story houses, 
 from I35 to 575 per month; larger dwellings at prices proportionately 
 larger. Furnished rooms rent at prices ranging from $6 to f 18 per 
 month, the average being about $10 per month for single occupants. 
 Hotel rates, according to the class of house, range from f28 to $75 
 per month (I1.50 to $4 per day for transients). Table board at hotels 
 ^4 50 to |i2 per week. Room and board at boarding houses range 
 from |7 to |i2 per week. Regular meals are given at restaurants at 
 25 to 75 cents, and the cheaper restaurant is an institution that obtains 
 with popular patronage throughout the State, beiug especially numer- 
 ous in all large towns and cities. In the mountain districts and at 
 points elsewhere remote from the centers of commerce, the prices for 
 all things range slightly higher than in the cities on the plains. 
 
 Although the wage-earning people of Colorado are as closely cir- 
 cumscribed by the cost of living in comparison with their earnings 
 as in other industrial States, the thrift of this class is remarkable. 
 A large per cent, of this population, including the laborers, clerks 
 and working women, own the houses they live in. The many easy 
 opportunities of securing a home in Colorado are among the flatter- 
 ing inducements to the poor man, and this is of itself a good founda 
 tion for his fortune. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 57 
 
 Iron Resources of Colorado. 
 
 LARGE bodies of iron are numerous in Colorado. It has been 
 often repeated by scientific explorers, that Colorado compares 
 favorably, as to iron resources, with many States better known 
 in this respect, and recent developments have shown that the iron 
 industry of the State offers a field of great promise for manufacturers. 
 The sections of the State where iron deposits are known to exist in 
 the largest bodies, and of best quality, are in the counties of Cha£fee, 
 Gunnison, Las Animas, Saguache, Boulder, Pitkin, Routt and 
 Conejos. 
 
 These great deposits remain practically undeveloped, mainly for 
 the want of manufacturing enterprise in the West. The extensive 
 iron works of the Colorado Coal and Iron Co., at Pueblo, is the only 
 establishment of the kind, manufacturing exclusively from the native 
 ores. These works are built upon a large scale, and produce pig-iron, 
 steel rails, iron castings, cast iron pipe, merchant bar, nails, spikes, 
 and gas, sewer and water pipes. The output is consumed mainly in 
 Colorado, but the markets for such wares are open dnd inviting in all 
 the adjacent States and Territories of the Rocky Mountain region. 
 The ores thus far mined and used by the Pueblo works are true " Bes- 
 semer," and their freedom from phosphorus is their most striking 
 characteristic. The ore taken from their principal mine will not 
 average over 0.008 per cent, of phosphorus, though not so free from 
 sulphur, showing from one-tenth, to as high as two per cent, in ship- 
 ping lots, perhaps yielding something under one per cent, in a 
 general average. The average percentage of metallic iron (actual 
 shipments), is fifty- seven; lowest, fifty; highest, sixty-three. 
 
 The Breece iron ore at Leadville, which is mined with the precious 
 metals, and used by the Colorado Coal and Iron Co., has been 
 described as a magnetite, though it now appears that it contains more 
 hematite. This ore has been developed to a width of fifty feet, and 
 its limits are unknown. The ore carries, besides iron, manganese, 
 nickel, cobalt, zinc, copper, gold, silver, arsenic, antimony, calcium, 
 magnesium, aluminium, titanium, carbonic acid, phosphoric acid, 
 chlorine and water. Such an analysis, presented merely as qualita- 
 tive, might well terrify an iron master. The sum total of the impuri- 
 ties, however, with the exception of silica, falls under one per cent, 
 and even of this over half is magnesia. This elaborate analysis was 
 made by Mr. Hillebrand, of the U. S. Geological Survey. A com- 
 mercial analysis made at the Colorado School of Mines on average 
 shipping lots, showed iron, 60.5; silica, 5.80; :and phosphorus, 0.03 
 per cent. This ore has been used both as flux in lead smelting, and 
 for the manufacture of pig-iron. 
 
53 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The largest ore bodies in the State are found in Gunnison county. 
 These deposits are almost wholly undeveloped, and their extent- 
 unmeasured. Here it is claimed that the supply is inexhaustible. 
 The largest veins so far known are magnetic. The following is an 
 official analysis made by Prof. Regis Chauvenet of the State School 
 of Mines of the ores taken from the "Iron King," the largest known 
 iron body in Gunnison county, the samples being taken from a vein 
 seventy feet in width, and of quantity so great that it is incalculable, 
 
 Sample from whole mass Metallic iron, 49.71 ^ 
 
 Sample, omJtting only quartz-streak near foot-wall '' 52.16 
 
 General sample from 40 feet nearest one wall . . . '| 55.62 
 
 Sample from best exposures in whole width ... " 58.19 
 
 Sample from best exposure nearest lime wall ... " 67.27 
 
 An average of 6o per cent, can easily be mined, by rejecting only 
 such streaks as naturally separate in the sorting. A general analysis 
 average of total exposure, gave as follows: 
 
 Water 0.65 
 
 Silica 8.85 
 
 Iron, metallic 58.75 
 
 Sulphur 0.123 
 
 Phosphorus 0.044 
 
 Ume trace 
 
 Magnesia trace 
 
 This is first-class ore, and other analyses have shown its average 
 sulphur to be less than shown in these examinations. 
 
 In the same County are many smaller mines, with rich manganese 
 ore. After roasting, this ore yields 35 to 40 per cent, iron, and from 
 15 to 25 of manganese. Near to these great iron fields are coal beds, 
 notably those in the vicinity of Crested Butte, and at the head-waters 
 of Ohio Creek, already accessible by railroads, which connect at 
 Gunnison with the main lines reaching every part of the State. 
 Limestone is abundant, and has been developed and shipped at 
 several points. 
 
 The ore chiefly smelted, thus far, at Pueblo, is from the Calumet 
 
 mine, of Chaffee County, a great magnetite deposit, whose average 
 
 analysis is given herewith: 
 
 Silica 7.04 
 
 Alumina 1.90 
 
 Per-oxide of iron 59.76 
 
 Protoxide of iron 26.88 
 
 Bi-sulphide of iron 1.14 
 
 Lime 1.59 
 
 Magnesia 1.70 
 
 Phosphoric acid 0.016 
 
 Titanic acid trace 
 
 Iron, metallic 63.28 
 
 Sulphur 0.61 
 
 Phosphorus 0.007 
 
 The deposits here briefly described form, of course, only a minority 
 of those known. The great deposit (Hematite), of Gunnison County, 
 near Powderhorn P. O. (Cebolla District), will not be long in attract- 
 ing the attention of iron men, and in the same hills are abundant 
 deposits of manganese ore of all grades, from pure black oxide to 
 ores to be classed as iron, with manganese in various proportions. 
 The wonderful, but undeveloped mass of magnetite above Ashcroft, 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 
 
 oy 
 
 in Pitkin County, is perhaps the most massive of any of the veins 
 yet discovered, though its altitude has prevented much exploration. 
 
 Anticipating an era of great manufacturing in Colorado, a com. 
 pany has been formed for the establishment of iron and steel works 
 "in Denver, with a capital of millions. The operations of this com- 
 pany will be based upon calculations as follows: That the ore and 
 the fuel lie in so near proximity that all the material for the produc- 
 tion of a ton of Bessemer pig-iron, delivered at a suitably located 
 furnace, would, on the basis of a most liberal estimate, cost ^9 as a 
 maximum, with the probability that it would be nearer $7 than $9. and 
 that a fair rate of freight on pig-iron, on large contracts, from 
 such furnace to Denver, would be $2 per ton. Taking the maximum 
 at $g and adding $2 for labor and $1 for general repairs fnd expense, 
 and then adding $2 for freight, a total cost of $14.- for Bessemer pig 
 iron in Denver is given, so that $15 would represent a selling price 
 with fair profit. These are maximum figures, and recent closer esti- 
 mates place the cost of production as low as $12 per ton. 
 
 A Great Railway Center. 
 
 THE numerous railway systems in Colorado form a net- work of lines 
 throughout the State. Nine main lines with their many branches 
 and extensions, having a total trackage of 4,675 miles in the State, 
 all center in Denver, and that city has thereby become the greatest rail- 
 way point west of St. lyouis. Seven of these lines, including two 
 lines of the Union Pacific, represent five great railway systems which 
 have extended their main lines from the East into Colorado. To the 
 south-east is the great Denver, Texas and Fort Worth Railway, connect- 
 ing Denver with Galveston and New Orleans, while within the State, 
 are the great local systems of the Denver and Rio Grande and the Colo- 
 rado Midland railway, both giving an outlet to the Pacific, the Rio 
 Grande with its numerous branches reaching all the great industrial 
 centers of Colorado. In addition to the lines constructed in the State, 
 four great railway systems run their cars to Denver over the tracks of 
 other railways from Missouri river points, and over one hundred pas- 
 senger trains arrive at and depart daily from the Union depot at 
 Denver. Eastward the Union Pacific runs two lines, viz: the Jules- 
 burg Short lyine, to Omaha, and the Kansas Pacific, to Kansas City. 
 The other lines of the Union Pacific Railway in Colorado, are the 
 Denver Pacific, via Brighton, Evans and Greeley, to Cheyenne; the 
 Colorado Central, narrow guage, extending into the gold and silver 
 mining regions of Gilpin and Clear Creek counties, and the brooa 
 gauge branch of the Colorado Central, reaching the prosperous agri- 
 cultural sections of Golden, Boulder, Longmont, l/oveland and Fort 
 Collins; the Denver, Marshall and Boulder branch; the Denver and 
 
60 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Leadville extension to Leadville, reaching Breckenridge and other 
 camps in Summit county; the Denver and South Park branch, through 
 South Platte Canon, over Kenosha mountains, across the South 
 Park and over Alpine pass, through the great tunnel and down to Pit- 
 kin, Gunnison and the coal fields at Baldwin; and the Denver and Mor- 
 rison branch to Morrison. 
 
 The Burlington and Missouri railway passes from Denver through 
 the agricultural and stock raising lands of north-eastern Colorado, and 
 thence into Nebraska and Kansas, where it conaects with the Eastern 
 trunk lines, dividing traffic with the Union Pacific and other East and 
 West trunk terminating lines in Colorado. It has one branch in the 
 State, the Denver, Utah and Pacific from Denver to Lyons, a distance 
 of forty-five miles, where are located the extensive stone quarries pro- 
 ducing fine flagging and paving stone. The 400 miles of this system 
 includes the newly constructed road to Cheyenne, through the rain- 
 belt counties of Sedgwick, Phillips and Weld. The Burlington and 
 Missouri was the pioneer line in the development of eastern Colorado 
 as an agricultural country. In general business it has always received 
 recognition as a benefactor in the development of the State. PVom 
 the first its thorough equipment and its uniform spirit of accommoda- 
 tion to the public established its popularity with the people of Colo- 
 rado and the traveling public. 
 
 The Denver and Rio Grande railway is in every particular a State 
 enterprise, and to it Colorado is indebted for a great part of its pros- 
 perity. It has been the aim of this railway to reach all the mining 
 districts and other centers of industry within the field of its opera- 
 tions. From its main line north and south it has deflected to the 
 west and south-west with its numerous branches until it has extended 
 itself like a fan over these portions of the State. The northern 
 extremity of the Rio Grande is Denver, and the southern, Santa F^, 
 New Mexico. Westward it extends via Salt Lake to Ogden, where it 
 connects with the great railway lines of the Pacific Slope. By its 
 various extensions its main stem is connected with Leadville, Glen- 
 wood Springs and Aspen, Gunnison, Grand Junction, Ouray, Alamosa, 
 Durango and Silverton, West Cliff, Columbus, Saguache, Irwin, Cres- 
 ted Butte, Wagon Wheel Gap, Moffat in the San Luis Valley, and the 
 rich silver mining camp of Creede. 
 
 The Rio Grande Southern is an important line of communication 
 between Ridgeway, in Ouray County, and Durango, in La Plata 
 County. It opens up the country in the extreme south-eastern part of 
 the State, and fills the gap in the line of traffic communication on 
 the line of the Denver & Rio Grande between Ouray and Silverton. 
 In its passage through the south-western part of the State, it opens a 
 country of immense mining wealth, much of which has hitherto been 
 undeveloped in the San Juan country. 
 
 The Colorado Midland is a Colorado enterprise, and a splendid 
 broad-guage route from Denver, via Colorado Springs to Leadville, 
 over the Continental Range to Glenwood Springs, and thence down 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. Ql 
 
 the Grand River valley to Grand Junction, whence it is heading for 
 the remote west over the Rio Grande Western to Salt lyake and 
 Ogden. Recently it has come under the control, and is a part of the 
 Atchison, Topeka and Santa F6 system, and forms an important link 
 in the trans-continental connections of that great railway. The 
 original design in the construction of the Colorado Midland, was an 
 ultimate outlet to the Pacific coast. To consummate this result, more 
 than f 10,000,000 have been expended in construction and equipment, 
 and work is now in progress on the Loch-Ivanhoe tunnel, through 
 the Saguache range, which will cost another $1,000,000, and the tun- 
 nel will be 9,350 feet, the third in length in the United States. The 
 Colorado Midland gives the advantages of development to many rich 
 sections in the State, and is one of the favorite routes for tourist 
 travel amid the grandeurs of mountain scenery. 
 
 The Rock Island railway enters the Eastern side of the State, 
 passes through the fertile counties of Kit Carson, Lincoln, Elbert and 
 El Paso, and terminates at Colorado Springs. Its trains operate to 
 Denver over the Denver and Rio Grande railway from that point, and 
 also thence to Pueblo. This road opens large areas to agricultural 
 settlement and contributes largely to the prosperity of Colorado. 
 
 The Atchison, Topeka and Santa F6 railway enters Colorado in 
 the south-eastern part of the State, passing through the rich agricul- 
 tural counties of Prowers, Bent, Otero and Pueblo, contributing 
 greatly to the development of the fertile valley of the Arkansas, and 
 operates its own lines to Denver from Pueblo. It diverges at La 
 Junta and connects with the Atlantic and PacififC at Albuquerque, 
 New Mexico. The Atlantic and Pacific, together with the California 
 Southern, are now owned by this corporation. The extension of this 
 system gives Colorado direct communication with California points 
 and also with Fort Worth, Texas. The road is now an important link 
 of communication between Colorado and the markets of the East 
 and West. 
 
 The Missouri Pacific from St. Louis and Kansas City terminates at 
 Pueblo, its trains running to Denver i/ia the Denver and Rio Grande 
 railway. The system of which this road is part operates 6,200 miles 
 of trackage and networks a portion of Missouri and extends into 
 Tennessee and other Southern points. By this road Colorado taps the 
 Southern trade at Memphis and St. Louis. Since its construction 
 through Colorado, the portion of the State through which it passes 
 has become populated and numerous large irrigating ditches parallel 
 the line part of the way. The road passes through Kiowa, Otero and 
 Pueblo counties, in the Arkansas valley, opening up large sections 
 of country to agricultural settlement. 
 
 The railroad from Manitou to the summit of Pike's Peak, con- 
 structed in 1890, is an unique achievement that surpasses the cog-way 
 up Mount Washington and the incline railway up the Rhigi in Swit- 
 zerland. It is eight and three-fourth miles in length, cost 1300,000, 
 was built for tourist travel, and is the sensational novelty of this cen- 
 tury in railroad construction. 
 
^2 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 In addition to the established lines, the Chicago and Northwestern 
 runs daily vestibuled trains between Chicago and Denver, reaching 
 this city over the track of the Union Pacific. The Chicago and Alton 
 runs its own sleeping cars between Chicago, Kansas City and Denver, 
 using also the track of the Union Pacific. The Chicago, Milwaukee 
 and St. Paul runs its own cars between Chicago and Denver, employ- 
 ing as an entrance to this city the track of the Burlington. The 
 Wabash railroad runs through sleeping cars into Denver, reaching 
 this city over the Rock Island and Union Pacific. 
 
 New Roads and Extensions, 
 
 Vast wealth of material resource lying in the western p'ortion of 
 Pitkin and Gunnison counties, becomes tributary to Western Slope 
 markets, by the construction of the Crystal River railway from Car- 
 bondale, in Garfield county, up the valley of Crystal river, to the 
 town of Crystal in Gunnison county. This road taps the great coal 
 field at Carbondale, in Garfield, the rich silver mines and a great 
 basin of coking coal in Pitkin county, and the silver mines and great 
 marble quarries of Gunnison county. The coal field in Pitkin, forms 
 a great basin possessing a quantity of coal immeasurable and inesti- 
 mable. Near by in Gunnison county, are vast bodies of the finest 
 marbles of all varieties and colors. The development of these 
 resources by this railway, will add millions of wealth to the State. 
 
 The Colorado Eastern Railway is but a few miles in length, reach- 
 ing coal mines near Denver and will doubtless be sooner or later 
 used for entrance into the city by some of the projected lines from 
 the north-east that will certainly be constructed in the near future. 
 
 The Denver, Lakewood and Golden road has recently been built, 
 connecting Denver with Golden. The track is built of steel, weigh- 
 ing seventy-five pounds to the yard, and while its ultimate destination 
 is not known to the public, the expensive character of its construc- 
 tion leads to the conclusion that its promoters have in mind a line of 
 great importance to the city and State. 
 
 The Denver, Apex and Western line is intended to shorten the line 
 of transportation between Denver and the Pacific Coast, and active 
 work will probably be going forward before the end of 1893, the great 
 Atlantic & Pacific tunnel being contemplated as its probable outlet 
 through the range. 
 
 The Denver and El Paso Independent Railroad is a proposed line 
 that gives promise of early construction. It will give Denver direct 
 communication, not only with the rich mining districts of New Mex- 
 ico, but will reach the fairest and best agricultural section of that 
 great Territory, and at the same time shorten the distance to all Gulf 
 ports. 
 
 Quickly following the discovery of the mines at Creede, the Den- 
 ver and Rio Grande built an extension into that rich and famous gold 
 and silver mining camp, and is building an extension into the rich 
 and newly discovered mining district of Cripple Creek. 
 
 Still other railways are under contemplation, and there is hardly 
 an accessible portion of the State that has not been surveyed to deter- 
 mine the feasibility of construction. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 63 
 
 Trips for the Tourist. 
 
 THE Splendid railway facilities of Colorado, afford the tourist a 
 delightful journey through the Rocky Mountains. With rapid 
 transit along the beautiful agricultural valleys or plunging 
 wildly through the canons and over the dizzy summits, the tourist of 
 to-day may sit at the window of his luxurious palace car, entranced 
 with the grand panorama of mountain peaks rolling by as if upon 
 a scroll, with here and there a charming vista of glens, parks and 
 valleys, with their sparkling waters, their verdure and their flowers, 
 an ever-changeful vision of all that is grotesque and beautiful in this 
 rugged configuration in the face of nature. The traveler may make 
 a continuous journey of the State, or, if preferred, he may make 
 daily trips from any given point. By the Union Pacific a circuit of 
 the splendid agricultural region of Northern Colorado is the trip of a 
 day. By the lines of the same system another day will take the 
 visitor through the grandeurs of Clear Creek Canon to Georgetown, 
 and over the famous Loop to the foot of Gray's Peak, with its crest 
 of eternal snow, and by the Denver and South Park, through the won- 
 derful Platte Canon, and over the snowy range to the famous city of 
 Leadville. From Denver southward, with a choice of numerous 
 lines of railway, a splendid panorama of the mountain range is 
 revealed in every mile till Pueblo is reached and thence southward to 
 the New Mexico line, is a continuous vision of scenic grandeurs. In" 
 the passage between Denver and Pueblo, the world-famous Pike's 
 Peak comes into view. At its base is the splendid city of Colorado 
 Springs, and still nearer its feet nestles the delightful Manitou 
 Springs, the "Saratoga of the West," surrounded by its many attrac- 
 tions, including the "Garden of the Gods." Here, too, is Cheyenne 
 Mountain, with its wonderful cascades and canons. 
 
 Starting from Denver, the Denver and Rio Grande ramifies the 
 Rocky Mountains throughout the State. Westward the main line 
 plunges through the Royal Gorge of the Canon of the Arkansas, 
 whose rugged walls of solid rock rise to a perpendicular height of 
 2,600 feet above the track. Thence onward to Leadville, the course 
 ascends the grand ampitheater of the nation — the Snowy Range with 
 its masses of mountain spires whose whitened summits rise to the 
 clouds. Thence onward still, it passes over the snowy crest in the 
 midst of these towering giants of the Rockies, and downward under 
 their gloomy shadow, through abysmal chasms, into the beautiful 
 valleys of the Eagle, the Grand and the Blue. The great Salt Lake 
 route is an ever changing picture of stupendous mountains and beauti- 
 ful valleys, with their rippling streams, their verdant fields, and the 
 towns and villages of prosperous people. Equal in interest are the 
 
g4 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 scenes along the route of the Silverton branch, where the Mountain 
 Twins — the Spanish Peaks — and Veta Pass become objects of admi- 
 ration and wonder. Sierra Blanca, 14,464 feet, and the great San 
 Luis Park, 100 by 60 miles, unite in forming the most enchanting view 
 of mountain and plain. Thence onward and westward, Phantem 
 Curve, Toltec Gorge, Garfield Memorial, The Needles, Elk Park, Gar- 
 field Peak, Sultan Mountain and the many awe-inspiring and rugged 
 heights and chasms of Animas Canon gives a journey of ever chang- 
 ing but increasing interest. On the Del Norte branch is Wagon 
 Wheel Gap; and the Ouray branch is famous for its many points of 
 interest. The extension of this line scales to the summit of the mother 
 range, giving a most thrilling view of gorgeous scenery, connecting 
 all the lines and completing the most wonderful scenic tour of the 
 world. 
 
 The Colorado Midland, in its westward course, reveals the greatest 
 wonders of the Continental range, passing through Cheyenne Canon, 
 with its beautiful cascades, bringing to view the charming rainbow 
 falls, winding about the mountain summits for miles, in the shadow 
 of the great Pike's Peak, passing through the great mining city of 
 Leadville, scaling the summit of the Continental range beyond; 
 gliding down through the great canons and valleys to Glenwood 
 Springs, and thence on westward through the delightful valley of the 
 Grand to its outlet from the State. 
 
 Along all these lines are places of fascinating interest, and there 
 are numerous health and pleasure resorts, which become the places 
 of rest and recuperation for the tourist and the invalid traveler. 
 
 The Dairy. 
 
 OF late years, the dairy in Colorado has evolved from a very small 
 business enterprise, to an establishment of large commercial 
 importance, giving promise of a great future. Its present im- 
 proved condition is the result, mainly, of breeding thorough-bred 
 and graded cattle, and is in part due to the improved methods of 
 feeding and taking care of stock on the farm. Thus, the thorough- 
 bred and graded cattle interests, and the dairy business, have become 
 inseparable, and, as the tendency in all parts of the State is toward 
 the reproduction of improved stock, the dairy must necessarily grow 
 till it becomes the main source of supply to the people of the State 
 in all dairy products. It is estimated that of all the butter consumed 
 in the State, not more than one-sixth of the amount is made at 
 home. With her wide range of facility and resource, Colorado could 
 not only make all her own butter and cheese, but have a ready mar- 
 ket in adjoining States for a large surplus. Among the many 
 advantages are such as, immense areas, good pasturage, pure water, 
 3, genial climate, and a soil productive of all the grains, grasses and 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 65 
 
 valley lands along tlie water courses, where the grasses are richest 
 and most abundant. Nevertheless, the established dairies of the 
 State are conducted the more with a view to the methods of feeding 
 and caring for the stock, than to the location, with reference to 
 immediate surroundings. Therefore, it is practicable to establish the 
 dairy in any agricultural portion of the State where good water can 
 be obtained. Splendid pasture lands can be obtained in all the irri- 
 gated portions of the plains, in the mountain parks and valleys, and 
 in all the broad valleys of Southern Colorado and the Western Slope. 
 The favorite breeds of dairy cows now in use, and multiplying in 
 Colorado, are the Jerseys, Holstein-Freisens, Swiss, Polled Angus, 
 the Galloway and Durham. With proper care, their averages of 
 production run very high. The large, well-regulated dairies are con- 
 ducted upon the most advanced, scientific principles, and the pro- 
 ducts of the creameries are of superior quality, commanding uni- 
 formly high prices. There are a number of cheese factories in the 
 State, and their product is equal in quality to the best family cheese 
 from Eastern markets. The average price, for what is termed ranch 
 butter, is 30 cents per pound, retail. The best creamery butter retails 
 at 40 cents, and some fancy brands at 50 cents per pound, in the 
 nearest home markets. 
 
 Alfalfa. 
 
 THE greatest of forage plants for Colorado is alfalfa, and the 
 State's great strides in farming and stock-raising are due to 
 this plant, in large measure. It is not a native plant, nor is it 
 something new. Virgil, and others of the ancient writers, speak of 
 it. In fact, it was known to the Greeks and the Romans over 2,000 
 years ago, and it was used for forage long before the Christian era. 
 Authorities state that it was brought from Media by the Romans 470 
 B. C. It was introduced in Mexico at the time of the Conquest; 
 thence into South America, and from Chili into California in 1854, 
 where it has been grown successfully. Early in the 'sixties it was 
 brought to Colorado, and was raised for the first time in the State in 
 the Platte valley, near Denver. 
 
 It flourishes at all altitudes below 7,000 feet, and in all soils that 
 will produce other crops. Sandy and clay loams are best adapted to 
 its habits. Soils underlaid with shale, or hard-pan, are not conducive 
 to its successful growth, inasmuch as the roots of the plants must 
 penetrate the sub-soil until they find moisture. It is the most tena- 
 cious of all forage plants, enduring more harsh treatment, more dry 
 weather, heat and- cold, after making a stand, than any of the others. 
 It defies the hottest suns, the dry soils and the great variations of tem- 
 perature — in fact it keeps fresh and green, while all other plants dry 
 up around it. Its growth is exceedingly rapid. In some soils, and 
 
QQ THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 under certain conditions, it makes a growth of 30 to 45 inches a 
 month, and in some localities, a cutting every month in the summer 
 season. The first cutting is ready about the month of June, just 
 before blooming, and is considered the best for working teams, inas- 
 much as it contains more fattening elements. The second crop is 
 cut in July, and the third in September. Horses grow fat on it alone; 
 cattle make fat, flesh and milk; sheep thrive, and are perfectly 
 healthy when fed upon it, and hogs, when pastured upon it, need no 
 other food to fatten them. For the information of those unfamiliar 
 with alfalfa, it is important to state that it is a perennial plant, one 
 planting being sufficient for the life-time of the farmer, and that of 
 his children who live after him. The amount of seed per acre neces- 
 sary to secure a good stand of hay is 20 to 25 pounds; for seed, 12 to 
 16 pounds are sufficient. For hay, the seed on sandy soil should be 
 sown alone; on cloddy, clayey soils, wheat, oats or barley, in small 
 quantities, may be sown with it for shade. 
 
 As to the digestibility and worth of alfalfa as food for stock, the 
 State Agricultural College of Colorado has made thorough experi- 
 ments, and in the official bulletin elucidating these facts, it is stated 
 that the average animal will gain seven pounds weight for every 100 
 pounds of hay consumed, or a gain of 140 pounds weight for each ton 
 of alfalfa. Thus its cultivation has become profitable as winter feed 
 to the flocks and herds which, in late years, have become prevalent 
 upon the farms, instead of being left to struggle through the rigors 
 of winter upon the barren plains. In this connection it will be of 
 interest to state that alfalfa has been sown on about one-fifth of all 
 the available agricultural lands in the State, and now leads all the 
 agricultural products in tonnage and value. 
 
 Petroleum. 
 
 COLODADO produces all the oil required for home consumption, 
 besides a large surplus for outside markets. Petroleum has 
 been found in limited quantities from time to time in various 
 parts of the State, but the only developed field is at Florence, in 
 Fremont county, in the valley of the Upper Arkansas, or mountain 
 region. Oil was first discovered here about eleven years ago. Its 
 product has steadily increased from the first, and for the past eight 
 years has yielded a supply sufficient for the State, in later years the 
 surplus reaching the markets of the adjoining States. In the Flor- 
 ence district the producing area is about three miles wide and ten 
 miles long. The formation is shale, with no other rock interposed. 
 This shale is known to be 3,500 feet thick, but how much thicker has 
 not been determined. The deepest producer is 2,500 feet, but the oil 
 strata has been tapped as shallow as i , 200 feet. One in every four wells 
 is a producer. The heaviest yield from any one well is 500 barrels a 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 67 
 
 day, and from that they run down to five barrels. This annual pro- 
 duction has reached approximately 700,000 barrels crude oil. There 
 are two oil refineries at Florence and one at Overton, near Pueblo, 
 the oil being piped from Florence, a distance of thirty miles, the line 
 having a capacity of 5,000 barrels per day. There have been several 
 excitements over the discovery of oil near Denver the past year. A 
 well was sunk at a point twelve miles distant to a depth of 2,800 feet, 
 which encountered natural gas as well as petroleum, and the owners 
 felt satisfied that they were near a large reservoir, when the pipe broke 
 and the well was flooded with water. Drilling in a new hole is at 
 present in operation. Boring for oil is in progress in two other 
 places in Arapahoe county, and all indications are favorable. 
 
 Poultry. 
 
 EVERY advantage is offered in Colorado for successful poultry 
 raising. Wherever it becomes a feature of the farm it is a 
 profitable part of the industry and the results show the practi- 
 cability of its universal adoption. Domestic fowls thrive best upon 
 dry, gravelly land, where seeds and insect life are plentiful. These 
 are the essential conditions in Colorado. The statistics of commerce 
 show conclusively that the chicken farm or "chicken ranch," as it is 
 called in the west, would be a useful institution and one of great 
 profit. The receipts of poultry and eggs in the Denver markets dur- 
 ing the year 1892, mostly for general consumption, is a commercial 
 item of great suggestions: 
 
 :Eggs (by freight) cars 55 
 
 Poultry " " , 5 
 
 Eggs J (by express) cases 36,132 
 
 Poultry " " dressed, pounds 2,337,757 
 
 Poultry " " live, coops 6,113 
 
 The receipts aggregate a value of not less than $2,000,000. Three 
 fourths of these products were shipped in from other States, and sim- 
 ilar shipments proportionately to population, were received at other 
 principal markets in the State. Thus may be seen the great amount 
 of revenue that may be derived from the poultry business in Colorado. 
 
gg THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Hunting and Fishing. 
 
 THE wild game of the Rocky Mountains is steadily disappearing 
 before the rapid advance of settlement in the West. Still there 
 is a great reserve left to the sportsman in Colorado. The great 
 forests lying west of the Continental range, with their splendid parks 
 and timbered valleys are, as ever the undisputed domain of elk, deer, 
 bear and the smaller game; crystal streams in all parts of the State 
 team with mountain trout, and the many lakes high up amid the 
 peaks, while abounding in fish, are the haunts of the wild feathery 
 tribe. For the larger game, the principal grounds of rendezvous for 
 the angler and the huntsman are the North Park, Middle Park, and 
 along the forests and streams of the Western Slope. The system of 
 Government fish hatcheries which have been in operation during the 
 past few years, has proved of great benefit. In many of the splendid 
 mountain lakes, as well as all the principal streams, the stock is 
 annually improved and greatly replenished from these establishments 
 and the fish from these pure, cold waters are not only numerous, but 
 of excellent quality. As of old numerous hunting parties continue 
 their annual visits from Eastern States to Colorado, and now, that the- 
 Indians have gone and the white man is free to roam the forests 
 untrameled with fear, these visits are attended with more pleasure 
 and greater success than ever before. One of the greatest advanta- 
 ges of the present is the improvement in the modes of travel. Rail- 
 roads have taken the place of the trail and many of the favorite 
 hunting grounds can be reached in a day's journey from Denyer. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. ^59 
 
 The City of Denver. 
 
 IN the thirty-third year of its age, as the pioneer settlement of Colo- 
 rado, the City of Denver, now the great metropolis of the West, 
 contains a population of 150,000. Of this number it has within 
 the past ten years gained 100,000 and now represents one-third the 
 population of a wealthy State, comprising nearly 104,000 square miles. 
 Within this immense area there are the resources and the room for 
 the maintenance of 10,000,000 people. Occupying a central position 
 in Colorado, which is itself the pivotal ground in the community of 
 Western States, Denver becomes the great magnet and radial 
 point for the commerce of the Western country. Situated on the 
 banks of Platte river upon the beautiful and gently sloping plateau 
 reaching from the foot-hills twelve miles distant, it has an open view 
 of the plains and skies to the east, while to the west it sits in the 
 shadow of the majestic snow-clad peaks of the Rocky Mountain 
 range, with the most gorgeous and entrancing picture of nature's 
 painting ever in view. 
 
 Only the pen of inspiration can relate all that Denver is or describe 
 its many points ©f attraction. For the future no one can set its 
 bounds, and to tell what it is destined to be is only within the power 
 of prophetic wisdom. It is the throbbing heart of the Rocky Moun- 
 tain country. The largest and most progressive inland city remote 
 from navigation in America; sitting, unique and beautiful, in the 
 clovers best adapted to the production of milk and cream. The par- 
 ticular portions of the State best suited to dairj' animals, are the 
 midst of this vast area of more diversified resources than any country 
 of the world, having now attained that position of precedence and 
 prestige where she draws everything to her as the metropolis of a 
 rich region, extending for 600 miles in all directions, with no equal, 
 no rival, no possibility of rivalry within this radius of country. In 
 this position she becomes the commercial and manufacturing center 
 and the great distributing point for the products of industry and com- 
 merce, to the community of States that form the Western "half" of 
 the Nation. This community is fast multiplying its thousands into 
 millions, and these millions, as if by the natural law of centripetal 
 force, voluntarily pay tribute to Denver. 
 
 Thus no city in the world has such brilliant and certain prospects. 
 
 As it will ever be the business center, so also it will be the seat 
 of art and learning for this great and peculiarly cosmopolitan civili- 
 zation in the West. 
 
 It is clearly apparent to experienced men of business from all 
 parts of the world, to capitalists, to men familiar with real estate 
 aflfairs, and to the men who wield the power in the management of 
 the great railway systems now making a conquest of the West, that 
 
70 THE industhies and 
 
 the destiny of Denver is extraordinary and inconceivably great. They 
 can see in the many massive structures of architectural excellence 
 and beauty the durable building of a magnificent city. They see in 
 the broad measures and widespread development of rapid suburban 
 growth the foundations now being laid for the habitations of a million 
 people. From the smoking chimneys of manufacture that grow and 
 thicken about the place, from the rush and hurry to and fro upon the 
 great iron arteries of commerce; from the sounds and scenes of indus- 
 try in the workshop and field; in the outporing of unstinted treasure 
 from the mines; in the production of coal and iron and oil; in the 
 great acquisition of agricultural land and the overflowing products 
 the rich soils of Colorado; in all these, together with the develop- 
 ment of materials without limit for the industrial arts, they see that 
 that the great city of the future is now building; that its growth will 
 be permanent and its prosperity perpetual. 
 
 The most reliable evidences of the substantial growth of a city 
 are: Thrift and progress in agriculture, the multiplication of manu- 
 factories, the durable character of its building and the constant 
 increase in the sales and values of real estste. Denver is amply 
 blessed with these signs of prosperity. From the center of the city 
 to every outside point there is a steady, rapid growth, both of the 
 city itself, and of its business interests, with an equally steady appre- 
 ciation of values. Manufactures in almost every line are constantly 
 being added to the long list of establishments, the commerce of the 
 city embraces the wares and commodities of the world, and people of 
 all avocations here find a field of profitable endeavor. 
 
 The early history of Denver is of little moment here, and would 
 be of no material interest to the reader, except as it would serve to 
 illustrate the process of this grand unfolding from the crudities of 
 pioneer days to the present magnificent order of civilization. The 
 chief point of interest is the fact that the beginning of this history is 
 of so recent date, coupled also with the fact that the beginning of 
 Denver was the beginning of Colorado, now so great in wealth and 
 important in its people. Twenty-two years ago Denver contained a 
 population of only 4,759. It was then, from the date of its settle- 
 ment, twelve years old. In that year the first railway came, and then 
 the true development of Colorado began. 
 
 . The establishment of the site of Denver was an incident in the 
 adventures of the first party of men who came to Colorado in search 
 of gold in the year 1858. This was the forerunner of the great Pike's 
 Peak gold hegira in 1859. It is the primary point in the history of 
 these times that the first gold was discovered in the bed of Cherry 
 creek in 1858, by Green Russell and his party from Georgia, and that 
 following the course of that stream to its confluence with the Platte 
 river, they made an encampment there. This encampment became 
 the nucleus of permanent settlement, the first in Colorado. During 
 the year, other parties came, and within that year and the next, three 
 diflFerent town sites were located, and the crudest kind of " stick and 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 7| 
 
 mud" log cabins formed the first habitations. These town sites hav- 
 ing different locations all within the present limits of Denver, bore 
 the names respectfully of Montana City, St. Charles and Auraria. 
 For months there was a bitter rivalry between these log cabin and 
 "wagon cover " camps, as to which should maintain priority as the 
 town of this great western wilderness, then the possession of ths sav- 
 age Indian. On the 29th of October, 1858, a wagon train laden with 
 groceries and provisions, arrived from Iowa, and the owners built the 
 fourth cabin in Auraria, which was the west side settlement. These 
 parties, with the contents of their wagons opened a store, thus start- 
 ing the first commercial enterprise in Colorado. 
 
 The permanent organization of the town of Denver occurred No- 
 vember 22, 1858. A party of men from Kansas, led by General 
 William Larimer, arrived November i6th at Auraria, and crossing 
 over Cherry Creek, November 22d, located the site and organized the 
 Denver City Town Company. These founders of the new town re- 
 solved to make Denver the future great city of the mountains and the 
 plains. They first built a number of log cabins, and that was the 
 City of Denver in 1858, the first cabin being credited to General Lari- 
 mer. Among these people, together with those of the rival towns, 
 were men whose names became famous in Western history, for their 
 exploits and intrepid daring among the Indians, for courage and 
 endurance in suffering the privations of pioneer life, for opening to 
 the world the mines of gold and silver in Colorado, and for the mar- 
 velous results of their enterprise and intelligence, both as the foun- 
 ders and promoters of this marvelous Western development. A 
 number of these men are still living in Denver, some of them 
 wealthy, and all of them honored citizens. 
 
 It has been said that the establishment of Denver was an incident^ 
 to Western adventure in quest of gold. . Time has proved that the 
 incident was unavoidable. The first men who came to Denver were 
 irresistibly attracted by that not usual but inexplicable force in the 
 ' eternal fitness of things, to this particular spot. In this great coun- 
 try, so rich in mineral, in agricultural possibilities, and all the oppor- 
 tunities for human enterprise, the invisible hand of providence that 
 leads the way of destiny has pointed from all time to this identical 
 spot as the great focul point for the aggregation of industrial enter- 
 prise and genius in promoting Western settlement. 
 
 As singularly prophetic of so great a culmination of events, it is a 
 well known fact in the history of border life, that for many years 
 before the white man come for settlement the untenanted ground 
 where Denver now stands was the rallying point and rendezvous of 
 many tribes of Indians; it was the objective point and camping ground 
 of the traders and trappers, and the paths of the buffalo led from all 
 directions on the plains to the juncture of Cherry Creek with Platte 
 River, neat the site of the splendid City of Denver. 
 
-•2 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Population and Industrial G-rowttL. 
 
 It has been shown that Denver attained to only 4,759 in her first 
 twelve years. In iSSo the census was 35,629; in 1885, by Sate census, 
 54,000; in 1890 the National census gave the city credit for a popula- 
 tion of 106,760. This did not include the suburban towns, which 
 would add 20,000 to the above number. The suburban towns are thir- 
 teen in number, and with only two exceptions they are in reality, 
 though not in name, a part of the city, They are not remote points, 
 but the city, suburbs and all are built connectedly and into each other, 
 and form one birds-eye view. Therefore the City of Denver rightfully 
 includes the entire territory. The total census, with the suburbs 
 added, make a population of 126,000. It is claimed that the census 
 enumeration was many thousands short of actual numbers. Nearly 
 three years have expired since the count was made, covering a period 
 of large accessions, and it is fairly estimated that, according to the 
 ratio of three years preceding, 25,000 people have been added to the 
 population since the census enumeration, making a total population 
 of not less than 150,000. 
 
 In explanation of a chart showing Denver's growth at a glance, 
 the Denver /Republican gives to Denver five distinct eras in its prog- 
 ress, to date, as follows: "First, the discovery of gold, which period 
 lasted until 1870, when stock-raising was in its prime, and when the 
 railroads made their advent, becoming the great forerunners of the 
 prosperity which has been enjoyed since 1880. Then the discovery of 
 silver in large quantities is classified as the third era. Following 
 closely on this was the immigration and agricultural epoch, which 
 makes the population line reach still higher. Then comes the in- 
 vestment and manufacturing era. This last era opened six years ago, 
 and it has not yet seen its culmination. It has been a period of great 
 progress, confidence and hopefulness. To a large extent, the history 
 of Denver has been made in that time — 18S6-1892. In that compara- 
 tively short period, Denver more than doubled its population. In 
 1886, the appraised value of Denver was 132,156,515; in 1892 it 
 was 173,000,000. From 1886 to 1892, Denver sold $284,463,330 of real 
 estate, and borrowed Jf 165,032,096. In a word, Denver sold more real 
 estate, borrowed more money, paid more debts, grew more in num- 
 bers and in wealth, and advanced more in educational affairs in these 
 six years than during the preceding twenty-eight years of its history. 
 
 These five eras of Denver's history were successive steps in the 
 acquisition of material advantages. These advantages do not belong 
 to the past. They are moving in the present, with strides of increas- 
 ing force and rapidity. The mining for gold and silver, the live 
 stock industry, the cultivation of the farms, with its widespread of 
 agricultural settlement; the railroads fretting the State with their net- 
 work of lines, and the numerous manufactories, from whose chimneys 
 the smoke forms a pillar of perpetual cloud, betokening industrial 
 life; these, and many other elements of prosperity are growing, and 
 still laying deeper foundations for the greater Denver of the future. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 7g 
 
 It miglit be of interest, it certainly will be a matter of information 
 to people abroad, to enumerate more explicitly what the special 
 advantages of material resource are upon which Denver relies for the 
 future, and what are the great underlying, fertilizing forces that cause 
 such rapid and enormous growth. In answer, a few leading facts are 
 presented: 
 
 The mines of Colorado, now in the primary stage of development^ 
 have reached an annual average yield of $30,000,000 in gold, silver^ 
 copper and lead. 
 
 Four million acres of rich agricultural lands have been made avail- 
 able for agriculture by irrigation. One and a half million acres are 
 now under cultivation, yielding a surplus of wheat and a large pro- 
 portion of the home supply in all other farm products. 
 
 Iron and coal exist in immeasurable and inexhaustible quantities, 
 in close proximity, and the extensive manufacture of all iron and 
 steel products has made a large beginning and great enterprises of 
 this character are under projection. Denver, in addition, has conven- 
 ient access to the material, possesses the facilities, has the natural 
 location and has already become the market to a large territory for 
 the manufacture of a great variety of wares and fabrics. 
 
 Denver is the great smelting center of the West, treating a large 
 per cent, of the ores of Colorado, and receiving large consignments 
 from every mining State and Territory in the Rocky Mountain region. 
 
 Denver is the greatest local and distributing fruit market between 
 San Francisco and St. Douis, and Colorado is fast becoming the only 
 rival of California in fruit production. 
 
 The live-stock industry is a source of great wealth. Colorado is 
 peculiarly adapted to sheep; fine grade wool has become a successful - 
 production, and Denver has established the only manufactory between 
 Illinois and the Pacific, for the manufacture of fine knit underwear, 
 comparing favorably with the standard make of the United States. 
 This factory also makes blankets and underwear peculiarly suitable 
 for mining and all other industries of the State. Herein is a great 
 prospective industry that will become an absolute necessity in the 
 near future. 
 
 The Denver Paper MillSj a new industry, with an extensive plant, 
 capable of supplying all the Rocky Mountain region with news and 
 book paper, has been established during the past two years. It man- 
 ufactures news print paper from the native mountain timbers and has 
 already proven its present usefulness by supplying the greater num- 
 ber of journals in the State with paper, besides having a large out- 
 side demand. The increasing patronage from far and near already 
 demands the enlargement of the plant. 
 
 The Overland Cotton Mills is another new and successful institu- 
 tion which has in the few months of its existence demonstrated that 
 Denver is a most eligible point for the manufacture of cotton fabrics, 
 the city having direct railway connection with the cotton fields of 
 Texas. 
 
74 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 These are but a few of the leading advantages of the indus^ 
 trial resource. An enumeration of all the material resources that 
 contribute untold wealth and form the basis of occupation and sup- 
 port of a large population in this greatly favored city would furnish 
 the subject matter of a book. 
 
 It is singular that in this practical and enlightened day we still 
 venerate Daniel Webster as a model of human wisdom. But it was 
 Daniel Webster who said that this area, so boundless in its riches, 
 was a worthless sandy waste, and the mountain ranges "impregnable 
 and covered to the very base with eternal snow." There are many 
 men in Denver to-day that have greater foresight and much more 
 knowledge of political economy than was ever possessed by Daniel 
 Webster and his associates in the United States Senate of 1838. These 
 deseft wastes have become the fruitful fields and happy homes of 
 thousands of people, and the " impregnable " mountains have yielded 
 their millions of treasure since that memorable speech was uttered, 
 relieving want and giving wealth to millions of the Nation's people. 
 Denver, as the typical star of the Western empire, became the first 
 light of this new revelation. The rest of the story is told in the rec- 
 ord of her industrial development. 
 
 Real Estate. 
 
 Nothing better illustrates the prosperity of a city than the thrift 
 of its real estate market. The rapid growth of values in real estate 
 during the past six years, coupled with a decreasing rate of interest, 
 proves that investment in Denver property is equal in security to 
 Government bonds, and far better in its returns. The most conserva- 
 tive capitalists have invested freely in Denver real estate, always 
 with gain, in some instances making a fortune in a single transaction. 
 The most brilliant feature of the real estate market of the past year, 
 has' been the freedom with which Eastern investors have loaned 
 money on property, improved acreage and trackage. Nothing could 
 better demonstrate the permanent character of Denver. 
 
 The total sales of Denver city real estate, unplatted acreiage and 
 miscellaneous property in Arapahoe County for the past thirteen 
 years, (1880 to 1892, inclusive), amounted to |334,333,90i. The larg- 
 est sales were made in 1890, the flush year of the Western country, 
 when the figure reached $65,829,925. The sales of 1892 aggregated 
 140,308,026. The sales of 1880 aggregated 15,633,000, with little 
 increase till i886-'87, when, in the latter year, they reached $29,176,- 
 752. In 1888, $41,239,545. The record of the four succeeding years 
 is of peculiar interest: 
 
 1880 $ 60,392,098 
 
 1890 65,829,92:) 
 
 1891 47,515,984 
 
 1892 40,308,026 
 
 To'Jil for four years . .$214,046,033 
 
 Deducting for acreage andmiscellaueous County property 24,774,020 
 
 Gives to Denver alone the credit of $190,272,013 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 75 
 
 The decrease shown for the past two years is not in any sense dis- 
 paraging, when it is considered that valnes had fallen ofif in common 
 with the country, and that the larger investments were made in 
 building and in manufacturing enterprises. When the facts are pre- 
 sented, showing the ratio of increased values for a period of ten 
 years, and when it is considered that within the past six years $165,- 
 032,096 has been borrowed on Denver real estate, this apparent 
 decrease does not afifect the real value of Denver property. In this 
 connection, a summary of the releases and foreclosures from 1880 to 
 1892 is of special interest: 
 
 Number of releases : . , 55,870 
 
 Number of foreclosures 2,303 
 
 Number of trust deeds 79,557 
 
 Amounts of trust deeds . . • • $193,114,085 
 
 The loans on property in Arapahoe county for the three years past 
 have been: 1890, $41,694,587; 1891, |35,4i5,5i7; 1892, 125,794,252. 
 With a steady decrease in the rates of interest from year to year, the 
 range in 1892 was from 5 to 12 per cent, the largest amount being 
 loaned at 8 per cent., and the average rate of interest paid for all loans 
 on real estate for the year 1892, was 7.223 per cent. This in itself 
 shows the faith of the capitalist in the permanent prosperity of 
 Denver. It is impossible in this work to convey an adequate idea of 
 the rise in values throughout a period of successive years. The sub- 
 ject could not be fairly comprehended by the reader without an 
 understanding of the peculiar and rapid growth of the city and the 
 changes incident thereto as, for instance, the magnificent rebuilding 
 of the business center and the consequent wide-spread growth of the 
 residence portion, all within the last decade. A few examples of the 
 values of pairs of inside lots during three important periods may 
 serve the purpose in some degree. 
 
 1872. 
 
 1889. 
 
 1892. 
 
 
 $ 3,000 
 
 12,000 
 
 8,000 
 
 1.000 
 
 3,600 
 
 600 
 1,800 
 ■2,000 
 1,600 
 
 800 
 
 $ 25,000 
 65.000 
 75,000 
 16,000 
 80,000 
 14,000 
 30,000 
 60.000 
 90,000 
 35,000 
 
 1 30,000 
 
 
 75,000 
 
 
 90,000 
 
 
 30,000 
 
 
 85,000 
 
 
 32-000 
 
 
 40,000 
 
 
 75,000 
 95,000 
 
 
 45,000 
 
 
 
 These figures show the average increase in thousands of transfers, 
 both of inside and outside or suburban properties. 
 
 In 1864, forty acres were pre-empted in what is now the heart of 
 Capitol Hill, a residence portion, cost $50. In '72 sold at $75 per lot; 
 present value of ground, unimproved, |5 1,500, 000, and value increas- 
 ing. In 1871, in a tract still outside, 700 lots were purchased for 
 $9,100, present value $385,000. In 1886, in outside district, 160 acre? 
 for $32,000; present value, $500,000. And thus on through the historjr 
 
76 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 of platting acreage property on the outskirts as Denver has rapidlj 
 
 advanced from center to circumference through this brief period of 
 
 years. 
 
 Buildings. 
 
 Within the past two years the business center of the city has been 
 ornamented by the completion of numerous handsome towering 
 blocks of granite, brick and stone, graceful in architectural lines, and 
 massive in construction. No Western city can compare with these 
 buildings. They would be creditable to New York or Chicago, and 
 have the superior merit of stopping at eight and nine stories. A 
 view of these splendid blocks throughout the center of the city, and 
 the miles of handsome residences surrounding, is a startling revela- 
 tion to the visitor after a journey through great waste of territory 
 west of the Missouri river. In these are combined wealth, business 
 prosperity, advanced ideas, artistic taste and confidence in the perma- 
 nency and future growth of the city. Among the greater buildings 
 of recent completion are magnificent structures where the founda- 
 tions are laid for centuries to come, with superstructures embracing 
 every detail of modern art for durability and charming ornament. In 
 such artistic eflfect is employed iron and nickel and silver, the fine 
 clays, granite stone, marble and onyx. Only a few of these build- 
 ings can be here mentioned, together with the approximate cost of 
 their construction, as follows: 
 
 The Equitable building, nine stories, granite, pressed brick and 
 terra cotta trimmings, jj5i, 500,000. The Brown Palace Hotel, nine 
 stories, entirely of Arizona red sandstone, the rotunda finished in 
 Mexican onyx, absolutely fire-proof, $1,400,000. Mining Exchange 
 building, one of the most beautiful and substantial in the city, its 
 chief characteristics being its solidity, and uniqueness of design, of 
 granite foundation, red sandstone and brick, seven stories, ^^300,000. 
 The new Cooper building, eight stories, a structural gem of the city, 
 1225,000. Masonic building, six stories, granite and red sandstone, 
 hard wood finish, carved exterior, ^250,000. Kittredge building, seven 
 stories, granite and white lava stone, |l4oo,ooo. The Peoples National 
 Bank, one of the most attractive business buildings in the city, nine 
 stories, granite and red pressed brick, $265,000. The Court-house is 
 a model of some of the finest State capitals in the Nation.. Ernest 
 & Cranmer building, eight stories, red sandstone and pressed brick, 
 $400,000. The California Building, six stories, $150,000. Boston block, 
 an ornate and majestic structure, nine stories, $300,000. School build- 
 ings, ranging from $25,000 to $225,000. Church buildings from $25 
 to $280,000. The new Capitol building, nearly completed, at a 
 cost of $2,500,000, of graj' granite. The new Government building in 
 the heart of the city. Value of 50 buildings — including some churches, 
 $26,954,000. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 77 
 
 BUILDINGS FOR WHICH PERMITS WERE ISSUED IN 1892. 
 
 Residences 
 
 Business 
 
 Schools and Churches 
 Repairs and enlarging 
 Frame buildings . . . 
 
 817 
 
 104 
 
 12 
 
 895 
 
 4 
 
 $ 3,127,676 
 
 1,205,194 
 
 337,920 
 
 480,080 
 
 2,088 
 
 1,832 
 
 $ 5,151,958 
 
 The following table shows the total record of building permits 
 issued from 1880 to 1892 inclusive : 
 
 1881 
 1882 
 1883 
 1884 
 1885 
 1886 
 1887 
 1888 
 1889 
 
 Value. 
 3,517,360 
 3,225,480 
 2,838,480 
 1,578,980 
 1,900,420 
 709 9«0 
 2,000 661 
 4,0"7 050 
 6,049 386 
 10,807,377 
 
 Year. Value. 
 
 1890 $ 12,835,394 
 
 1891 5,704,377 
 
 1892 5,052,958 
 
 Total $ 60,127,903 
 
 Public buildings and sub- 
 urban towns 7,828,170 
 
 Grand total $ 67,956,073 
 
 The past two years was the period of finishing the larger and more 
 costly buildings for which permits were issued in previous years, while 
 the greater amount for the current two years was for residences to 
 accommodate increasing population, a number of these homes costing 
 140,000, while Denver contains dwellings costing I150, 000. Denver is 
 a city of beautiful homes, and this is the most charming attraction to 
 the visitor, being a perpetual delight to the people of Denver, who 
 may see them every day. In Denver the big buildings are centrally 
 located, while there is mile after mile of separate dwellings, of the 
 prettiest and most ornate styles of architecture. They stand apart, 
 with beautiful yards adorned with green grass, shrubbery and flowers," 
 and many a home is of itself a charming little paradise. They are 
 built with great architectural exactness and taste, and with conspicu- 
 ous versatility, the materials predominating, red sandstone and 
 pressed brick, with the handsomest trimmings in variegated stone and 
 marble. 
 
 Assessed Valuation. 
 
 The city is limited by law to a tax rate of 10 mills on the dollar, 
 which is levied on a third valuation of its property. So far 10 mills 
 has been the rate levied. The assessed valuation for Denver in 1892, 
 was 173,563,710. For 1893, the assessor's estimates of valuation for 
 Denver, is 175,000,000, including suburban corporations to be included 
 in city limits, $90,000,000. Thus the estimated real valuation of the 
 city, is $270,000,000. The table of assessed valuations for a period of 
 twelve years, shows a marvelous increase, especially during the past 
 five years. The valuation in 1880 was $16,294,092, against $73,563,7x0, 
 (not including suburbs) for 1892. 
 
78 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Th.e Banks of Denver. 
 
 There are eleven National banks, three savings banks and numer- 
 ous private banking firms in Denver. The National banks are old, 
 vrell established institutions. They are noted far and near for their 
 stability. The panics which have agitated the financial world in the 
 past, have had little effect upon them. They are under the manage- 
 ment of some of the best known financiers in the West, and have 
 large resources behind them. Their paid up capital stock amounts in 
 all to $5,500,000. The resources of the eleven National banks at the 
 close of 1892, was 129,217,536.44, against $25,660,461.98 in 1891. . 
 
 Combined capital and surplus $7,410,000 00 
 
 Deposits 20,585,766 00 
 
 Loans 17,769,700 00 
 
 Resources 29, 217, .506 00 
 
 Clearings forl892 265,985,177 79 
 
 Increase over 1891 37,630,177 57 
 
 Clearings in 1887 117,-589,505 00 
 
 Capital in 1887 2,357,250 00 
 
 The following table is a comparative statement for the past eight 
 years: ^ 
 
 
 YEAR. 
 
 LOANS. 
 
 CAPITAL. 
 
 DEPOSITS. 
 
 1884 
 
 $ 4,608,689 00 
 5,763.489 00 
 7,399,334 00 
 9,. 554, 557 00 
 11,060,874 OO 
 12,143,7.51 00 
 15,685,6.59 00 
 15,414.542 00 
 17,769,710 80 
 
 $ 2,070,076 00 
 2,139,649 00 
 2,296, .575 00 
 2,357,2.50 00 
 2,735,966 00 
 3,537,805 00 
 6,474,765 00 
 6,395,000 00 
 7,410,000 00 
 
 f 7,220,470 00 
 9,089,324 00 
 10,889,715 00 
 12,542,693 00 
 14,807.196 00 
 18,408,078 00 
 17,150,534 00 
 17,818,208 00 
 20,585,766 59 
 
 1885 
 
 1886 
 
 1887 
 
 1888 
 
 1889 
 
 1890 
 
 1891 • • • 
 
 1892 
 
 
 Rates of interest for short loans is froan 12 to 8 per cent., accord- 
 ing to the collateral and amount. Real estate loans, long time, 
 7 and 8, sometimes 6 per cent. 
 
 Commercial. 
 
 The wholesale trade of Denver includes home manufactures, as 
 well as the great volume of merchandise drawn from the markets of 
 the world and her patronage for all goods and wares, whether of home 
 or foreign product, comes from all the States and Territories between 
 the Missouri River and the Pacific Ocean. The wholsesale trade of 
 Denver was as follows for the past two years: 
 
 1891 $ 43,510,500 
 
 1892 47,647,020 
 
 Increase, 1892 $ 4,136,520 
 
 Freight receipts, car loads, all commodities, merchandise and raw 
 material, including ore for the smelters: 
 
 1891, No. of cars 172,429 
 
 1892 176,058 
 
 Increase 3,629 
 
REvSOURCES OF COLORADO. 79 
 
 Live Stock Center. 
 
 As a cattle market and a general live-stock distributing ppint, 
 
 Denver is taking high rank. Its packing-house business has become 
 
 important to all the West, and shows a gratifying annual increase, 
 
 together with all branches of the live-stock industry. The business 
 
 of 1892 is summarized as follows: 
 
 RECEIPTS. 
 
 Cattle 144,514 
 
 Hogs 84,073 
 
 Sheep 133,683 
 
 Horses and mules 11,350 
 
 SHIPMENTS. 
 
 Cattle 132,906 
 
 Hogs 2,661 
 
 Sheep 91,222 
 
 Horses and mules 11,139 
 
 DRIVE OUTS (FOR PACKERS AND CITY USE.) 
 
 Cattle 53,129 
 
 Hogs 79,481 
 
 Sheep 62,587 
 
 The packing establishments of Denver are equipped for unlimited 
 amount of business, anticipating the future wants of the West. 
 
 Coal and Iron. 
 In these two elements of material resource in the State there is a 
 great reserve of wealth for Denver. The production and trade in 
 coal, as it is now carried on can only be regarded as incidental to the 
 necessities of a growing population. But the supply of coal and iron, 
 as well as all other accompanying materials requisite for manufacture, 
 lie close together throughout the State. Denver has already been 
 designated as the future central manufacturing point, and the first 
 establishment for the manufacture of iron and steel in the city is now 
 under construction. 
 
 Public Improvements. 
 Nearly |i,ooo,ooo were spent for public improvements during the 
 past year. One hundred and sixty-six thousand square yards of per- 
 manent street paving were laid. The business center was laid with 
 level, smooth, durable asphalt and sandstone block paving at a cost 
 of 1549,414; of this amount the property owners paying |343,339, 
 showing public spirit and enterprise. The sanitation of the city was 
 improved by the completion in 1892 of 7 1-5 miles of sanitary sew- 
 ers and 8.50 miles of public storm sewers at a total cost of 1449,603. 
 Within the past two years large extensions of sidewalks of stone 
 flagging have been made. Within the past three years there has been 
 a most commendable movement toward the establishment of a sys- 
 tem of public parks and boulevards around the city. Ten years ago 
 there was but one public park, which did not become available as a 
 place of resort till three years ago. Now there are five public parks 
 and numerous delightful gardens and lakes, equipped with good thea- 
 ters and all the arrangements for the pleasure and recreation of the 
 people, situated within the surroundings of the city and easily acces- 
 sible by the numerous lines of electric and cable railways. 
 
30 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 As a Convention City. 
 
 That Denver is one of the best equipped convention cities in the 
 United States, was proved during the Conclave of the Knights Tem- 
 plar in 1892, when 100,000 visitors were well cared for and entertained. 
 The estimate of 150,000 for Denver's present population is not extrav- 
 agant. It is not too great an estimate to say that the city can enter- 
 tain an equal number of visitors. In addition to its thirteen leading 
 hotels, Denver has about sixty second-class, private and family hotels, 
 and upward of one hundred boarding houses, and double that number 
 of lodging houses, the majority of them being near by the restaur- 
 ants. With the latter, Denver is provided in an extravagant degree. 
 In addition, the homes of Denver are capacious and its citizens hos- 
 pitable. The city now has the record of having entertained the 
 largest crowd that ever gathered upon a single occasion in America. 
 
 Street Railways. 
 
 No city on the globe is provided with so ample and so eflScient 
 street railway service as Denver. The city is gridironed with car 
 tracks that lead to the remotest suburbs, and there is no part of the 
 city that is not convenient to some car line, and every line is one of 
 rapid transit, with the exception of one short horse car connection. 
 With this exception, the old system has been entirely supplanted by 
 electric and cable cars for the city proper and steam motors for the 
 outlying districts. The length of the trackage of the several com- 
 panies is 173 miles, and of this total the electric lines cover no miles. 
 The trackage is divided between the several companies as follows: Den- 
 ver Tramway company — electric, 84 miles; cable, 13 miles. Denver 
 City Cable company — cable, 30 miles; electric, io)4 miles; horse car, 5 
 miles. Colfax electric, io>^ miles; Denver, Lakewood & Golden — 
 electric, 5 miles; steam motor, 15 miles. These systems of rapid 
 transit are a consummation of the past three years and have contrib- 
 uted largely to Denver's growth and development. Other lines are 
 projected and will soon be constructed. 
 
 The Chnrclies. 
 
 Denver has seventy-six church buildings under various denomina- 
 tions, while there are more than one hundred places of worship, 
 including churches, missions and places of religious meeting of vari- 
 ous kinds. Of the larger denominations the Catholics have 9 church 
 buildings, Presbyterians 9, Episcopalians 8, Methodists 10, Baptists 10, 
 Congregationalists 9, Christians 4, Lutherans 5, and other denomina- 
 tions and religious societies ©ne each. Church communicants in 
 Denver are estimated at 48,000. Of this number the Catholics have 
 26,000. A number of the most beautiful and costly churches in 
 America have been built in Denver within the past few years, and the 
 church property is valued at $3,500,000. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. gl 
 
 Scliools of Denver. 
 
 Denver is celebrated the world over for the excellence of its pub- 
 lic schools. No country has a system having greater advantages of 
 education, and all cities in America are surpassed by the magnificence, 
 durable character and costliness of its school buildings. The State 
 has a school enrollment of 76,000 pupils. Of this number Denver 
 has 26,000 for 1893, a gain of 3,090 over 1892. This number includes 
 the various suburban districts, embracing 42 public schools. The 
 Denver High School is the crowning glory of the educational institu- 
 tions of the State. The property is valued at $768,195.41. It con- 
 tains sixteen class-rooms, with 700 seats, having nineteen teachers 
 and an average daily attendance of 633 pupils. Some of the bright- 
 est young minds of the West entering into business affairs, the 
 Colleges, the professions, and into social and literary life, are the 
 graduates of the past few years from the Denver High School. 
 
 Under the Catholic Church there are eight large parochial schools; 
 there are numerous denominational institutions of learning. There 
 are private schools of various character, many of them being noted 
 for their excellence, and the average attendance is estimated at 3,000. 
 
 For the higher education the University of Denver, under the 
 Methodists, is the largest institution of learning west of St. lyouis, 
 having ten departments and numerous costly buildings. Under the 
 Episcopalians, Jarvis Hall for boys, and Wolfe Hall for girls, are 
 splendid institutions. The Presbyterians have established Westmin- 
 ster University, and the Catholics have established, besides the 
 Ivoretta Academy, the Jesuit College, an institution of general educa- 
 tion. 
 
 Within the past few years two public libraries, the Mercantile and 
 the High School library, have been established for the free use of all - 
 the people. The former was established in 1886 by members of the 
 Chamber of Commerce. It is a general library amply supplied with 
 histories, reference books and all the popular literature of the day. 
 It is suetained jointly by the city and the Chamber of Commerce. It 
 now contains 24,000 volumes. Four thousand five hundred volumes 
 were added in 1891 and 6,000 in 1892. The High School library is 
 similar in its design, being maintained by School District No. i, and 
 containing at present 15,000 volumes. 
 
 Cliaritable Institutions. 
 To the women of Denver, is due great praise for the excellent 
 work done by them toward ameliorating the condition of their wage- 
 earning as well as unfortunate sisters. Each year has seen the birth 
 of some new organization with the purpose to relieve pressing wants 
 and place woman on a higher plane, some of the associations look- 
 ing after the welfare of unfortunate or deserving men as well as 
 women. For these purposes there are associations, homes and hos- 
 pitals, and large sums of money are annuall}^ expended and incalcu- 
 lable good work performed. 
 
82 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Climate and Health. 
 
 Colorado climate is acknowledged by the most celebrated clima- 
 tologists in the world to be the most healthful to be found in America. 
 Colorado air is dry and pure, full of ozone and brilliant with sun- 
 shine. It is between the extremes of summer and winter, and free 
 from excesses of moisture, as all these conditions exist north and 
 south. One of the most healthful places in the State is Denver. Its 
 altitude of one mile is the medium ground so beneficial to consump- 
 tives and asthmatics, and so invigorating to one in health and active 
 in the affairs of life. Thousands of the afflicted who have been cured 
 or greatly relieved, attest the beneficial results of a residence or 
 sojourn in Denver. In another part of this publication will be found 
 a condensed meteorological table, together with observations on Colo- 
 rado weather. The following extract from a paper read by Dr. C. 
 Theodore Williams, president, before the Royal Meteorological 
 Society, London, on the " High Altitudes of Colorado," is applicable 
 to Denver: 
 
 The chief features of the climate of Colorado appear to be: " First, 
 diminished barometric pressure, owing to altitude, which throughout 
 the greater part of the State do not fall below 5,000 feet; second, 
 great atmospheric dryness, especially in winter and autumn, as shown 
 by the small rain-fall and low percentage of relative humidity; third, 
 clearness of atmosphere and absence of fog or cloud ; fourth, abund- 
 ant sunshine all the year around, but especially in winter and autumn; 
 fifth, marked diathermancy of atmosphere, producing an increase in 
 the difference of sun and shade temperature varying with the eleva- 
 tion in the proportion of one degree for every rise of 235 feet ; sixth, 
 considerable air movement, even in the middle of summer, which 
 promotes evaportion and tempers the solar heat ; seventh, the pres- 
 ence of a large amount of atmospheric electricity. Thus the climate 
 of this State is dry and sunny, with bracing and energizing qualities, 
 permitting out-door exercise all the year round, the favorable results 
 of which may be seen in the large number of former consumptives 
 whom it has rescued from the life of invalidism, and converted into 
 healthy, active workers, and its stimulating and exhilarating influ- 
 ence may also be traced in the wonderful enterprise and unceasing 
 labor which the Colorado people have shown in developing the riches 
 of their country." 
 
 Though always noted for its general healthfulness and the benign 
 influences of its climate, great effort has been made within the past 
 two years for the improvement of the sanitary conditions of the city. 
 This work has been accomplished by the combined efforts of the offi- 
 cials and the people at large, who have cheerfully assisted in stringent 
 laws for the protection of the public health. Sanitary inspection, 
 food inspection and the varioUvS public works in behalf of the beauty 
 as well as the health of the city, have shown their beneficent effect. 
 No exhibit of the city's sanitary condition is so comprehensive as the 
 statistics of mortality. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 
 
 83 
 
 The twelve months ending November 30, 1892, are credited with 
 the lowest mortality record of any year of which there are accurate 
 figures preserved. The comparative table for the last six years is 
 herewith presented : 
 
 Year. 
 
 Population. 
 
 Total 
 Deaths. 
 
 Rate Per 
 
 1,000. 
 
 Typhoid 
 Deaths. 
 
 Diphtheria 
 
 AND Croup 
 
 Deaths. 
 
 1886 
 
 1887 
 
 1888 
 
 1889 
 
 1890 . . . 
 
 1891 
 
 1892 ..... 
 
 73,000 
 80,000 
 85,000 
 96,000 
 106,713 
 118,874 
 120,000 
 
 1,119 
 
 1,525 
 1,729 
 1,808 
 2,530 
 2,118 
 1,736 
 
 15.33 
 19.06 
 20.34 
 18.83 
 23.71 
 18.51 
 14.48 
 
 99 
 
 134 
 
 188 
 
 263 
 
 99 
 
 70 
 
 ■ ■ ■ ■ * 120 
 
 115 
 
 267 
 175 
 90 
 
 Official reports of the past two months indicate decreasing per 
 cent, of mortality. 
 
 In this mortality record it must be remembered that Denver is an 
 invalid resort, and a large per cent, of deaths is from diseases con- 
 tracted in other countries. 
 
 One of the supreme advantages of Denver is its ample water facil- 
 ities. Two companies supply the city with mountain water, one of 
 these companies conveying the water from the snow banks of the 
 mountains direct. In addition there are hundreds of artesian wells in 
 the city and its suburbs, so conveniently distributed as to be accessi- 
 ble to all citizens for drinking and bathing. This water is almost 
 chemically pure, and where containing mineral, it is highly conducive 
 to health. 
 
 The jSTewspapers. 
 
 Denver contains nearly 100 newspapers and periodical publications 
 of various kinds. These include six dailies, two morning and four 
 afternoon journals. The morning papers are the Rocky Mountain 
 News and the Deliver Republican; the afternoon papers, the Colorado 
 Evening Suti, with Sunday morning edition, the Denver TimeSy the 
 Denver Post andi \h.& Colorado Journal, [0&Tm.a.n.) The four papers 
 first named, similar in size to the papers of the large cities of the 
 country have a first-class and thorough equipment, under the man- 
 agement of experienced newspaper men, having complete metropoli- 
 tan organization, employing accomplished editorial writers, while as 
 a rule men of perspicuity and trained professional alertness, enter- 
 prise and intelligence peculiar to Western life form the corps of 
 reporters and correspondents for all the Denver dailies. The adver- 
 tising patronage is enormous, and through these papers it can be 
 truly said is daily reflected the commercial vigor and the sprightly 
 social life for which Denver is famous. 
 
84 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Commercial Organization. 
 
 The influence and usefulness of the several organizations of busi- 
 ness men in Denver are recognized in all parts of the land. The 
 bodies are composed of the leading and most enterprising and intelli- 
 gent business men of the city, also representing the greater share of 
 its wealth. 
 
 In the work of promoting, not only the welfare of the City of 
 Denver, but that of the whole State of Colorado, the Chamber of 
 Commerce and Board of Trade has always been a leading and poten- 
 tial factor. This organization has a membership of 555, including in 
 its list a large number of eminent men representing the professions 
 as well as the industries. Thus all questions affecting the interests 
 of the city at large, receive consideration at the hands of an aggrega- 
 tion of Denver's best intelligence. Always ready to meet the meas- 
 ures of public enterprise, it is quick to act and generous in its response 
 to the demands that are frequently made upon it for aid and encour- 
 agement, both in the way of financial assistance and the active, dili- 
 gent, persevering work of its individual members. A great deal of 
 voluntary work is also done by the Chamber of Commerce in the way 
 of giving information abroad through correspondence and special 
 publications concerning the resources and advantages of city and 
 State. It is also ever on the alert for all national business move- 
 ments and measures and makes its influence felt in behalf of the 
 leading interests and industries of the West. By recent purchase, the 
 Chamber of Commerce now occupies and owns the magnificent 
 Mining Exchange Building. 
 
 The Manufacturers' Exchange, an organization growing out of the 
 Denver Chamber of Commerce, is one of the most useful institutions 
 for promoting the industrial interests of the State. It embraces in 
 its membership all the manufactures of note in the city. While in 
 the general course of its management preserving the mutual interests 
 of a local association, it becomes the headquarters and central source 
 of information concerning the resources and advantages of manufac- 
 ture in the State. Through the efforts of the Exchange in this direc- 
 tion, facts and statistics of great value concerning the variety and 
 abundance of raw materials have been gathered from all parts of 
 Colorado, and this information is disseminated by correspondence 
 and publications that reach all parts of the United States and all the 
 countries of Europe. By its investigations it has brought to light a 
 great combination of material resources, established the possibility 
 of the manufacture of almost all manner of wares in Denver and the 
 certainty of a market for them in due time. 
 
 The Mining Exchange, with a membership of about 250, has been 
 in existence for the past five years, and was organized for the purpose 
 of assisting those having meritorious mining properties to raise 
 money for their development. Such capacity the Exchange stands as 
 agent and counsel for the protection of the investor and the assist- 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. 35 
 
 ance of the owner in the development of prospects, in the disposal 
 of shares. The sale of mining stocks on call is conducted in a man- 
 ner similar to that of all stock exchanges of the country. 
 
 The Denver Real Estate Exchange is a central body of »eference 
 for its members, to encourage and maintain uniform business princi- 
 ples and usages in real estate transactions ; to disseminate valuable 
 information appertaining to real estate in the city and State; to inspire 
 closer fraternal relations between agents, owners and purchasers of 
 realty ; to influence and direct legislation in reference to laws touch- 
 ing the transfer of realty; to discourage wild speculations and ficti- 
 tious booms; to encourage and direct as far as possible the invest- 
 ment of money in those sections promising the greatest and safest 
 returns ; to elevate and dignify the real estate business ; to be a 
 medium of information as between buyer and seller, where wants are 
 to be filled and offers to be met. 
 
 Its Social Life. 
 
 The social life of Denver is a most interesting study. It is a puz- 
 zle to the new comer. It is not understood by those who move along 
 with it. It has overcrowded and overshadowed the old-timer, and his 
 traditions of thrilling events in the early days have lost their whilom 
 charm. If it is difficult for people at home to understand the social 
 conditions by which they are surrounded, perhaps there is one suffi- 
 cient explanation, and that is the rapid increment of a mixed but 
 versatile people. The population is conveniently termed cosmopoli- 
 tan. In the true sense of the word it is not so. We have the average 
 per cent, of the Irish, English, German, Swede and Italian nationali- 
 ties for large inland cities. The Chinese are not numerous. The 
 people of other nationalities than those named are exceedingly few. 
 The great mass of the population are American and they came from 
 every State in the Nation, the Canadians forming quite an important 
 community. These American people, coming for the most part in 
 families, with some definite purpose in view, bring with them their 
 provincialisms and their peculiarities. Many bring wealth with its 
 advantages of education and refinement, many more come in pov- 
 erty, but with industrious habits, with an honest purpose and an avo- 
 cation. The horde of shiftless adventurers must be taken into 
 account only as a part of the great drift of the world upon the turbu- 
 lent sea of human life. Whether he is a man of wealth or the man 
 well-to-do, or the artisan, the mechanic or the man of trade, he 
 builds or buys a handsome home or settles in a rented habitation and 
 begins the pleasures or business cares of life before the nearest neigh- 
 bor has knowledge of the advent of a new addition to the population 
 of Denver. 
 
 As life in Paris is distinctively Parisian, so life in Denver is 
 distinctively Denverian. Such are the social and business conditions 
 that people on a common plane easily become acquainted. The social, 
 fraternal and religious organizations of the city embrace its popula- 
 
36 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 tion from the highest to the lowest degree and no man or woman 
 need remain unknown. Not this alone; every trade and department 
 of labor has its distinct organization, and there is an orderly, method- 
 ical harmonious trend to every department of the city's social life. 
 Albeit, Denver is a city of gaiety and great diversity of character. 
 
 It has been written of every large city that it is "the most wicked 
 city in the world." Against this accusation Denver needs no defense. 
 It has simply its share of vice, but a more intelligent, industrious, 
 cultured and orderly aggregation of people never formed the popula- 
 tion of a large city. It contains the best schools and the largest 
 number of churches of any city of its size in the Nation. Every 
 denomination and cueed and peculiar religious belief is represented. 
 The churches are of superb and costly construction, the ministers are 
 of the highest intellectual order, and their audiences reflect the 
 intelligent, moral and business strength of the community. Herein 
 consists one of the prime orders of social freedom in Denver. The 
 churches are not of the primitive, straight-laced order, and their 
 members enjoy free, social intercourse, one denomination with 
 another. 
 
 For the divertisement and culture of the people, whether of the 
 wealthy or the industrial classes, there is no end to the number and 
 variety of institutions and associations. For the benefit of the latter, 
 the building and loan associations are numerous and, resembling 
 Philadelphia in a very essential sense, it is possible for every diligent 
 workman to secure a home of his own, with its advantages of com- 
 fort, amusement and social attraction. For all the people combined, 
 first for amusement, there are two first-class, splendid theaters, the 
 Tabor Grand and the Broadway — two smaller but popular theaters, 
 having great patronage, variety theaters that serve their peculiar pur- 
 pose and a score of public halls, capacious and substantial, for all 
 manner of public entertainment. The clubs embrace the ordinary 
 social and business interests of life. The two leading gentlemen's 
 clubs own buildings among the most conspicuous in the city. There 
 are the political clubs, athletic clubs, the cyclers' clubs, the literary 
 and musical clubs, the social clubs without number; art and dramatic 
 clubs and associations, and some excellent schools of music, art and 
 oratory. In all these things there are advantages special and peculiar 
 to the young people of the city. Only the children who are growing 
 into manhood and womanhood are the natives, and these are being 
 ushered into the affairs of life with a training to industrial thought 
 and habit, with all the advantages of education and artistic culture, 
 with unbounded opportunities of amusement and social enjoyment, 
 with all these advantages, it is already apparent, as reflected by the 
 young men and women who have grown up in the midst of this new 
 western life, that Denver's population in the near future will be dis- 
 tinctively of a high order in their intellectual attainments, their 
 business capacity and social excellencies. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 87 
 
 The Counties. 
 
 Arapahoe. 
 
 THE scenes and incidents that form the opening chapters of the 
 State's history, were enacted on the soil of Arapahoe county. 
 It embraces some of the vast domain upon which roved, in un- 
 disputed possession, the Indian tribe whose name the county bears. 
 It became the ground of the first white settlernent of the State in 
 1858. It was organized when Territorial organization began, in 1861. 
 Its early history is associated with the stirring events of the Civil 
 war, with the thrilling incidents of pioneer and border life, conflicts 
 with the savage red man, and his final subjugation, becoming a part 
 of the story. Its people were the first in bringing out of the chaos 
 of the wilderness to a condition of law and social order, and as the 
 leading factor in the State's development, it contains one-third of its 
 population, and more than one-third of its taxable wealth. The county 
 contains an area of 4,950 square miles, being 165 miles long by 30 
 miles wide. It extends from within ten miles of the foot-hills, on 
 the west, to the Kansas State line, on the east, and its surface is, for 
 the most part, a level plane. The great center of population is in 
 the western end of the county, where the magical City of Denver is 
 located, and where the county's enormous wealth is concentrated. 
 Denver is the County seat, as it is also the capitol of the State. It 
 has a population, conceded by estimate, to be 150,000, and, because 
 of its rapid and wonderful development, its commercial importance 
 and its multiplying wealth, it overshadows the great county of which 
 it is a contributary part. 
 
 A large portion of the eastern and a narrow strip of the western 
 end of Arapahoe county possess rich agricultural lands, and contain 
 prosperous farming communities. The central part, containing the 
 larger area, is un watered either by streams or clouds sufficiently for 
 agriculture, and it still remains, as it has been from the earliest days 
 of settlement, a part of the great cattle range of Eastern Colorado. 
 The Platte river, flowing through the western end, affords water for 
 irrigation to a strip of country from six to ten miles in width, com- 
 prising the Platte valley to the counties of the northern boundary. 
 Situated in this valley, ten miles south of Denver, is the town of 
 Littleton, surrounded by beautiful farms and gardens, richly product- 
 ive of the cereals, fruits and vegetables. Nineteen miles down the 
 Platte to the north, is the flourishing agricultural town of Brighton, 
 surrounded by a farming section, equally productive, while to the 
 south east adjoining the suburbs along the valley of Cherry creek, are 
 a number of farms and gardens and fruit lands with the young 
 orchards just coming into the first years of their bearing. All this 
 
gg THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 surrounding country is tributary to Denver and the greater portion of 
 the land is devoted to the garden and the dairy. The country for 
 miles is chequered with gardens and small farms for fruits and vegeta- 
 bles, while the dairy is an important institution and contributes a 
 large share toward the supply of the home market in its various pro- 
 ducts. Denver consumes all that can be produced in the adjoining 
 gardening and fruit country, and the market prices for such products 
 rule high, so that truck gardening has become very profitable. 
 
 In addition to these various branches of agriculture, while the 
 live-stock interests become more or less a part of the farm, there are 
 within the vicinity of Denver some notable stock farms for the breed- 
 ing of fancy cattle and thorough-bred horses. The products of one 
 of these farms are noted among the best bloods of the American turf 
 and are a source of large revenue to the owners. The catalogue of 
 the principal stock-farm of the county contains a list for 1893 of five 
 stallions, forty-six brood mares, five geldings and fifty colts and 
 fillies, having for the greater part, pedigrees from the most celebrated 
 stock of the country. 
 
 The eastern end of the county, embracing an area equal to 1,200 
 square miles, lies in the "rain-belt" division of the State, being 
 beyond the reach of irrigation, and dependent upon the rain-fall for 
 crops. This country comprises for the larger part, an area of 24x30 
 square miles including all the eastern end, and a strip running west- 
 ward therefrom in the southern portion, a distance of forty-eight 
 miles and having an average width of ten miles, confined to the val- 
 ley of the Arickaree river. Within the territory described, there is 
 an ample annual rain-fall. Migrating farmers from Nebraska and 
 Western Kansas, about ten years ago, discovered the advantages of 
 this section and began to make settlements. Now the country is 
 being settled throughout with farms and villages, and it is destined to 
 be one of the richest agricultural settlements in the State. Unlike 
 other arid sections of Eastern Colorado, the area of tillable lands as 
 described lie under peculiar meteorological conditions. Here the cold 
 currents from the mountains and the warm currents from the south- 
 ern plains meet and condense, besides attracting the drifting vapors 
 from the "divide," which have an invariable movement from west to 
 east. The soil is a deep, rich, sandy loam, highly productive of corn 
 and wheat, these being the leading crops, while all manner of farm 
 products are successfully grown. The average production of corn is 
 about forty bushels to the acre; wheat, twenty-five bushels. In the 
 more favored localities, the yield has been forty bushels of wheat, 
 weighing sixty pounds to the bushel. While it is a distinctively 
 agricultural country it has also good advantages for live-stock and it 
 presents a fine field for the combination of these industries. The peo- 
 ple who have settled here form an intelligent, industrious class, and in 
 building their homes and villages they have taken care to make ample 
 provision for schools and churches, and the educational and religious 
 advantages are up to the average of all similar settlements in the 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 89 
 
 State, in a manner isolated from the main centers of population, 
 with their convenient facilities of commerce and social communion. 
 
 The population of Arapahoe County (by census returns), in 1890, 
 was 132,135. With an estimated increase of 25,000 for the City of 
 Denver, since the enumeration, the total population may be fairly 
 stated at 157,135. Allowing 150,000 for Denver, thus 7,135 may be 
 placed to the credit of other towns and villages, the several farming 
 communities, and those employed on the ranges. 
 
 The total assessed valuation of the county for 1692 was $101,672,- 
 607, as against $92,887,040 in 1891. This assessment embraces for 
 1892, 155,667,694 for town and city lots, and 121,441,237 for improve- 
 ment and machitfery on town and city lots, making a total of $77,- 
 108,931, of which Denver's share, including all assessable property, 
 was approximately, $73,000,000. Number of acres of agricultural 
 land assessed, 424,669; valuation, $8,231,652; number acres of grazing 
 lands, 593,509; valuation, $1,207,033; acres of coal land, 2,560; valu- 
 ation, |io,ooo. Total lands under assessment, 1,018, 178 acres; valua- 
 tion, $9,438,685. A large proportion of the lands designated as agri- 
 cultural are pre-empted, and as yet uncultivated lands, while the 
 greater amount of assessed valuation is upon garden and open-platted 
 lands surrounding Denver. While for 1893 there will be considerable 
 increase in the value and amount of assessable property, the reduc- 
 tion made in the rate of taxation will materially reduce the valuation 
 for the year. Ofiicial estimates place the valuation approximately at 
 $99,000,000 for 1893. Of thisamouat, it is estimated that the assessed 
 valuation of Denver will be $75,000,000, and that of the suburban 
 towns, which are in reality a part of the city, $15,000,000, making a 
 total of $90,000,000, leaving an estimated balance of $9,000,000 for 
 the remainder of the county. This latter comparatively small figure 
 will not appear so unimportant when it is considered that the greater 
 amount of uncultivated, pre empted and railroad lands, having a very 
 low market value, are assessed at merely a nominal figure. 
 
 lu reference to the total assessment. The rule obtains in Arapa- 
 hoe, as well as all counties of the State, that all property is assessed 
 at one-third its value. It is also well known that the levy for manu- 
 factures, personal and household property, averages much less than 
 one-third of real values. Hence, assuming the assessed valuation of 
 Arapahoe County to be, in round number, $100,000,000, it is entitled 
 to the credit of $300,000,000 as its real wealth in taxable property. 
 
 Live stock statistics for the past two years show the animal indus- 
 try of the county to be important, with considerable increase in 
 numbers. 
 
90 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Horses, number of 
 
 Mules, " " 
 
 Cattle, 
 
 Sheep, 
 
 Swine, " " 
 
 All other animals . 
 
 1891 
 
 15,246 
 
 847 
 
 19,186 
 
 52,904 
 
 1,986 
 
 362 
 
 1892 
 
 16,332 
 
 929 
 
 22,024 
 
 71,471 
 
 2,432 
 
 1,223 
 
 To make up unavoidable discrepencies in assessor's returns, it is 
 permissible to increase the above figures by 20 per cent. While the 
 number of sheep is fairly maintained, the number of cattle is greatly 
 diminished in late years, due to the conversion of the best ranges 
 into agricultural lands and the distribution of the cattle, as well as 
 other live stock, among the farms, where they are bred and raised in 
 less number but greatly improved condition. Thus a larger number 
 of improved graded cattle and fine dairy stock are included in the 
 total number. The county is well adapted to the cultivation of fine 
 stock and the future holds great opportunity for both increase and 
 improvement in the production of sheep for wool and fine breeds of 
 cattle, both for dairy purposes and for slaughter. The recent estab- 
 lishment of a woolen mill in Denver will give new life and thrift to 
 sheep raising, while the cattle growers may find encouragement in 
 the extensive jiacking house facilities that have been added to such 
 establishments in Denver during the past two years. By such enlarge- 
 ments it has been demonstrated that Colorado can raise, fatten and 
 slaughter its animals and send dressed beef to Eastern markets, 
 instead of drawing from them the greater part of its supply. It 
 could at least supply home demand and have a large market in the 
 west. 
 
 Nothing can so clearly tell the story of Arapahoe county's advance- 
 ment as the record of its annual assessed valuation covering a period 
 of the past sixteen years, which is as follows: 
 
 Assessed valuation. 
 
 Assessed valuation. 
 
 1877 $ 10.686,991 
 
 1878 11,993,990 
 
 1879 16,517,693 
 
 1880 18,830,603 
 
 1881 28,970,573 
 
 1882 34,557,7S0 
 
 1883 34,912,030 
 
 1884 36,201,720 
 
 1885 36,422,085 
 
 1886 38,202,415 
 
 1887 47,037,574 
 
 1888 55,516,175 
 
 1889 68,102,975 
 
 1890 86,445,020 
 
 1891 92,887,040 
 
 1892 101,672.657 
 
 The general tax levy for 1892 was 2^^ mills; total tax for general 
 purposes 1240,625.29; total tax, general and special, ^440,106.98. 
 
 No section of country in the world possesses greater advantages 
 of industry, education and religion. The school census of the 
 county is 31,288; number of schools, 500; value of school property, 
 $2,879,055. There are more than a hundred churches, and seventy- 
 five newspapers in the county, there being three morning and four 
 evening daily papers in the City of Denver. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 91 
 
 Arapahoe County combines all the essentials of social and indus- 
 trial life that form the sterling character of a community or a com- 
 monwealth. Its leading industries are, and must ever be, agricul- 
 ture, manufacture and the live stock business. But as it contains the 
 capital, the great metropolis and railway center of the State, it will 
 always maintain the first position in commerce and wealth, and 
 wielding the controlling power in the affairs of the State. 
 Arcliuleta. 
 
 The County of Archuleta occupies a central position among the 
 southern tier of counties. It is an agricultural and grazing county, 
 also possessing considerable mineral resource, which as yet has had 
 but little development. It is especially well adapted to stock-raising, 
 and adjoins the counties embracing San Luis valley, and also three 
 of the counties comprising the great San Juan mining region, in- 
 cluding the great silver camp of Creede. The county has an area of 
 1,950 square miles, with an elevation of 5,280 to 10,000 feet. About 
 three-fourths of the territory is covered with fine pine timber, suit- 
 able for lumber, and the remainder open parks and valleys. The. 
 surface is rolling and mountainous, and drained by the Piedro, San 
 Juan, Blanco and Navajo rivers, furnishing ample water for stock and 
 irrigation purposes. The soil is black and loamy, productive of the 
 cereals and grasses to a very high degree. The county seat is 
 Pagosa Springs, so named because of the splendid mineral springs 
 located there, and which have been for years a favorite health resort. 
 
 The population of Archuleta county is about 900. The county 
 was organized in 1885 from the western part of Conejos county. At 
 that time the valuation of the new county was approximately $300,000 
 the assessed valuation is now 1412,722.50, real valuation, estimated 
 |i, 300,000. There are five public schools in the county, having a 
 school census of about 200. The estimated total acres of agricultural 
 land is 124,000 acres ; for grazing, 1,000,000 acres; acres under irriga- 
 tion ditches, about 30,000; unoccupied puplic lands about 12,000. The 
 large area credited to timber lands includes a large part of the tim- 
 bered country, which affords fine protection as well as good pasture 
 for live-stock, and the live-stock industry is one of success and profit. 
 The general character of the mineral formation is lime stone, in which 
 there have been numerous discoveries of prospects, with but little 
 development. There are great bodies of sandstone and numerous 
 coal veins, but owing to the great plenty of wood and the lack of 
 ample railway facility, but little development has been made, the 
 Denver and Rio Grande railway passing through a portion of the county, 
 a distance of twenty-seven miles. There are hundreds of slate banks 
 not yet utilized. Asbestos is abundant. There are large deposits of 
 gypsum and limestone. Building stone is abundant but.undeveloped. 
 Crude petroleum is found in the San Juan river, two miles below 
 Pagosa ; also in numerous places on the Rio Blanco, twenty miles from 
 Pagosa. Archuleta, having a mild southern climate and a rich soil 
 possesses all the advantages characteristic of South-western Colorado 
 for a combination of industries with agriculture and live-stock as the 
 leading interests. 
 
92 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Baca. 
 
 The County of Baca occupies the extreme south-east corner of 
 the State, with an area of 2,536 square miles. It comprises a fine 
 agricultural country, productive of all kinds of crops. The county 
 was organized in 1887, and is therefore new, with comparatively 
 small development, and with a population of 1,800. Its elevation is 
 4,400 feet. Three hundred square miles of the territory are covered 
 with cedar and cottonwood. The remainder is an undulating prairie, 
 watered by the Butte, Horse, Bear, Sand, Arroya, Carriso and Cim- 
 arron creeks, small streams, whose waters are utilized for stock and 
 domestic purposes. Farming is carried on without irrigation, and 
 agriculture and stock-raising are the principal industries. The 
 county seat is Springfield, and the other towns and villages, all the 
 centers of agricultural settlement, are, Vilas, Stonington, Minneap- 
 olis, Brookfield, Atlanta, Carisso, Boston, Plymouth, Maxie and Car- 
 risso Springs. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county, $700,000; real valuation, $1,500,- 
 000; county debt, $29,500. Rate of taxation, 24 mills. Number of 
 schools, 30; school population, 561; number of teachers employed, 
 25; average wages paid per month, $40; number of church organiza- 
 tions, 6; Presbyterian, i; Methodist, 2; Catholic, i; Dunkards, i; 
 Baptist, I. 
 
 When it is remembered that all of the county except the 300 
 square miles of timberland is credited as agricultural and a compara- 
 tively small area actually occupied, 1,408,000 acres of land available 
 for agriculture, while an immense territory is not an unreasonable 
 figure. Of this area, 1,223,000 acres are unoccupied government 
 lands, and 85,000 acres are owned by the State. The soil is a rich 
 sandy loam. Price of land ranges from $1.25 to |io per acre. Aver- 
 age price (I1.25 for government land) $2 per acre. The leading cereal 
 crops of Baca county are wheat and oats, but all the cereals, sorghum, 
 broom-corn, milo maize, Kaffir corn, rice, cane, beans, potatoes, hay, 
 etc., are successfully raised. 
 
 The live stock business of Baca county, including the wool and 
 dairying interests, is nearly equal in importance to that of the field 
 products, as shown by the following figures: cattle, 20,000; dairy 
 cows, 1,000; horses, 2,000; mules. 2,000; asses, 50; sheep, 15,000; swine, 
 1,000. Freedom from disease, cheap feed, wide range, mild climate 
 and abundant water are the chief advantages for raising fine stock in 
 the county. The sheep grown for wool are principally the Merino, 
 with a mixture of the Shropshire and Southdown. Estimated amount 
 of butter manufactured for 1891-92, 100,000 lbs.; value, $15,000; 
 amount of cheese made, 10,000; value, $500. In the hills of the 
 southern portion considerable copper is mined and some veins of gold 
 and silver are known to exist, but in this direction there has been no 
 development of consequence. A large amount of timber is cut and 
 hewn annually, for railroads, and there are ten quarries of sandstone 
 and limestone with little development. There are also gypsum and 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 93 
 
 lime deposits in the county mined for home consumption. Low taxes, 
 plenty of good, cheap land, the capabilities of soil and the opportu- 
 nities offered for livelihood in agriculture, in live stock and subsid- 
 iary industries are the general inducements offered to the home 
 seeker in Baca county. 
 
 Bent. 
 
 Bent is the middle county of the great Arkansas valley, so fertile 
 of soil, so richly productive and so rapidly filling up with agricul- 
 tural settlements that its fame is spreading abroad as the Nile of 
 America. Such fame, though deserved without qualification, is all 
 the more remarkable when it is remembered that the country has, 
 within the past ten years, been changed from a wilderness to a land 
 of smiling verdure, animated by an enterprising, thrifty people, who 
 have laid out beautiful farms and orchards, built comfortable country 
 homes, erected towns and villages, and started the wheels of indus- 
 try moving throughout this splendid valley. In this wonderful 
 transformation. Bent County is the leader, inasmuch as it is the 
 original county that formed south-eastern ( Colorado, and from it the 
 surrounding counties have been taken within the past four years. 
 The nucleus of agricultural settlements, however, had been formed 
 thoughout the valley before the new county organizations occurred 
 in 1889, and the story of Bent County is the story also of Otero and 
 Prowers, which adjoin it on the west and east. Bent County has an 
 area of 1,511 square miles. It receives its name from Col. William 
 Bent, an early Western pioneer. Beyond the confines of the valley 
 it is a level stretch of prairie. There are fine bodies of timber along 
 the Arkansas and Purgatoire rivers, and in the hills in the south-, 
 west, where there are forests of cedar. The soil throughout the 
 county is a rich, sandy loam, highly productive of all cereals, root 
 crops, fruit, and the grasses and clovers. It can be truly said, that 
 wherever water is obtainable for irrigation, there is nothing cultivable 
 in the temperate zone that cannot be grown here, and it is in the Ar- 
 kansas valley that all crops reach their highest perfection, with high 
 average yields, bringing large profits to the producers. In the early 
 years, stock-raising was almost the exclusive industry, and Bent 
 County was the greatest cattle range in the West. It is still an im- 
 portant interest, and the population divide their attention between 
 the farm, and the cattte range. Assessed valuation in 1892, ^^1,267,- 
 219; real valuation, $3,500,000. 
 
 The county is well provided with schools and churches, and in 
 the towns are numerous establishments for such productive indus- 
 tries as become necessary in a growing agricultural settlement. The 
 total number of acres available for agriculture are estimated at 700, - 
 000; available for grazing, only 26,700, all agricultural lands being 
 available for grazing when not occupied by farms. By the recent 
 construction of additional irrigation canals, about 100,000 acres have 
 been made accessible by water, and these irrigated lands are being 
 
94 THE INDUSTRIiSS AND 
 
 rapidly settled for actual cultivation. Of the entire agricultural 
 area, there are by estimate 400,000 acres of unoccupied Government 
 lands that invite settlement at the nominal price of |i. 25 per acre. 
 There are also about 10,000 acres of unsold State lands, located 
 within the irrigation system, for sale or lease at very moderate prices. 
 Ivive-stock statistics are obtainable only by estimate: Cattle, 
 50,000 head; sheep, 20,000; horses, 3,000. Owing to the increase of 
 corn culture throughout the valley, attention has been turned to the 
 raising of hogs in a very extensive way, and these animals will soon 
 be numbered by the thousands as against the hundreds a year or two 
 ago. As the greater part of settlement clings to the Arkansas valley, 
 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F^ railway, which follows the course 
 of the stream, aflfords ample facilities to the settlers for the distribu- 
 tion of their produce. In addition to its splendid resource for agricul- 
 ture and the live-stock industry. Bent county possesses a great deal 
 of undeveloped material which will find its uses in the course of time. 
 
 Boulder. 
 
 Boulder is one of the oldest and wealthiest counties in the State, 
 possessing great resources of agriculture, mining and manufacture. 
 It adjoins Arapahoe county on the north-west, and the City of Boul- 
 der, the county seat, is 29 miles distant from Denver. Population of 
 county 16,000; area, 1,133 square miles; elevation 5,600 to 14,300 
 feet. The county is about equally divided between mountains and 
 plains. The mountains and foot-hills are rich in the precious and 
 base metals, in stone and the minerals of commercial value. The 
 plains comprise valleys and table lands of great beauty and fertility, 
 covered in large part with farms and orchards and vineyards, while 
 a large part of the area comprise coal mines and areas of valuable 
 clays, lime and other valuable deposits. The valleys are amply wat- 
 ered by mountain streams, while the finest mineral springs abound 
 in the foot-hills, establishing the county as one of the best sanitari- 
 ums of Colorado. The towns and cities of Boulder county are: 
 Boulder, population, 5,000; Longmont, 2,000; Louisville, 800; I^afay- 
 ette, 1,000; Ward, 500; Gold Hill, 300; Sunshine ,400; Caribou, 200; 
 I^yons, 700; Noland, 300; Marshall, 200; Copper Rock, 300. The 
 principal towns are the city of Boulder and Longmont, both situated 
 in the agricultural districts and near by the mining regions, conven- 
 ient to both as a market and the chief centers of industry and trade. 
 Boulder nestles close by the foot-hills, a beautiful, thriving city, built 
 principally of brick and stone, delightfully shaded with luxurious 
 trees, amply supplied with pure water from the mountain streams, 
 well equipped with hotels and stores and shops, with churches 
 and schools, and among the latter the State University of Colorado, 
 an institution that will be fer all time one of the greatest establishments 
 of learning in the West. Boulder is a growing city, with the signs of 
 thrift in all of its business aspects. Longmont is also a thriving little 
 city, with similar advantages of commerce and manufacture, and 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 95 
 
 delightfal surroundings, standing in the shadow of Long's Peak, one 
 of the superb beauties of the Rocky Mountains, and in close prox- 
 imity to some of the delightful parks and other mountain resorts. 
 Assessed valuation, $4,970,907; real valuation, $13,000,000; rate of 
 taxation, county, 3^ mills. 
 
 Agriculture — Total acres of land available for agriculture, 120,- 
 000 ; acres available for pasture, 82,000 ; total acres under ditch, 115,- 
 000 ; total acres cultivated under ditch, 100,000 ; total acres unoccu- 
 pied available land under ditch with available water, 15,000 ; total 
 acres unoccupied government land available for agriculture, estimated 
 3,000 ; average price per acre (deeded land) ^10.00. The soil is a rich 
 sandy loam. Leading products of the county, wheat, gold and silver. 
 The most successful agricultural products : Wheat, corn, rye, oats, 
 potatoes, alfalfa, timothy, red top, beets, celery, beans, buckwheat, 
 melons, onions, pumpkins, cabbage. In fact all the cereals and vege- 
 tables, while fruits of both the large and small varieties become a 
 leading crop. Experiments with tobacco have proved successful. 
 
 Estimated average yield per acre : Wheat, bushels, 22^ ; oats, 
 30; corn, 20; barley, 28; rye, 20 ; buckwheat, 30; alfalfa, toes, 
 3}^ ; clover, tons, 4^ ; native grasses, i^ ; millet, 3 ; sorghum, gal- 
 lons per acre, 125 ; potatoes, bushels, 175. 
 
 The average cost of water per acre per season, when purchased, is 
 $1.25. The average cost of farm labor per month, is $25 and board. 
 Herds of cattle and horses are kept in the mountain parks, and stock 
 raising is a profitable industry. But a large proportion of the total 
 number belong to the farms, and in raising for slaughter and for dairy 
 products, the farmer thus adds materially to the profits upon his farm 
 products. 
 
 The county possesses all the advantages for raising fine and fancy 
 stock of all kinds. 
 
 Two creameries, one in Boulder and the other in Longmont, pro- 
 duce annually about 300,000 pounds of butter, and the value of 
 cheese manufactured is estimated at $15,000. In the abundance of 
 alfalfa and other honey-making plants produced in Boulder county, 
 bee-culture has become an important industry, and a number of pro. 
 fessional bee-keepers devote themselves to this calling. There are 
 about 5,000 stands of bees in the county, producing annually from 
 50,000 to 70,000 pounds of honey. 
 
 Though fruit growing is a profitable industry in Boulder connty, it 
 is not extensively followed, and there is room and opportunity f®r 
 great increase in this field of production. While fruits of all varieties 
 grow to fine perfection in all irrigated lands of the county, only about 
 500 acres are in orchards. Apples form the staple crop. Peaches 
 grow, but not successfully as a crop, and it is an acknowledged fact, 
 that the peach has its home and its true cultivation in the fruit-grow- 
 ing section of Western Colorado. Other fruits that are successful in 
 Boulder county are plums, pears, apricots, prunes, grapes, strawber- 
 ries and all other berries and small fruits of the zone. 
 
96 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 As a mining county, Boulder has, since the first discoveries of 
 native gold in 1859, developed immense fortune in mineral treasure, 
 and within her many seams and fissures yet unexplored, are greater 
 fortunes still for generations to come. It is estimated that there are 
 about 300 developed mines in the county, and 500 prospects yet un- 
 developed, and many of them known to be properties of great prom- 
 ise. The general character of the formation shows gold and silver 
 (native), tellurides of gold and silver, pyrites of copper and iron, sil- 
 ver ore containing all the sulphurates of silver, galena and zinc 
 blende. The leading products in value are silver and gold. Numer- 
 ous new discoveries, by development, have largely increased the out- 
 put of the mines during the past two years. 
 
 The total product of the mines in gold, silver, copper and lead for 
 the year 1892 is estimated at ^1,300,000, a large increase over that of 
 previous years, due mainly to the development of new properties. 
 
 In connection with the mines there are about 35 stamp mills, 
 employing 150 men. Average wages of mines, |2. 50 per day. Coal 
 veins are large and numerous, and there are 23 mines of lignite coal 
 under steady development in the south-east part of the county. Aver- 
 age price per ton at mine, $1.75; to consumer, $/[; average cost for 
 mining, per ton, 75 cents; average wages of miners, $3 per day. 
 Bodies of fine building and paving stone of various colors are so large 
 and so numerous in Boulder county that there is no possibility of 
 computing the extent or the amount. Stone quarrying may be car- 
 ried on there without limit for centuries. There are probably forty 
 quarries in operation around Lyons and Noland, towns established 
 because of the stone industry, besides a number of lesser magnitude 
 around Boulder, ijoulder county has every advantage of attractions to 
 the health and pleasure seeker. The most noted mineral waters of 
 tbe county are those of the Boulder springs, well known to the medi- 
 cal profession, and sold throughout this country and Europe. The 
 analysis of these waters as officially made, show these constituents: 
 
 Carbonate of soda 984 
 
 Carbonate of lime 7480 
 
 Chlor. of sodium 30 217 
 
 Sulph. of soda 3 840 
 
 Carbonate of magnesia 6.020 
 
 Carbonate of iron 081 
 
 Chlor. of Potas 1.100 
 
 Silica 102 
 
 To the pint of mineral water, 49.824 grains; carbonic acid gas, 39 
 cubic inches. 
 
 This analysis shows these waters to be a complicated medical pre- 
 scription, beneficial, as proven by their extensive use in cases of dys- 
 pepsia, general debility, liver and kidney complaints, and in fact for 
 all the ordinary complaints of a disorganized system or broken con- 
 stitution. 
 
 The mountain resorts are of easy access by railroad or carriage, 
 and in addition to well-equipped hotels there are beautiful lakes for 
 rowing and fishing, crystal streams abounding in mountain trout, and 
 game in plenty in the denser forests. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 97 
 
 Cliaffee. 
 
 Chaffee is a county of great resource and industrial possibilities. 
 It is centrally located in the mining regions, comprising mountains 
 rich in the precious metals, iron for manufacture, marble, stone and 
 granite in masses immeasurable ; valleys, with ample streams ; table 
 lands and mesas, with fertile soil for agriculture and for grazing. It 
 is one of the upper Arkansas valley counties. The Arkansas river- 
 with numerous small tributaries, courses nearly centrally through it 
 aflfording ample water for all purposes. The county is traversed by 
 the Denver and Rio Grande, the Colorado Midland and the Denver, 
 Leadville and Gunnison railways, with a trackage of 162 miles, afford, 
 ing transportation from all the centers of industry and trade. Chaffee 
 county was formerly a part of Lake, and was organized in 1879. It 
 contains i,«5oo square miles. Elevation in valley, 7,500 feet ; moun- 
 tain peaks, 10,000 to 14,480 feet. Total population of county, 9,000. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county, 12,834,741; real valuation, |5>5oo,- 
 000; county debt, |224,ooo; rate of taxation (State and county), 29 
 mills. Number of schools, 34; school population, 1,702; value of 
 school property, |6o,ooo; number of teachers employed, 44; average 
 wages paid teachers, I70. Church organizations: Catholic, 3; Meth- 
 odist-Episcopal, 2; Presbyterian, 2; Congregational, 2; Episcopal, 2; 
 Christian, 2; Baptist, i. Total acres of land available for agricul- 
 ture, 239,360; total -acres available for pasture, 350,000; total acres 
 tinder ditch, 20,000; total acres cultivated, under ditch, 14,000; total 
 acres unoccupied available land, under ditch, with available water, 
 6,000; total acres unoccupied Government land available for agricul- 
 ture, 20,000; total acres unsold State lands available for agriculture, 
 5,000; average price per acre, Government land, lr.25; State, $10. 
 Character of soil, rich, sandy loam. Leading products of county, 
 wheat, oats, barley, rye, potatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, parsnips, 
 timothy, clover, alfalfa and native grasses. Estimated average yield 
 per acre: Wheat, bushels, 22; oats, bushels, 42; barley, bushels, 35; 
 rye, bushels, 30; alfalfa, tons, 4; clover, tons, 2; timothy, tons, i)4. 
 
 There is no marked advancements in agriculture, as the county is 
 devoted mainly to other industries. Increase in population since 
 organization, about 7,900. Increase valuation of farm lands, |i6o,727; 
 increase valuation of town and city property, $612,416. Low price of 
 lands and good price for products, are the leading inducements for 
 agricultural settlement. 
 
 The mining industry of Chaffee county, is of growing importance. 
 The principal products are gold, silver, iron, copper and lead. Num- 
 ber of developed mines, 50 ; estimated output in dollars for all min- 
 eral output, 1892, $235,383 ; stamp mills, 4 ; concentration and reduc- 
 tion works, 4 ; number of men employed in concentration and reduc- 
 tion works, 100 ; average wages paid per day, $3.00. Large bodies of 
 the j&nest iron ores for manufacturing purposes have been discovered, 
 and one group of opening in the Calumet mine has been worked for 
 years, producing about 10,000 tons per year, for use in the iron and 
 
98 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 steel works at Pueblo. Numerous other properties have been discov- 
 ered and only awaiting development. Number of men employed in 
 iron mines, 150 ; wages, $^ per day. 
 
 Quaries— Limestone, 3; granite, i, near Buena Vista; marble, i, 
 near Calumet; marble, i, near Garfield; men employed, 75; average 
 wages, I3 per day. Markets for stone, Leadville, Pueblo, Denvar and 
 points in Kansas. The marbles discovered are of all colors and in 
 large bodies. Among the precious stones are rubies, garnets and 
 agates, with petrifactions in small quantities. Deposits in large 
 quantities of mineral paint, slate, mica, kaolin, asbestos, fiire clay, 
 silica, gypsum and lime are found, but as yet undeveloped. 
 
 The sanitary advantages of Chaffee county are exceedingly fine. 
 It is free from the extremes of heat and cold, with almost perpetual 
 sunshine. Mineral springs are numerous in the county, and those 
 which have been provided with attractive and comfortable accommo- 
 dations as health resorts aj:e the Buena Vista hot and cold springs, 
 near Buena Vista; Poncha hot and cold springs, near Salida; Hor- 
 tense hot and cold springs, near Buena Vista; Haywood hot and cold 
 springs, near Buena Vista; Wellsville hot and cold springs, near 
 Salida. All these springs contain mineral properties and are regarded 
 as highly effective in the treatment of diseases such as ordinarily 
 yield to mineral water remedies. The analysis of these waters are 
 in many respects similar to the Hot Springs in Arkansas, as shown 
 by general analysis. 
 
 The fine climate, the numerous thermal springs, the religious and 
 educational advantages, and the many rich but undeveloped resources 
 offer great inducements for the home-seeker and the capitalist to locate 
 a home or engage in the development of the material wealth of Chaf- 
 fee county. 
 
 Clieyenne. , 
 
 Cheyenne county occupies a central position among the tier of 
 eastern counties, adjoining the State of Kansas, and forming a part 
 of the non-irrigated region. It has an area of 1,800 square miles, 
 and is 30 miles wide by 60 miles long. It is exclusively an agricul- 
 tural and stock-raising county, and contains 575,109 acres of unoccu- 
 pied Government land available for agriculture. The entire county, 
 except the small portions now under cultivation, is available for pas- 
 ture. In other words, Cheyenne county comprises a vast range for 
 cattle and sheep, and for live-stock of all descriptions. 
 
 The county was organized as recently as 1889, being taken from 
 the eastern end of El Paso, and farming there is quite a new enter- 
 prise, with little development, but with results sufficiently successful 
 to improve the possibility of agriculture there without irrigation, 
 this being a disputed point that has been settled in favor of the farm- 
 ers in all the counties of eastern Colorado. 
 
 Thus far, corn is the leading cereal crop; wheat and oats yield a 
 fair average; all the cereals can be successfully grown; all the hays 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 99 
 
 are made with profit, while broom-corn is an exceptionally successful 
 crop, giving promise of becoming one of the most remunerative pro- 
 ducts of the farm. 
 
 In the live-stock industry, while the greater value may attach to 
 cattle at present, the sheep and wool feature gives promise of an 
 important future. 
 
 Total population of county, 600; elevation, 4,000 feet; general 
 topography, a rolling prairie. Big Sandy, Rush Creek and Smoky 
 Creek are the streams, with little water, and none for irrigation. 
 The county is crossed from east to west by the Union Pacific railway. 
 Cheyenne Wells and Kit Carson are the principal towns, the former 
 being the county seat. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county $ 1.393,023 
 
 Real valuation 5,572,092 
 
 County debt 26,200 
 
 Rate of taxation 20 mills, (including State ) 
 
 The county has one church, (Methodist), and another in course of 
 building. 
 
 The soil of Cheyenne county is a light sandy loam, and the crops 
 best adapted are broom corn, sorghum, sugar cane, melons, wheat, 
 corn, barley, oats, potatoes, millet, alfalfa, rye, beets and the grasses. 
 Price of lands, $:i to $4. ($1.25 for government lands under the various 
 entries. ) 
 
 The prevailing breeds of sheep most successful in wool growing 
 are the Merino and Shropshire. Estimated annual clip of wool, 
 59,000 pounds; average price, 16 cents per pound. 
 
 The climate of Cheyenne county is pronounced by leading physi- 
 cians to be excellent for health seekers, and the water is 98 per cent, 
 pure. Such are the industrial advantages that the present settlers " 
 have no hesitation in inviting good, industrious, persevering farmers 
 to join them in the work of developing the country, and to such men 
 they extend the o£Fer of cheap farms and cheap homes, easily obtain- 
 able, and invite them with a welcome and an assurance of their suc- 
 cess. 
 
 Clear Creek. 
 
 Clear Creek county has been a steady, producer of gold and silver 
 from the first years of settlement in Colorado to the present. It is 
 one of the oldest, wealthiest and most substantial counties in the 
 State. It is a mining county to the exclusion almost of all other 
 industries. Its surface is almost entirely mountains and rocks. In 
 the valleys there are about 1,000 acres of agricultural lands. In the 
 history of mining development Clear Creek and Gilpin counties are 
 twins, they are the smallest counties in the State, and have been con- 
 stantly rich, reliable producers of wealth, silver predominating in the 
 former and gold in the latter. Clear Creek county is one of the cen- 
 tral mountain counties, lying about 75 miles nearly due west of Den- 
 ver. It has a population of 7, 189. Georgetown, situated in the heart of 
 the mining region is the county seat; other towcs are Silver Plume and 
 
100 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Idaho Springs, the latter being a celebrated watering place where the 
 thermal springs have a reputation for their cure of rheumatism,skin, kid- 
 ney and stomach diseases, being also beneficial to asthmetics and con- 
 sumptives. The population is principally composed of miners, and is 
 distinctively cosmopolitan. The assessed valuation of mining property 
 and gross output is $296,622, and the total valuation of the county is 
 $1,907,903. But this falls short of true values. The average annual 
 output of gold and silver alone is $2,400,000, and the total real valuation 
 is properly estimated at $4,000,000. The county debt is $50,000, and the 
 tax rate 3^ per cent. Gold, silver, copper, lead, zinc and iron are 
 mined. Among the mines are some producers well known through- 
 out the United States and in the mining world. About 175 mines are 
 in operation. The general character of the mineral formation is 
 granite and gneissic rock. 
 
 Clear Creek is especially noted for the stability of its mines. The 
 first discoveries were made in 1859, and from that year to the present 
 — a period of thirty-one years — the development has been a work of 
 steady progress. Many of these first discoveries are still among the 
 largest producers, and present operations involve deep mining, with 
 most extensive explorations, and yet there is no sign of exhaustion. 
 Many of the properties, as they grow in age, also increase in the pro- 
 duction of the precious metals. The county has an area of only 389 
 square miles, and although within this small territory thousands of 
 claims have been taken, there are yet undiscovered bodies of min- 
 eral, and work for generations to come in the development of mines 
 that have as yet barely been opened. Of smelters, stamp-mills, con- 
 centrators, reduction works, etc., there are twenty-five establish- 
 ments. Clear Creek county is high up in the mountains, its western 
 boundary resting upon the back-bone of the Continental Range, of 
 which Gray's Peak forms a part. The south fork of Clear Creek, 
 having its source in the perpetual snow of the range, courses its way 
 through the center of the county forming the grandeurs of Clear 
 Creek Canon on its way through the mountains to the plains. The 
 Colorado Central division of the Union Pacific, and the Colorado 
 Central and Georgetown, Breckenridge and Leadville railways 
 traverse the county. The several towns named have eighteen schools 
 and thirteen churches. 
 
 In addition to its unlimited treasure, Clear Creek county possesses 
 wealth in its delicious summer climate, the sublimity of its scenery 
 and the numerous places of health and pleasure resort. Clear Creek 
 Canon, the "loop," near Georgetown, are marvels of railway engi- 
 neering, and present to view some of the most enchanting grandeurs 
 of mountain scenery, while far above, and reaching into the clouds 
 amid the peaks that are perpetually clad in snow. Crystal lake and 
 Green lake are noted among the most delightful summer resorts on 
 the continent of America. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. IQl 
 
 Cone] OS. 
 
 A large portion of Conejos county lies within the San Luis Valley, 
 and it is therefore an agricultural and live stock section for the most 
 part, while the people are also sustained by mining and other indus- 
 tries. The population of the county is about 7,000, including a large 
 number of Mexicans who were the earlier settlers, devoted princi- 
 pally to agriculture and sheep-raising. Timber is plentiful in the 
 hills, and the fertile valleys are watered by numerous streams. About 
 50,000 acres are cultivated in grain, with an average yield for wheat, 
 27 bushels; oats, 61; rye, 43; barley, 54. 
 
 The assessed valuation of Conejos county for 1892 was f 1,795,624, 
 or a real valuation approximating 15,000,000. This taxable wealth 
 is distributed principally among the holders of improved lands, graz- 
 ing lands, coal lands, the railroads, the live-stock interests and the 
 improvements on town and city lots, representing several thriving 
 towns in the county. The most important of these is the town of 
 Alamosa, the principal market and distributing point from the Den- 
 ver and Rio Grande railway, which passes through the county, and 
 with its branches, have a trackage of seventy-four miles. Statistics 
 of live-stock, according to assessor's returns, credits the county with 
 4,528 horses, 8,647 cattle and 10,320 sheep. The advantages for cat- 
 tle and sheep as they exist in the natural and almost perpetual pas- 
 turage of the fertile valleys, the foot-hills and mountain sides are 
 splendid, and these branches of industry will always be profitable. 
 
 Soil and climate are adopted to all manner of farm crops and, as 
 the averages for leading products show, Conejos has no superior. All 
 crops are raised by irrigation. Several hundred miles of irrigating 
 canals have been constructed, which, besides affording water for all 
 occupied lands, open many thousands of acres for new settlement. 
 The mineral formations of Conejos county are principally leads and 
 placers, the carbonate camp at Antonito being an important field of 
 operation. However, mining has received but comparatively little 
 development, and is not as yet one of its most important sources of 
 wealth. Artesian wells are struck at a depth of from 55 to 100 feet in 
 almost any part of the county on low land, and the water is cold, soft 
 and healthful. The county possesses a delightful climate and is sur- 
 rounded by splendid mountain scenery. The numerous streams are 
 well stocked with trout, the nearby hills abound in game, thus afford- 
 ing attractions to the health and pleasure seeker as well as to those in 
 quest of a location and a home in this fine agricultural section. 
 
 Costilla. 
 Costilla county is important for its agriculture and live-stock inter- 
 ests, chiefly, and occupies the south- east corner of the famous San 
 Luis valley; noted for its wonderful fertility of soil and its extensive 
 facilities for irrigation, this county alone having irrigating canals and 
 ditches of a total length of 260 miles, irrigating 200,000 acres of land, 
 the greater part of it being open to settlement. The county was 
 
202 '''HE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 established when Colorado was organized into a Territory, and now 
 has a population of 4,000. The principal towns are Fort Garland, 
 100 population ; San Luis, the county seat, 500 ; San Pedro, 400 ; Cos- 
 tilla, 400 ; Mosca, lop ; Garrison, 100. It has an area of 2,500 square 
 miles, and an elevation of 7,700 feet. The streams of the county are 
 the Trinchera, Sangre de Cristo, Ute creek, Culebra, Vallejos, San 
 Francisco, Jaroso, Ventero and Costilla creek and the Rio Grande 
 river along the western boundary. The soil of the county is from a 
 sandy loam, (sub-irrigating) to a rich heavy clay. The leading pro- 
 duct is wheat; but oats, rye, barley, corn, alfalfa, timothy, clover, 
 potatoes, sugar beets, and all sorts of vegetables are raised. 
 
 The financial and social statistics of the county are reported as 
 follows: Assessed valuation of county, |i, 250,000; real valuation, 
 3,000,000; county debt, 26,000; rate of taxation, mills, 18; number 
 of schools, 30 ; value of school property, $30,000 ; number of teach- 
 ers employed, 40 ; average wages paid teachers, $45. 
 
 The religious organizations in the county are Presbyterian, Meth- 
 odist, Catholic, Episcopalean. The total acres of land available for 
 agriculture is estimated at 400,000; total acres available for pasture, 
 800,000; total acres land under ditch, 200,000; total acres land culti- 
 vated under ditch, 40,000; total acres of unoccupied available land 
 under ditch, with available water, 20,000; total acres unoccupied Gov- 
 ernment land available for agriculture, 40,000; total number of acres 
 of unsold State lands available for agriculture in county, 6,000. 
 
 Estimated average yield per acre: Wheat, bushels, 22; corn, 23; 
 rye, 20; oats, 35; barley, 28. Alfalfa, tons, 4; timothy, i^, peas, 
 I 1-5; clover, 3; native grasses, i; potatoes, i. All kinds of vege- 
 tables are grown with large average yields. 
 
 Statistics of live stock in the county: Horses, 4,500; cattle, 12,000; 
 dairy cows, 1,000; swine, 2,500; mules, 400; asses, 400; sheep, 18,000; 
 goats, 1,000. 
 
 The advantages for raising blooded horses, fine and fancy cattle, 
 sheep, hogs, poultry, etc., are mainly the splendid meadows and a pure 
 climate. 
 
 The wool clip for 1892 was 50,000 pounds, at an average price of 
 16 cents per pound. The most successful sheep for wool growing is the 
 Merino. 
 
 Operations in mining are of little consequence, though the county 
 contains numerous veins of gold, silver, lead and copper ores, with 
 seven developed mines. The sanitary inducements for health seekers 
 are excellent climate, fine scenery, water of the best and pleasant 
 accommodations. Hunting, fishing and climbing to the summit of 
 Blanca Peak, the highest in the State, are the chief attractions 
 for health and pleasure seekers. In addition to the mountain streams 
 there are 150 artesian wells in the county which add to the water sup- 
 ply for irrigation, besides being of great value for sanitary and 
 domestic purposes. 
 
 By the many advantages enumerated, Costilla county offers fine 
 inducements both to the home-seeker and the capitalist, and the field 
 is open for many enterprises not yet developed. 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. IQS 
 
 Custer. 
 
 Custer is one of the prosperous agricultural and mining counties 
 of Southern Colorado. It is 24 by 36 miles in extent and nestles at 
 the foot of the Sangre de Cresto and Greenhorn ranges of mountains. 
 The area is partly composed of mountains containing the precious 
 metals, its larger part comprising broad valleys for agriculture and 
 grazing. Upon the north is Fremont county, on the south Huerfano, 
 on the east Pueblo, and on the west Saguache county. Custer county 
 has an elevation of 8,000 feet. Grape Creek and its tributaries flow- 
 through the county and empty their waters into the Arkansas. Cus- 
 ter county receives its names from Gen. Custer, killed at the Big 
 Horn massacre. It was organized in 1875. It has a population of 
 3,000. Silver CliflF is the county seat. It has 23 public schools. 
 
 The total acres of agricultural land reported under assessment are 
 18,972 acres, of grazing land 50,448. The greater portion of the agri- 
 cultural lands are under cultivation, yielding big averages per acre in 
 the cereals, oats, rye, barley, potatoes and alfalfa being the leading pro- 
 duct. The valuation in 1872 upon the cattle industry, which is one 
 of the leading sources of wealth in the county, was $109,496, aggre- 
 gating 10,912 head; horses, 2,905 head, valued at $84,424. The total 
 assessed valuation of the county is 1752,121, or an estimated real 
 valuation of $2,200,000. The stock raised is not altogether bred as 
 range stock, but considerable attention is devoted to fancy breeding. 
 The effect of this is seen in the character of Custer county live stock 
 and the position it has attained in the markets of the State. The 
 prosperous condition of this industry is due to the exceedingly favor- 
 able climate, the abundance of water and the other natural advanta- 
 ges of the valleys of the Wet Mountain country. In addition to the 
 mineral deposits are beds of commercial minerals and also vast quan- 
 tities of variegated marble. Custer county needs only the capital and 
 in a short time there will here be developed large industries and an 
 impetus will be given the industries already established. There is 
 some manufacturing in the county, but the goods made are for local 
 use. The lack of railroad facilities has seriously retarded some por- 
 tions of the section and as soon as these facilities are oflFered the 
 county will develop her mines more extensively but will direct atten- 
 tion to other channels. 
 
 The county contains large forests and lumber is obtainable in 
 large quantities. The annual output in sawed lumber is about 3,000,- 
 000 feet. 
 
 The mining industry is promising, but the development has not 
 been very extensive in late years. Fine bodies of mineral are known 
 to exist, and numerous rich discoveries have been made, giving every 
 assurance of the future advancement of the industry. The resump- 
 tion of operations in the great Bassick Mine which is contemplated 
 for this year (1893) will give a new impetus to the industry. The total 
 annual output of late years has been from $100,000 to $200,000. The 
 
104 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 population of the county is estimated at 3,000. The combined 
 resources of the county, gives great promise for the future and the 
 people find plenty of occupation in their various callings and all the 
 people are in a prosperous condition. 
 
 Delta. 
 
 No county in the State possesses a combination of industrial re- 
 source superior to that of Delta County. This is one of the trinity of 
 counties forming what is commonly known as the fruit-growing coun- 
 try of the Western Slope, lying between Mesa and Montrose Coun- 
 ties, and comprising a large area of splendid lands for agriculture 
 and grazing in the fertile valleys of the Uncompahgre, and the two 
 forks of the Gunnison river. The first settlements were made in 
 1882, immediately following the removal of the Utes, and as a part 
 of its industrial history, it is related that the first fruit trees from 
 which has developed the wide-spread fruit-growing industry of West- 
 ern Colorado, were planted in Delta County in that year. Thus in 
 ten years, from this small beginning, 210 irrigating ditches, aggre- 
 gating a total length of 600 miles, have been constructed, and 20,000 
 acres of land placed under cultivation for general agriculture, and 
 85,000 under ditch. Delta County has an area of 1,200 square miles. 
 One-fourth of its territory lies in the valleys, and the remaining 
 three-fourths comprises a part of the grand mesa of the Western 
 Slope, which reaches an altitude of 10,000 feet as it approaches the 
 higher mountains. It is in large part covered with fine timber, 
 while it also possesses vast tracts of open table lands, having a fertile 
 soil, highly productive of the cereals wherever water can be applied, 
 and affording throughout the most excellent grazing lands for all 
 species of live-stock, the hills and timber lands providing for them 
 shelter from the rigors of winter. The valley lands possess great 
 richness of soil, and a climate that is adapted to agriculture and the 
 fields, the orchards and the gardens yield abundant harvests. 
 
 The county was organized in 18S3, and has now a population of 
 4,500. The City of Delta is the county seat, with a population of 900; 
 other towns, Hotchkiss, 100; Paonia, 100; Crawford, Eckhardt, 50. 
 The remainder of the population is distributed for the most part 
 among the farms, while Delta county, by reason of the extraordinary 
 results attained, is entitled to its distinction as a fruit growing country, 
 its greater capabilities lie in its combination of advantages for 
 field production, stock raising, its coal mines and other reserves of 
 natural resource. For large growth, beauty and delicious flavor the 
 apple and the pear are the leading products of the orchard. Peaches 
 also reach that degree of excellence which has made western Colo- 
 rado famous for this fruit, while apricots, plums and cherries grow 
 abundantly. Grapes also grow in great abundance and beauty, and 
 man}' of the choice California varieties are grown with great success. 
 Notwithstanding all the orchards are young and but comparatively 
 few of the number planted in bearing, a sufiBiciency of fruit is raised 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 1()5 
 
 for home consumption, besides contributing a large share of the sup- 
 ply to the towns and mining camps in neighboriug counties. 
 
 Upon the farms the soil is cultivated upon a much larger scale 
 and with greater aggregate profit in wheat, oats, corn, barley, alfalfa, 
 potatoes, and other crops. Wheat, oats, alfalfa and potatoes are the 
 products of greatest volume and value, the average yield per acre in 
 all these crops being surprisingly large, and far exceeding the aver- 
 age for the State, a fact which is characteristic of all the valley lands 
 of the Western Slope. 
 
 The wealth of the county consists in the most part in its lands and 
 herds. The assessed valuation is |i, 250,000; estimated real valua- 
 tion, |4, 000,000. The county debt is $70,000. The county is settled 
 with an intelligent, thrifty class of people and the moral tone of the 
 community is of a high standard. For the population of 4,500 there 
 are eight churches and 22 schools with 26 school teachers. 
 
 The lands of the county are classified as follows: 
 
 Total acres available for agriculture 215,000 
 
 Total acres available for pasture 450,000 
 
 Total acres land under ditch 85,100 
 
 Total acres cultivated under dit h .... 20,000 
 
 Total acres of unoccupied government land available for 
 
 agriculture 75,000 
 
 As cultivation is as yet confined principally to the richer valley 
 lands, the average yield per acre is reported at figures higher than 
 would be justified by a general tillage of the land, the average for 
 some entire farms in 1892, being estimated as follows: 
 
 Wheat, bushels ■ 40 
 
 Oats, " 50 
 
 Barlej-, " 80 
 
 Rye, " 35 
 
 Potatoes, " 250 
 
 The abundance of fine grazing land, good water and the capabili- 
 ties of soil for the production of hay and other feed, all go to show 
 the superior advantages for raising fine stock and for the sheep and 
 and wool industry. 
 
 Coal is abundant in the county and there are eight coal mines in 
 operation. Average price per ton at mine, $1.50. There are numer- 
 ous deposits of the commercial minerals, as yet undeveloped, and a 
 number of lime kilns are in operation. The Denver and Rio Grande 
 railway passes through the county from east to west, giving commu- 
 nication with Utah and all parts of Colorado. 
 
 With all its great advantages the county has but small develop- 
 ment and it is in this great reserve of natural resource that the home- 
 seeker of the future will find opportunities for livelihood and fortune. 
 
 Dolores. 
 
 Dolores is one of the important mining counties of south-western 
 Colorado, which has been waiting for many years only for the advent 
 of the railway to develop its great wealth in- gold and silver. Within 
 the past year the Rio Grande Southern railway has been constructed 
 through the county north and south, tapping the richer districts 
 
106 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 under development. The City of Rico, the county seat, being the 
 center of this region, becomes the market, the distributing and ship- 
 ping point for the mines of the county. Since the railway came, 
 there is already the signs of renewed activity, which in future can 
 have no possible check, except the national calamity which aflfects 
 all mining sections alike, the low price of silver, and the want of 
 favorable legislation. 
 
 Dolores was created in 1881, from the southern part of Ouray 
 County. But long before this time, numerous rich discoveries had 
 been made, and a number of mining camps established, among them 
 the town of Rico, which has continued to be the leading mining 
 camp and the mining center of the county, and has a population of 
 2,500. The area of the county is over 900 square miles, and its eleva- 
 tion is 7,000 to 14,000 feet. Its topography is principally moun- 
 tainous, with a wide stretch of hilly country, and undulating plains 
 west of the mountains to the Utah line. In this part is a large area 
 of grazing and tillable land, but for the most part it is uninhabited, 
 and little pretension to agriculture is made. 
 
 The total population of Dolores County is 2,700, therefore, nearly 
 all the mining population centers in the town of Rico. The moun- 
 tains are heavily timbered, and the two principal streams are the 
 Dolores and West Dolores rivers. 
 
 Assessed valuation $ 900,000 
 
 Couutydebt 90,0u0 
 
 Rate of taxation, State, county and school, 30 mills. The county 
 has two school districts, and a school population of 200. Number of 
 teachers employed, 4; average wages paid, $85. 
 
 There are only two churches, one Congregational and one Catholic, 
 both at Rico. Since the date of organization town and city prop- 
 erties have increased $750,000 in valuation. In considering Dolores 
 as a mining county it is important that while the mountains under 
 development are an extension of the rich gold and silver formations 
 of Ouray county to the north, they also adjoin San Juan county, and 
 were originally a part of the great silvery San Juan region. The gen- 
 eral character of the ores mined are gold, silver, lead, copper and 
 iron. There are twenty-five developed mines, a number of them 
 yielding large profits to the operators. The greater number of the 
 properties are as yet undeveloped, and are known to possess mineral 
 with every indication of big fortune. 
 
 The general character of the mineral formation is lime, porphyry 
 and some quartzite. The veins are fissure and contact. The output 
 of the Rico mines for 1889, was f 1,000,000. The following figures 
 for 1892 will show the ratio of increase since that time, the greater 
 part being for 1892: 
 
 ESTIMATED OUTPUT IN DOLI.ARS FOR 1892. 
 
 Gold $ 250,000 
 
 Silver 2,250,000 
 
 Lead 250,000 
 
 Copper 4.000 
 
 Total $2,754,000 
 
RKSOURCES OF COIvORADO. ;[07 
 
 Coal is found in the sandstone formation and the iron that abounds 
 is only used for flux in smelting. There are four coal mines seven 
 miles north of Rico. Output for 1892, 5,000 tons. Average price per 
 ton, $y; average cost for mining per ton, $2; average price paid coal 
 miners per day, $3.50. 
 
 As mining is an interest greater than all others combined, the 
 future opportunities of fortune will be mainly in the opening up of 
 new discoveries or the many partially developed mines that are only 
 awaiting the coming of capital and labor. 
 
 Douglas. 
 
 This county is classed as almost wholly agricultural, with proba- 
 bly one-fourth its area covered with useful timber. It adjoins Arapa- 
 hoe county on the north and El Paso on the south, having a close 
 connection with the chief centers of population. The western half 
 of this county comprises an area of many peculiar features, embrac- 
 ing, as it does, foot-hills and spurs of the Rockies, bluffs, ridges, 
 mesas, parks and valleys, belonging, in part, to the northern incline 
 of the Divide, with its many singular configurations. The valleys, 
 hill-sides and table lands are cultivable and highly productive, while a 
 large proportion of high lands is covered with timber. While por- 
 tions of the county are supplied with water from two large irrigating 
 canals, crops are successfully raised every year without irrigation. 
 
 It is one of the pioneer counties, being organized in 1861, and 
 
 named after the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. It has an area of 860 
 
 square miles, with a population of 3,010. Castle Rock is the county 
 
 seat, and the principal towns are Castle Rock, Sedalia, Parker and 
 
 Greenland. Highest elevation, 6,200 feet. The natural staeams of 
 
 the county are East and West Plum Creek, Cherry Creek, with east 
 
 and west branches, Antelope, Garber, Horse, Jackson and Spring 
 
 Creeks. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county 12,000,000 00 
 
 Real valuation •••... 4,000,OuO 00 
 
 County debt 18,0u0 00 
 
 Rate of taxation : 19 mills. 
 
 Number of schools 28 
 
 School population 742 
 
 Value of school property $ 20,000 00 
 
 Number of teachers employed 33 
 
 Average wages paid teachers $ 48 50 
 
 There are five church organizations in the county: Methodist, 3; 
 Episcopal, i; Catholic, i. The soil is a sandy loam, exceedingly rich 
 in the valleys. Total acres of land available for agriculture, 300,000; 
 total acres available for pasture, 275,000. The leading products that 
 are successfully grown from the soil of Douglas county are potatoes, 
 corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, millet, buckwheat, sorghum, Kaffer 
 corn, sugar beets, beans and nearly all kinds of garden truck. 
 
 For irrigation the Highline ditch and the Arapahoe ditch are the 
 principal canals, but there are about 150 smaller private ditches in the 
 county. The Castlewood reservoir, recently completed, is located in 
 the bed of Cherry creek in the eastern end of the county. This is a 
 
108 '^HS INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 model and a wonder of reservoir construction. Its capacity 250,000,- 
 000 cubic feet or about 2,000,000,000 U. S. gallons and will furnish 
 water for hundreds of thousands of acres as yet unoccupied in portions 
 of Douglas and Arapahoe counties. Four railroads pass through 
 Douglas county: The Denver and Rio Grande, Santa F^, South Park 
 and the Denver, Texas and Fort Worth, giving abundant transpor- 
 tation facilities from the farms to the markets. Castle Rock is the 
 nearest market place with reference to railroad transportation. 
 
 Estimated number of cattle . . . '. 11,498 
 
 Dairy cows 1,5V»8 
 
 Horses 1^7 
 
 Hogs .523 
 
 Good pasturage, good water in abundance, a great variety of rich 
 forage, nearness to the markets of Denver and Colorado Springs, are 
 among the chief advantages in raising blooded horses and a number 
 of persons have recently engaged in the business. The same advant- 
 ages encourage the raising of Jersey and Holstein cattle for dairy 
 purposes, and sheep and swine, principally for home consumption, 
 while poultry of all kinds can be profitably raised. The dairy busi- 
 ness is becoming a leading industry of the county and offers great 
 opportunity for the future. There are three cheese factories in the 
 county and one creamery, located at Castle Rock. Product of butter 
 in 1892, 122,620 pounds; market price, 25 to 35 cents. Cheese manu- 
 factured, 355,500 pounds. 
 
 Very little fruit has been grown. A large number of orchards 
 have recently been planted. Older orchards bear fairly well. Of all 
 the products of field or garden, the greater part is consumed in the 
 county, owing to the fact that a large proportion of the population is 
 engaged in other industries. Coal is found in the county, but not 
 extensively mined. There are four stone quarries near Castle Rock^ 
 shipping great quantities of lava rock; one near Larkspur of red 
 sandstone. About fifty men are employed; wages, $2.25 per day. 
 
 Precious and ornamental stones, such as topaz, agate, crystals, 
 jasper, agatized, petrified, crystalized and opal woods are found in 
 considerable quantities. 
 
 Petroleum is known to exist, and development work is in progress. 
 Deposits of fire-clay are found at Castle Rock, and lime at Sedalia. 
 
 The county possesses, as a valuable health resort, the Bxcelsior min- 
 eral springs, in the south-east part, on Antelope creek. The follow- 
 ing result of analysis shows the water to be very good: 
 
 Grains to Gal. 
 
 Common salt 1.4 
 
 Calcium carbonate 7.5 
 
 Iron and alumina sulph 1.3 
 
 Magnesium, sulph 1.5 
 
 Sodium carbonate S 
 
 12.5 
 
 The county, as a whole, is a natural sanitarium, with the best of 
 water and pure mountain air. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 109 
 
 Eagle. 
 
 Eagle is one of the central mountain counties, distinctively a min- 
 ing section, in its topography wholly mountainous, but comprising 
 numerous fertile valleys along the Eagle and Grand rivers and their 
 tributaries, where good crops of cereals, potatoes and hay are raised, 
 and find ready sale at good prices in the local markets. But the 
 chief source of revenue maintaining the population is the mines, pro- 
 ducing gold, silver and lead. 
 
 The county was organized in 1883 and now has a population of 
 7,200. 
 
 Its principal towns are Red Cliff, Oilman, Eagle, Minturn, Gyp- 
 sum, Wolcott and Mitchell. 
 
 Eagle county has an area of 1,800 square miles. Its elevation is 
 5,600 to 14,500 feet. The mountains are densely timbered. Assessed 
 valuation, ^1,293,280; real valuation, estimated, J^5, 000,000; county 
 debt, 119,006; rate of taxation, 35 mills; number of schools, 20; value 
 of school property, |io,5oo; number of teachers employed, 20; aver- 
 age wages paid teachers, $75. Church organizations, eight; Congre- 
 gational, three; Lutheran, two; Catholic, one; Methodist, two. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture 45.000 
 
 Total acres land for pasture 350,000 
 
 Total acres land under ditch 17,000 
 
 Total acres land cultivated under ditch 30,000 
 
 Total acre unoccupied government land available for agri- 
 culture 20,000 
 
 The first settlement was made in the county by miners in 1879, and 
 the first efforts at farming in 1882, principally for hay and potatoes. 
 In favored locations the best lands are held at I40 per acre, and the 
 increase in town properties is not so great as in the agricultural dis- 
 tricts. The leading inducements for agricultural settlement are easy 
 farming and good markets. The Denver and Rio Grande and the 
 Colorado Midland railways pass through the county, with a trackage 
 of ninety miles, affording easy tranportation for the mines and the 
 farms. Assessed valuation of railroads, |8,624 per mile. Experi- 
 ments thus far prove that fruits can be raised in the valleys. 
 
 Mining for the precious metals is the main source of wealth in 
 Eagle County, and the result of the past few years proves its perma- 
 nency, with a rich promise for the future. The mining districts 
 where operations are in progress are: Battle Mountain, Nolan, Taylor 
 Hill, Eagle River, Edgeley. 
 
 There are twenty-eight developed mines in the county, and the 
 leading products are gold, silver and lead. 
 
 The future mining in Eagle County is very promising. It adjoins 
 the great silver and lead producing counties of Lake and Pitkin, on 
 the north and the same range of mountains from which the enor- 
 mous wealth of Leadville and Aspen has been developed, cross 
 Eagle County from north to south. While in addition to the 
 developed mines, other rich discoveries, as yet undeveloped, are nu- 
 merous, there is still a large field for new and still richer discovery. 
 
110 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 In addition to the mining industry, there is a great abundance 61 
 building stone in the mountains. Three quarries are open, and 120 
 men emplo5'ed. Average wages, $3 per day, Red sandstone, the 
 favorite building material, is the leacJCng character, and the markets 
 are Denver, Aspen, Glenwood and other mountain points. There are 
 no distinctive health resorts, but the summer climate in the moun- 
 tains is delightful, and quite a number of Eastern people spend a 
 part of the summer in the mountain towns to enjoy the cool nights, 
 the magnficent scenery and the fine sport in hunting and fishing. 
 
 Elbert. 
 
 The County of Elbert comprises a part of the State known as the 
 Divide country, and is especially valuable as a rich stock raising sec- 
 tion. Its altitude is such that rains are more frequent than is the 
 case among the eastern Colorado counties, a fact that is largely due 
 to its peculiar physical features. The Divide seems to attract the 
 storms which rise in the mountains and pass thence along the high 
 lands through Elbert to the plains of eastern Colorado. The county 
 has 1,854 square miles, and the average elevation is 6,000 feet. In 
 the western part of the county there are large quantities of pine tim- 
 ber. Elbert county's population is 1,854, ^^^ the people are prosper- 
 ous. In no other stock raising section are the inhabitants in better 
 condition. There is considerable farming, and where attention is 
 paid to the grasses and the early grain crops success is attained in 
 farming. The range has been taken up to such an extent that the 
 rich land is fenced in small holdings, and where stock raising is pur- 
 sued farming is conducted as a necessary adjunct. In 1892 the valua- 
 tion was $1,989,909; estimated real valuation, $4,ooo,oqo. There is no 
 county debt. This county was taken from Douglas county in 1874, 
 and named in honor of Ex-Governor Samuel H. Elbert. Elizabeth and 
 Elbert are the important towns. Kiowa is the county seat, on Kiowa 
 Creek, about the center of the county. There are 18 public schools 
 in the county, with a school census of 600 and a property valuation 
 of $12,000. Throughout the county there is considerable agricul- 
 tural land and corn and hay are raised abundantly in the valleys. 
 Alfalfa will grow in the high lands and espersette where tried in 
 the more arid section is found to be peculiarly adapted to the 
 altitude and physical conditions. There are a few private ditches 
 in the county under which there are about 800 acres in a high state 
 of cultivation. There are 500,000 acres of rich land used now for 
 grazing purposes. Upon this people are locating rapidly and soon 
 the prospects are that stock* raising under conditions which contem- 
 plate farming to some degree will take the place of the open range. 
 For sheep raising Elbert county is especially adapted. There is no 
 alkali to injure the wool and the thoroughbred grades of Merino and 
 other blooded sheep grow here to perfection. The wool crop of 1892 
 approximated 500,000 pounds from 75,000 head of sheep. Next in 
 importance is the cattle industry. There are this year in the county 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. m 
 
 20,000 head. The dairy interests are growing, and the prospects are 
 that shortly from the improved breeds of cattle IBlbert will support a 
 flourishing creamery trade. The past year about 6,000 acres of grain 
 were planted, barley being a profitable crop. Corn was also exten- 
 sively raised. Blbert county is healthful; there is an abundance of 
 good water, shade, and in general character the country is a highly 
 desirable place for summer residence. In the western end of the 
 county there are large deposits of buil4iag stone, mostly lava, from 
 which the material is quarried for local use. There are 83 miles of 
 railroad in the county, operated by the Denver, Texas and Fort Worth 
 and the Kansas Division of the Union Pacific. 
 
 El Paso. 
 
 No other county in the State has greater wealth in natural attrac- 
 tions than El Paso. Were it not noted moreover, for its great reserve 
 of material resource, its fame as the county of Pike's Peak, Manitou 
 and Colorado Springs would be suflScient to establish its important 
 relation to the State and the rest of the world. Fl Paso is Spanish 
 for "The Pass," so called from Ute Pass, which in early days was the 
 gate-way to the West. It was organized as a county when Colorado 
 ■was organized as a Territory. It occupies nearly a central position 
 in the State, bounded on the north by Douglas and Elbert counties, 
 on the east by Elbert and Lincoln, on the south by Pueblo and Fre- 
 mont and on the west by Park county. The county seat is Colorado 
 Sgrings. Its area is 2,646 square miles. Its elevation averages 5,000 
 feet on the plains and 14,250 in the m.ountains, the maximum being 
 the summit of Pike's Peak. Pine forests cover the mountains. The 
 Fountain qui Bouille and the Monument, small creeks are the princi- 
 pal streams. The soil is generally a sandy loam, highly productive 
 in the northern portion and along the Fountain, of potatoes, corn, 
 wheat, oats, and all the rest of the cereals, and also all the clovers 
 and grasses. The county has a population of 25,198. The principal 
 towns and cities are Colorado Springs, 15,000; Colorado City, 3,000; 
 Manitou, 1,500; Monument, 300; t^'ontaine, 300. The people have 
 come from every part of the United States and all over the world. 
 They embrace the industrial classes and people of wealth, retired from 
 business who have come to Colorado for health. The general employ- 
 ment of the people is farming and grazing, though the development 
 of its natural resources forms a large part of its general industries, 
 such as quarrying and coal mining, while the dairy forms an impor- 
 tant part of the farm. The county forms a community of excellent 
 social condition. It has ninety-two public schools, one college, fifty- 
 six churches and seventeen newspapers. 
 
 The total acres of land available for agriculture is estimated at 
 200,000. A much larger area is devoted to pasturage on the ranges 
 for sheep and cattle. The^e are about 30,000 acres of agricultural 
 land now under ditch. There is great abundance of stone and coal 
 in the county. The veins of coal are from six to nine feet thick and 
 
1X2 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 extend over a vast area. Red and white sandstone of fine quality, 
 crops out along the base of the mountains. Six quarries are now in 
 operation. The stone is of an excellent quality, and the supply is 
 inexhaustible. Large quantities are shipped east. Oil indications are 
 very promising, extending along the width of the county from north 
 to south. The dairy is an important institution in El Paso. Value 
 of butter made in 1892, was $50,000; cheese manufactured, 90,000 
 pounds. The sheep industry is a promising feature. Annual clip of 
 wool estimated at 400,000 pounds, averaging 16 cents per pound. Six 
 great railway lines traverse the countj', all passing through Colorado 
 Springs. The agricultural yields of fair average. In the northern 
 portion, which is upon the " Divide," crops are raised with great suc- 
 cess without irrigation. The yield of potatoes there is enormous, 
 6,000 to 12,000 pounds to the acre being the usual average. At Colo- 
 rado Springs and Colorado City there are numerous manufactories 
 from native materials, among them a glass manufactory, a plaster of 
 paris and cement factory and a paint factory. At Manitou there is 
 an extensive bottle manufactory, and a great lime kiln. Othc- lesser 
 establishments are too numerous to mention. Colorado City, which 
 by reason of its large growth in manufactures, has in late years 
 grown from a small village into the proportions of a city and is the 
 manufacturing center for the great wealth of raw materia] sur- 
 rounding. The manufacture of bottles and other glassware has 
 become a large industry; c. foundry for manufacture in iron, brass 
 and copper, is among the larger establishments; mineral paint 
 works, fire-clay and pottery and numerous other manufactures are 
 important features in the list of industries. 
 
 Some of the most extensive deposits of red and white sandstone, 
 and the largest quarries being at this time operated, are at the edge 
 of town. There are in the immediate viciriity inexhaustible deposits 
 of fire, potter's and terracotta clay; a superior brick clay, hydraulic 
 cement, gypsum, limestone, and the most extensive mines of cryolite 
 which are known to exist in America. There are fluxes of all kinds, 
 and railway facilities to transport the ores from the mines, and the 
 manufactured products to all points. Colorado City, the " El Paso " 
 of 1850, the neglected, despised hamlet of the '70's, has stepped to 
 the fore in the manufacturing ranks. 
 
 The assessed valuation of El Paso county is ^^11,837,271, which 
 represents approximately an actual valuation of $33, 000, 000. 
 
 El Paso -county is pre-eminently a refuge for those afflicted with 
 throat and lung diseases. The climate and the purity of the air are un, 
 excelled. The natural scenery is sublime. Lofty mountains, grand 
 canons, leaping cascades, beautiful and picturesque rock formations- 
 pensive valleys and quiet dells make it the Switzerland of America. 
 The Iron and Soda Springs of Manitou are world-renowned, and 
 and give health and vigor to thousands who come from all parts 
 of the world to drink of their waters. In its advantages of soil 
 for the firmer, its wide range of grazing land for the stockman, in 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. Hg 
 
 Its wealth of stone and gypsum and lime, in its boundless resource of 
 coal and the commercial minerals for the manufacturer, in its varied 
 employments for the industrial classes; in its healthful climate, its 
 healing mineral waters and pure, invigorating atmosphere for the 
 sick and the well, in all these are found the most persuasive induce- 
 ments that could be offered a people to make El Paso county an 
 agreeable, profitable place of residence . 
 
 Colorado Springs, the center of this region of wonder and charm, 
 enjoys a large share of the advantages which attach to modern city 
 life. It is supplied with water of absolute purity, piped from the 
 sides of Pike's Peak. It has a complete and perfect sewerage system. 
 It is lighted by electricity. It has about twenty-five miles of finely 
 equipped electric railway, with branches to Manitou, Broadmoor and 
 the Cheyenne Canons, and to Austin Bluflf. It is provided with 
 ample hotel accommodations for the thousands who annually visit it. 
 It lias numerous liveries, giving excellent service with moderate 
 charges. 
 
 In addition to these great attractions as a tourist and residence 
 city, Colorado Springs has already begun to play an important part 
 in the present rapid development of the Rocky Mountain region. 
 Situated at the entrance to Ute Pass, one of the great natural high- 
 ways into the mountains, it must of necessity become an important 
 commercial center, and share with other cities the tribute of the 
 mountains and plains. Six lines of railway enter in Colorado 
 Springs. 
 
 Five miles from Colorado Springs, and connected by two lines of 
 steam railway, by electric railway, by roads and boulevards, is the 
 village of Manitou Springs, which is called the "Saratoga of the 
 West," by reason of its great popularity, situated in a cleft of the' 
 mountains at the entrance to Ute Pass. Manitou is essentially a 
 summer watering place, the majority of its hotels being open during 
 the summer season only. Three canons converge at Manitou — Ruxton 
 and Williams Canons and Ute Pass — all of which are striking scenic 
 features. Through the first of these runs one of the principal trails 
 to the summit of the Peak, as does also the Cog Railway. The Iron 
 and Soda Springs at Manitou are justly famous, having a wide curative 
 range. Manitou Springs so justly celebrates! becomes the more 
 famous because of the many wonders of nature by which it is sur- 
 rounded. The Garden of the Gods, the Cave of the Winds, Ute Pass, 
 Williams' Caiion, Glen Eyrie, Blair Athol and numerous other places 
 of attraction are well-known throughout the world. 
 
 Fremont. 
 
 This is one of the great industrial counties of the State, located on 
 the Arkansas river, its area comprising both mountains and plains, 
 and embracing the Royal Gorge and the Grand Canon of the Arkan-' 
 sas, so famous throughout the world. Petroleum, coal, stone, the 
 precious metals, agriculture, fruit-growing, stock-raising and manu- 
 
114 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 facture are the leading resources and industries that give employ- 
 ment to the people, and draw large revenue from the commercial 
 world. Its greatest wealth lies in its oil fields, its coal fields and its 
 live-stock interests. It is famous for the production of fine fruits. 
 In Fremont county are the most extensive oil fields in the western 
 country, located at the town of Florence. It is the pioneer section 
 of this vast, prospective industry in Colorado. The yield from these 
 wells is a sufficient supply for all Colorado, in refined and crude oil, 
 having a large surplus, which is sold in all adjoining States and Ter- 
 rit»ries, and as far east as the Missouri river. 
 
 Fremont county occupies nearly a central position in the State. 
 About one fourth of the area is on the plains, and three-fourths in 
 the mountains, the mountainous area being bisected by fertile valleys. 
 The mountains are covered with timber. The Arkansas river divides 
 the county about equally north and south and about fifteen creeks 
 empty into the main stream. The county was organized in 1862, j^fith 
 Canon City as the county seat. By the census of 1890, the popula- 
 tion was 11,000, divided among the towns as follows: Canon City, 
 4,280; Coal creek, 1,100; Florence, 720; Rockvale, 780. The county 
 is in a most prosperous condition. Its leading industries are in the 
 order of their importance, the production of petroleum and the 
 refined oils, coal, fruit, cattle and other live-stock, all farm products 
 and the great list of its material resources which become factors in 
 its wealth are gold, silver, copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc, nickel 
 arsenic, cobalt, mica, gypsum, coal, petroleum, vitrifying fire brick, 
 pottery clay, mineral paints, such as sienna, red and yellow ochre, 
 sandstones, granites, lava stone, marble of all colors, onyx, in great 
 amount, alabaster, and other materials included in the list of com- 
 mercial minerals. With so great a combination of material resource, 
 the county is rich beyond computation, its true greatness lying in the 
 fact that these resources remain practically undeveloped, and it is in 
 this fact that all of Colorado is so immensely rich. In proportion to 
 population the financial, educational and social standing of the county 
 is excellent. 
 
 Assessed valuation $ 3,450,000 
 
 Real valuation 10,360,000 
 
 County debt 110,000 
 
 Rate of taxation. 2.5J4 mills for all purposes 
 
 The agricultural advantages of Fremont county are of great 
 
 importance. The lands are divided as follows, according to present 
 
 uses: 
 
 Total acres available for agriculture 100,000 
 
 Pasture lands, acres . . . I,0u0,000 
 
 Total acres under ditch 4.i,0U0 
 
 Acres cultivated under ditch 4.5,000 
 
 Total acres unsold State land available for farming .... 9,0u0 
 
 Price of land, Government, $1.25 per acre; deeded land, average, 
 $5 per acre. The soil varies from a sandy loam to a stiff" clay, known 
 as adobe. It yields every vegetable fruit or farm product that can be 
 grown in the St. Louis or Washington latitude. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 115 
 
 Fremont county has long held its reputation as the banner fruit 
 growing section, because of its priority as a variety producer. At a 
 recent fair, 2,500 plates of fruit were exhibited, mostly grown within 
 ten miles of Canon City, isovarieties of apples, 54 of pears and 60 of 
 grapes were to be seen. Fruit lands in this section, in 1891, yielded 
 from I300 to $600 per acre. The figures representing the sales from 
 one farm of ten acres during a recent average fruit growing year serve 
 to illustrate the wonderful possibilities of fruit culture in Fremont 
 county. These sales were as follows: (This was exceptional, the trees 
 being set 16 feet apart. The general average, however is considera- 
 bly lower than these figures.) Apples, different varieties, grown on 
 5% acres, $4,361.60; other fruits grown on 4)4 acres, pears, I553.43; 
 grapes, ^373.64; strawberries, ;^46o. 75 ; plums, ^140.46; cherries, I56. 60; 
 gooseberries, mulberries, raspberries, blackberries, currents, peaches 
 and quinces, $73.50. Total from ten acres, $6,023.89. Cost of pro- 
 duction, packing, etc, $2,467. Net profit, $4,556.89. With but a 
 small area in cultivation the annual value of the fruit crop is $125,- 
 000, there being many new orchards that have not come into bearing. 
 There are these advantages: Plenty of unoccupied fruit lands; a larger 
 yield per acre than in Eastern States; a ready 'market at the highest 
 possible prices and always a sure profit. 
 
 In its advantages for the live-stock industry alone, Fremont 
 County has great possibil ities. Bee culture yields a large revenue. 
 Above all else, inculding its production of oil, in which it supplies 
 the State, are its resources of manufacture. The present manufac- 
 tories are the oil refinery and manufacture of the greases at Florence; 
 united oil refinery at Florence; white lead works, copper matte and 
 zinc works, roller process mills, canning factory, machine and boiler 
 works, carriage works, brick and tile manufactory. Mineral Springs 
 Bottling Company works, machine works, etc., all at Caiion City. 
 The coal mines of the county are operated by four companies, and 
 the annual output is about 500,000 tons. 
 
 There are a number of iron deposits that will some day yield great 
 results for the manufacture of Bessemer pig. It is impossible to give 
 more than this brief outline of the wonderful possibilities of Fremont 
 county. There is great wealth alone in the splendid climate and the 
 mineral springs of the county, 
 
 The rain-fall is fourteen inches per annum with over 300 sunny 
 days in every year. No climate could be more cheerful and healthy. 
 'Soda, iron and hot springs of unsurpassed medicinal qualities are here 
 for the health seeker, while beautiful drives, rugged mountains, 
 canons and caves and saurian fields are here for the pleasure seeker. 
 Canon City is lighted by electricity, has a good system of water works 
 and sewerage, and the wide streets are lined with shade trees. Within 
 the city limits are cold soda and iron springs with curative properties 
 for kidney and liver diseases, and three quarters of a mile are the hot 
 springs, with ample bathing facilities. The hot springs are located 
 at Florence, Canon City, and Wellsville. The cold, highly carbon- 
 
WQ THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 ated soda and iron springs are numerous throughout the county. All 
 the attractions that live towns possess — good livery, beautiful scenery, 
 including the Grand Caiion of Arkansas, and other points of interest 
 too numerous to mention, but of the best and brightest. The hot 
 springs are certain cure for many diseases. For the health seeker, 
 the home seeker, the fruit raiser and gardener, with all the advantages 
 of soil, climate and market; to the manufacturer, in any line, the cap- 
 italist and investor; to everybody contemplating change and new 
 fields of action or for any purpose whatever, Fremont county offers 
 fine inducements. 
 
 Garfield. 
 
 The county of Garfield possesses a great combination of material 
 resource. It is one of the leading counties of western Colorado, em- 
 bracing an area of 5,832 square miles. It is two-thirds mountainous, 
 and the remainder is rich, well-watered valleys and fine prairie land. 
 The soil is a deep, rich, sandy loam, susceptible of a high state of 
 cultivation, and wherever water can be applied it is a splendid 
 country for agriculture, yielding a high average in the cereals and 
 grasses. The grazing lands of the valleys and the mesas, rich with 
 native grasses and sheltered by the mountain ranges, render this 
 county especially well adapted to stock-raising, for wool-growing, and 
 for the products of the dairy. The mountains contain undeveloped 
 treasures of silver, gold, iron and lead; mountains of iron, coal and 
 stone of the finest quality, and some of the most celebrated mineral 
 springs and health resorts of the West. The supply of coal and 
 stone is immeasurable, and these are among the leading industries. 
 The coal veins are enormous in extent, varying from four feet to 
 sixty-five feet in thickness, and in their development a large part of 
 the population is sustained. Its western boundary is the Utah line. 
 Its elevation is 5,000 feet; its population is 7,000; Glenwood 
 Springs, the celebrated health-resort city, is the county seat, with a 
 population of 2,500. New Castle, the second in importance, and the 
 great coal mining center of the county, has 1,000. 
 
 In its topography, the county is divided up with natural advan- 
 tages adapted to all the variety of industries. The streams that 
 water the land with bountiful supply are the Grand and Roaring 
 Fork rivers. Elk, Rifle, Beaver, Parachute and Roan creeks. The 
 assessed valuation of the county is $2,359,900; real valuation, jJS.ooo,- 
 000; county debt, |200,ooo. Rate of taxation, 30 mills (State and 
 county). Number of schools, 36; school population, 1,200; value of 
 school property, $100,000; number of teachers, 55. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture 500,000 
 
 Total acres available for pasture 200,000 
 
 Total acres land under ditch 90,000 
 
 Total acres cultivated under ditch 35,000 
 
 Total acres unoccupied available land under ditch with avail- 
 able water ... 10,000 
 
 Total acres ofunoccupiei Government land available for 
 
 agriculture • 75,000 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. HY 
 
 Range of price per acre, $5 to I50. Soil— sandy loam, covered 
 ^ith sage. Leading products of county, alfalfa hay. All kinds of 
 cereals, vegetables and fruits are successfully grown, while small 
 fruits grow in air agricultural parts. Some portions of the valley 
 lands are especially adapted to apples, pears and peaches. Esti- 
 mated average yield per acre: 
 
 Wheat, bushels 22 
 
 Oats, " 35 
 
 Corn, " . 26 
 
 Barley, " 32 
 
 Rye, " as 
 
 Alfalfa, tons 5 
 
 Clover, " 4:}i 
 
 Timothy, " 31^ 
 
 . Red Top, " 3J4 
 
 Native grasses, tons 2 
 
 Millet, " 4 
 
 Potatoes (Irish), " 9 
 
 Beets (stock), " ' 14 
 
 Beets (sugar), " 8 
 
 Estimated total vahie of products in dollars, 1892, in leading 
 products: 
 
 Wheat $ 25.000 
 
 Oats 95,000 
 
 Alfalfa 150,000 
 
 Clover 20,000 
 
 Timothy 32.000 
 
 Native grasses 51,000 
 
 Potatoes, (Irish) 400,000 
 
 Onions , 30,000 
 
 Since organization the population of the county has increased 
 from 600 to 7,000. Farm lauds have increased in value about 50 
 per cent, in the past two years. As a result of agricultural develop- 
 ment the towns of Rifle and Parachute have been established, and 
 numerous new settlements made. Plenty of water, go'od soil and 
 nearness to markets are the leading inducements to agricultural set- 
 tlement. Four railroads, the Denver and Rio Grande, the Colorado 
 Midland, the Aspen and Western and the Rio Grande Junction traverse 
 the county with 137 miles of trackage. The irrigating canals are, the 
 Grass Valley, 30 miles; Excelsior, 25 miles; and about 60 smaller 
 ditches of private ownership, aggregating about 400 miles. 
 
 Number of cattle in county 25,400 
 
 Horses 3,710 
 
 Mules 140 
 
 Asses tiO 
 
 Dairy cows ' 310 
 
 Sheep 5,000 
 
 Swine 400 
 
 In its climate and excellent sheltered valley lands with good graz- 
 ing and fine products, Garfield county possesses fine advantages for 
 raising fancy and blooded stock of all descriptions. The merino 
 sheep are mostly raised for wool. Product for 1S92, 28,000 pounds. 
 Average price 17 cents. Dairying — Number of creameries, four; 
 cheese factortes, one; estimated amount of butter manufactured, 1892, 
 10,000 pounds; value, ^3,000; cheese manufactured, 70,000. Profit 
 per cow per season for butter or cheese, $18. Though the country 
 shows a fine adaptation in some large areas of valley lands for fruit 
 growing, no verv extensive orchards have been planted. The results 
 
113 thb; industries and 
 
 of first experiments are satisfactory, though the trees have not had 
 time to come into full bearing. A large increase in acreage for fruit 
 has been made the present year. The valley of the Grand, all the 
 way from Glenwood Springs to its southern entrance into Mesa 
 county, is laid with a deep, rich soil, easily cultivable and highly pro- 
 ductive of general crops, including the cereals. Settlements are 
 made throughout the valley, along the lines of railway. Large irri- 
 gating ditches have been constructed, and as the valley widens in its 
 western outflow, there is presented in the view of vast areas of rich 
 grazing lands the perspective of delightful homes and farms in the 
 future development of this section. In the lower portion of the val- 
 ley in its approach to Mesa county, many fruit farms have been 
 planted, and this part of the Grand valley in Garfield county, 
 becomes an important part of the great fruit growing country of 
 Western Colorado, which is locally known as Grand valley fruit 
 country, the home in Colorado of the peach, the apple and the grape. 
 
 The principal mining district for silver, gold, iron and lead is De- 
 fiance, where the few mines have no extensive development, the 
 efibrts of the people being mainly employed in mining for coal, burn- 
 ing coke and quarrying. There are also numerous deposits of the 
 commercial minerals, which will in time have their development. It 
 is from this county whence comes the famous peach-blow sandstone, 
 so popularly used in building. 
 
 Number of mines of bituminous coal, 7; average price per ton, $5; 
 average cost for mining, per ton, $2; number of men employed in 
 coal mines in county, 600; average price paid miners per day, I3. 
 The coal is consumed by the railroads, and the nearby towns and 
 cities. Number of ovens, 40; capital engaged, $75,000; average 
 wages paid, $3 per day; principal market, Leadville smelters. 
 
 Glenwood Springs is one of the most noted resorts for invalids in 
 the country, rivaling in popularity the famous Hot Springs of Arkan- 
 sas. There are ten large springs, and a large number of smaller 
 ones, the largest spring having an outflow of 4,000 gallons per min- 
 ute. From the ten springs there is an outflow of 8,000 gallons per 
 minute. The largest of the group is located on what was once an 
 island in the Grand river, which flows through the town, but is now 
 converted into a beautiful garden, in the midst of which are located 
 the mammoth bath houses, which annually accommodate thousands 
 of visitors, who resort to Glenwood for health and pleasure. These 
 springs are alkaline, saline, sulphuric, chalybeate, caloric and thermal 
 The extreme temperature of the water is 126.4 degrees. The number 
 of grains of solid contents or minerals, to the gallon, varies from 
 1.243 to 1.254. One of the most wonderful of the springs is that 
 found in a natural cave in the mountain side. The cave is fifteen feet 
 high and forms a large chamber with solid stone walls. The hot 
 spring in the cave furnishes a natural Russian bath which cannot be 
 excelled. The sanitarium feature alone is sufficient to render Garfield 
 county an attraction to the world. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. HQ 
 
 The hotel accommodations in Glenwood Springs are excellent and 
 ample, while the suburban towns and villages have also been provi- 
 ded with accommodations that render them desirable places for 
 country resort and recreation. The completion of the splendid new 
 hotel, The Colorado, at Glenwood Springs, this year, at a cost of 
 1300,000, will be for the especial benefit of the health and pleasure 
 seeker and is a great triumph. In connection with the hotel a large 
 bathing pool and new bath house has been constructed at a cost of 
 1 100, 000. 
 
 In the grandeur of the surrounding mountain peaks and ranges; 
 in the delightful streams and verdure of the valleys; in the healthful 
 climate and in the many provisions for the health and pleasure 
 seeker, Garfield county possesses untold attractions, in addition to its 
 great industrial advantages to the home-seeker and the capitalist. 
 
 Gilpin. 
 
 The "Kingdom of Gilpin," as is applied to the county of that 
 name, was so-called after the first Territorial Governor of Colorado, 
 the Hon. William Gilpin, now living in Denver, ripe with age and 
 full of honor. It receives this title because of its exceeding richness 
 in gold and its large output of mineral from year to year. Geograph- 
 ically it is located a little north of Central, Colorado. It is situated 
 directly in the gold and silver belt of the Continental Range. The 
 population is 5,694, of which Central, the county seat, has 2,700. 
 Black Hawk, 1,000; Nevadaville, 1,000, and Russell Gulch, 200. All 
 these places are mining towns, and the entire county is made of min- 
 ing districts and mining settlements. Gilpin county was formed 
 from the mountain territory of Jefferson county, under the provis- 
 ional government, and was reorganized by the first Territorial Legis"- 
 lature in 1861. It has the most important connection with the his- 
 tory of mining development, as it was upon these grounds that the 
 first great gold discoveries were made. Russell Gulch was one of the 
 objective points for the gold hunters, and later, after the country 
 thereabouts became more thickly populated, as richer strikes fol- 
 lowed, that section of the State became the scene of many exciting 
 episodes. Miners' courts promulgated all the law that was recognized 
 at that time, and the justice then dispensed was of a character that 
 demanded respect. From this rough condition was this splendid 
 county hewn. Gilpin county is in fact the cradle of Colorado's pro- 
 gress. It was in Gilpin county that Green Russell and his party from 
 Georgia found the rich placers in 1859, the discovery of which elec- 
 trified the country and started westward the tide of immigration. 
 Among the mines at work are 85, which produce in large quantities. 
 There are 23 stamp mills all using Gilpin county concentrators. No 
 mining county in the State has a finer outlook for the future. The 
 annual average output has been for some years past approximately as 
 follows: Gold, 11,250,000; silver, |288,ooo; lead, ^70,000; copper, 
 |2i,ooo. The assessed valuation of the county is $1,774,219, the 
 real valuation being estimated at I4, 000,000. 
 
120 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Gilpin county has a splendid school system. There are twenty- 
 three public schools, not including the High school at Central and 
 the Aloysjus academy. The estimated school census is 1,625, with a 
 total value of school property of $50,000. The Colorado Central and 
 the Gilpin County Tramway are the railroads, the former twelve 
 miles in length and the latter seventeen miles. Here as in the sur- 
 rounding counties, mining is on a legitimate basis. As for the future, 
 Gilpin county has a supply of mineral that is inexhaustible, and the 
 development that is going on still invites capital for more extensive 
 explorations, and the miner to nesv fields of discovery. 
 
 Grand- 
 Situated west of the Continental Divide, is the county of Grand, 
 embracing about 2,500 square miles. Grand is the county of the Mid- 
 dle Park, a magnificent stretch of country lying between the Conti- 
 nental Divide on the east and the Wind River Mountains oa the 
 south. This is the country of the "New Empire " of the north-west. 
 Through it the Grand river (from which the county derives its name) 
 flows with its many tributaries. It is a vast feeding ground for thous- 
 ands of cattle, and it is to the live-stock industry in fact the county 
 is almost entirely devoted. Nowhere are the grasses more nutritious, 
 the water better and more abundant, and nowhere in the State is the 
 shelter more complete. Here the stock are protected by the high 
 ranges, and for this reason severe winters are unknown. As a pleas- 
 ure resort Grand county has but few equals. The Hot Sulphur 
 Springs in the center of the park. Grand lake, and the numerous 
 retreats among thejtimbered growth on the hill-side and by the river 
 banks, make it an attractive place. At the springs the elevation is 
 7,500 feet, and in some places in the county the altitude is ir,ooo feet. 
 Coal is supposed to exist in great quantities, and being comparatively 
 a new county, the deposits are undeveloped. In this county there are 
 about 25,000 acres under irrigation, and the growth of agricultural 
 products is fine. Dairying is also an industry of considerable prom- 
 ise. Ivast year about 8,000 pounds of wool was raised. In truth the 
 county has many advantages. But at present the main industry is 
 stock raising. In 1892 the total acreage of grain and hay was greatly 
 increased over all previous years, all products being mainly for stock 
 purposes. The hay crop aggregated 12,000 tons. The population of 
 Grand county is about 700. Among the possibilities of the future for 
 Grand county are the beds of granite, which is highly variegated, 
 sustains a durable polish and makes excellent building material. 
 There are also deposits of silver and lead. 
 
 So picturesque are the beauties of the parks in this county, that 
 for some years the plan of setting aside that portion of the public 
 domain as a Government reservation, has been under consideration 
 by Congress, for a National Park, subject to the same regulations 
 which govern the celebrated Yellowstone Park. Middle Park, which 
 forms a large proportiod of the county's area, embracing all the land 
 
REvSOURCES OF COLORADO. 121 
 
 that is not in the mouatains, possesses great attractions for the hun- 
 ter, fisherman, tourist and health-seeker. Grand Lake and Hot 
 Sulphur Springs are the objective points, for here they find all requi- 
 site conveniences and accommodations, and from these points excur- 
 sions are made to the streams and forests. On the shore of Grand 
 Lake is situated the town of Grand Lake, the seat of Grand county. 
 Here fine accommodations are made for the entertainment of invalids, 
 and the convenience of visitors seeking recreation and pleasure. 
 Grand Lake is a beautiful body of crystal water, spreading out over 
 many miles, having a rocky bottom and a sandy beach. 
 
 Hot Sulphur Springs are situated about ten miles distant, on the 
 west bank of Grand river. Here are a group of springs, having a 
 temperature of 117°, which empty their waters into a basin, having 
 commodious arrangements for bathing. These waters, both for 
 drinking and bathing, possess remarkable virtues in healing skin 
 diseases, liver and kidney diseases, dyspepsia, rheumatism, and a host 
 of kindred complaints. The constituents of the Hot Sulphur 
 Springs are carbonate of soda, lithia, lime, iron, sulphate of potash, 
 sulphur, sulphate of soda, chloride of sodium, giving a total solid's 
 of 120.24. With railroad facilities, which is one of the expectations 
 of the near future. Grand county will become a country of large in- 
 dustrial development, while the resorts of Middle Park will ever be 
 popular points of attraction. 
 
 Grunnison. 
 
 Among the first to attract great attention and a large inflow of 
 population during the first years of the Leadville mining excitement 
 was the county of Gunnison. Its fame went abroad as a mining sec- 
 tion of great possibilities, and the permanent settlement of the City 
 of Gunnison and the numerous mining camps was coincident with 
 that of Lake county's great carbonate canjp. It is distinctively a 
 mining county. But its wealth in gold and silver is not to be compared 
 with the enormous stores of other resources which are being con- 
 stantly revealed by the processes of discovery and development which 
 as yet has scarcely had a fair beginning. The progress of mming for 
 the precious metals from the early days is a record of prosperit}^, and 
 the field is one of great promise, but the great riches of the county 
 for future generations, perchance for centuries to come, lie in its 
 great combination of material that form the basis of permanent and 
 diversified industries. First of these in importance are the numerous, 
 immense and immeasurable bodies of iron that await the era of great 
 manufacture. The leading re3v:>urces may be enumerated as follows: 
 Hematite iron, magnetic iron, manganese, anthracite coal, coaking 
 coal, bituminous coal, lime for fluxes, fire-clay by the square mile, 
 sandstone, granite, gold, silver, lead, copper, black marble, white 
 n^arble, serpentine marble, variegated marble, mica, mineral paint, 
 kaolin, fire clay, gypsum, lime, cement, and a great variety of the 
 ■commercial minerals too numerous to mention. Thus it will be seen 
 
]^22 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 that the county can properly be divided into two great mineral classes- 
 — coal, iron and marble for the one class, and gold, silver and lead for 
 the other. 
 
 But these are not all of its advantages for permanent industry. It 
 possesses many broad valleys of fertile soil watered by that splendid 
 stream of crystal water, the Gunnison river and its tributaries, and 
 there are the possibilities of agriculture with every advantage for the 
 live-stock industry, which is one of the important sources of its 
 wealth. 4 
 
 Gunnison county was organized from original territory in 1877. 
 Its population is estimated at 6,000. It is a county of immense area, 
 being 87 miles in length by 63 miles in width at the longest and 
 widest places, and contains (horizontal measurement), 3,340 square 
 miles, or 2,137,600 acres. For the most part, the county is broken 
 and mountainous, the altitude ranging from 4,500 to 7,000 feet. The 
 valleys are occupied by ranchmen and stockmen, and about 48,000 
 acres of land are now occupied by ranchers whose lands are subject 
 to taxation, 30,000 acres available for agriculture, and 15,000 acres 
 under ditch. The lands are productive of the cereals, but farming 
 thus far has not proved their most profitable production, and the prin- 
 cipal uses of the lands have been the cultivation of hay, potatoes and 
 vegetables, the former being uniformly a successful and profitable crop, 
 suited to the requirements of the live-stock industry, while at the 
 same time commanding prime prices in the markets for all surplus. 
 
 With these peculiar advantages of agriculture, coupled with the 
 fact that within these valleys and upon the hill-sides there is a sum- 
 mer range of 500,000 acres, unexcelled for richness of native grasses, 
 there is great opportunity for the expansion and improvement of the 
 live-stock interests in every department. Besides the certain supply 
 of the most nutricious of provender, there are the advantages of pure 
 water, a mild climate, sheltered pasture and a long season of grazing, 
 all combining, in the best possible adaptation, for the breeding and 
 successful raising of fine horses, fine and fancy cattle, and sheep for 
 fine wool production. In the lower Gunnison valley, the soil and 
 cliinate are adapted in some respects similar to the fruit-growing sec- 
 tions of the western counties, and experiments have proven that fruit 
 can be successfully grown in many localities. The principal market 
 and distributing point is Gunnison City, the county seat It has a 
 population of about 2,000, is well equipped with business establish- 
 ments, banks, hotels, churches, amusements, manufactories, and has 
 two railways, the Rio Grande and Union Pacific, connecting the city 
 with the mines, quarries, etc., and thence connecting with all the 
 main lines that ramify the State. 
 
 The other principal towns of the county are Crested Butte, where 
 the anthracite and coking coals are located, with a population of 
 1,000; Sadler, Pitkin, a mining center, with a population of 800; 
 Tin Cup, mining town, 500; Ruby, mining town, 200; White Pine, mm- 
 ing town, 200; Gothic, 100. The principal mining districts are Pitkin, 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 123 
 
 Tin Cup, Tomichi or Quartz, Rock Creek and Ruby, and the varieties 
 
 •of ores mined are lead carbonates, lead sulphides, silver glance, zinc 
 
 lilend, grey and other copper ores. The area of coal alone is 252 square 
 
 miles, and it is estimated that the area within all parts of which gold 
 
 and silver ores have been discovered is about 1,500 square miles. In 
 
 1887 the valuation of the county was $1,033,387. The valuation in 
 
 1892 was $2,335,409, representing a real valuation of |7,ooo,ooo. The 
 
 following statement of production is for a period of ten years, from 1881 
 
 101891: 
 
 Gold, silver and lead $ 4,578,301 
 
 Anthracite coal 1,050,000 
 
 Coke 1,592 000 
 
 Bituminous coal 4,261,480 
 
 Granite (for State Capitol) 147 000 
 
 Total '. g 11,628,781 
 
 Anthracite coal, I3 per ton; coke, $4.; bituminous coal, $2. 
 
 If with an average population of less than 3,000 the county can 
 produce over $1,000,000 per annum, it shows possibilities that are 
 incalculable for the future that piromises a full industrial settlement. 
 As a result of scientific explorations among the iron deposits of Gun- 
 nison county, the points where the larger bodies of standard quality 
 are located are neaf White Pine, the Iron King near Gunnison, and 
 the CeboUa deposit, nineteen miles from Gunnison, on the Denver 
 and Rio Grande railroad, at the mouth of Cebolla Creek. The White 
 Pine deposit is a rich magnetic oxide. The Cebolla deposit is largely 
 manganese and hemotite, averaging 43 per cent, manganese, and 0.12 
 phosphorus, with a range of from 17 per cent, to 52 per cent, manga- 
 nese, and as low as .04 per cent, and .06 per cent, phosphorus. The 
 ore averages 55 per cent. iron. 
 
 The following is an average analysis of the White Pine magnetic 
 ore bed: 
 
 Metallic iron ...-....: 66.320 
 
 Silica I.lu6 
 
 Sulphur 0.13 
 
 Phosphorus 0.124 
 
 Phosphorus in lOO parts iron 186 
 
 The Iron King is a deposit of extraordinary and almost indefinite 
 possibilities. Samples from the whole mass give: 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Metalic iron 49.71 
 
 Sample from whole cut— 90 feet — metallic iron - 52. 16 
 
 General sample from 40 feet— metallic iron 55.62 
 
 Samples from whole length — metallic iron 58.19 
 
 Samples from best exposures near limstone wall— metallic iron 67.27 
 
 Analysis of general sample: 
 
 Per cent. 
 
 Water 65 
 
 Silica 3.85 
 
 Iron metal 58.75 
 
 Sulphur 0.123 
 
 Phosphorus 44 
 
 All the prerequisites of success in the manufacture of cheap pig 
 metal are found in Gujinison county. The first of these is abundant 
 ore running above 55 per cent, of metal, at a low cost of mining. 
 
124 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Second an abundance of coal, coke, limestone and clay near by, with 
 a down grade haul to the furnaces. Ample railway facilities are assured. 
 The freight on the different materials from the mines to Gunnison, 
 where a furnace of steel works could be situated would not exceed $i 
 per ton on ore and manganese, and 50 cents a ton on coal, coke, lime 
 and fire-clay. It is estimated that Bessemer pig-iron can be [pro- 
 duced at Gunnison City at a total cost of |ii per ton. 
 
 While the extensive anthracite field at Crested Butte supplies the 
 State with the greater part of this article, the fields of bituminous 
 and other coals are numerous and extensive, many of them unex- 
 plored and untouched for development. The largest and finest beds 
 of marble known in the State are found in Gunnison county, and the 
 granite is the most beautiful, durable and best suited to building, the 
 new State Capitol at Denver being built of the granite from this sec- 
 tion. The marble beds include a massive ledge of pure white statuary 
 marble 250 feet thick, very hard, very fine grained and capable of the 
 highest polish. In this review merely an outline of the industrial 
 advantages of Gunnison county has been attempted. In addition it 
 has many advantages of climate and health, and many invalids 
 sojourn at various places through the county for improvement and 
 often realizing restoration. All in all the county has no superior, 
 and few rivals in the West for variety of industrial possibilities, and 
 no superior in point of wealth, as it is contained in the great reserve 
 of undeveloped resources. 
 
 Hinsdale. 
 
 This is an important mining county, and in point of its industrial 
 productiveness, it is almost exclusively so. It has about 10,000 acres 
 of land available for agriculture, and 5,000 cultivated, under ditch, 
 but the agricultural product is so small, and of so little variety, that 
 no statistical account is taken of it. It has also about 150,000 acres 
 of grazing land, but contains no large herds of live- stock. Approxi- 
 mately, 1,000 head of cattle are wintered, and from 3,000 to 5,000 
 head are " grazed " in the county in summer. 
 
 Hinsdale county was organized in 1874, and is one of the old set- 
 tlements of the great San Juan mining region. It contains 1,500 
 square miles, and has a population of about 8,000. Lake City, with a 
 population of 2,000, is the county seat; other principal towns, Bach- 
 elor, 1,000. Other camps and villages. Spar City, Capitol City, Car- 
 son, Sherman, Burrows' Park, Rose's Cabin. The historic Rio 
 Grande has its source in this county, and the various streams, valleys 
 and forests afford good hunting and fishing, while in some parts the 
 scenery is charming, both in the grandeur of mountain heights, and 
 the delightful glimpses of peaceful valley lands. Assessed valuation, 
 12,500,000; real valuation, $6,000,000; county debt, 1152,000. Rate of 
 taxation, 4 per cent. 
 
 Since the date of ogranizatiou in 1874» the population of the 
 county has increased from 100 to 800, town and city property has in- 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 125 
 
 creased from nothing to $2,000 per lot of 25x125 feet. The I/ake City 
 and Creede branches of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad are the 
 means of railway transportation from the many camps. 
 
 The county is divided into the mining districts of Galena, Carson, 
 Sherman, I^ake, Park, King Solomon and Royal Arch. Character of 
 ores mined, sulphurides, chlorides, sulphurets, carbonates of silver, 
 lead, copper, gold, tellurium and zinc. Number of developed mines 
 in county, about 100. Hinsdale county contains one of the largest 
 areas in the State of mineral lands of known value but slight devel- 
 opment. The veins are large, many of them enormous, and the 
 grade of the ore averages high. Aside from its known wealth of sil- 
 ver ores, it contains much gold-bearing territory of fine promise, 
 which is almost altogether undeveloped as yet, but cannot long 
 remain so in view of the new impetus given to the mining industry in 
 that county. 
 
 Huerfano. 
 
 Huerfano county is one of the wealthiest in the State, in the 
 abundance and variety of its material resource. In 1861 it 
 was organized from original territory, and in 1873, the earliest date 
 such statistics were gleaned, the valuation was 376,873; this year the 
 assessed valuation is 11,740,498, and the estimated valuation over 
 |5, 000,000. Bounded on the north by Pueblo, north-west by Custer 
 and Saguache, west by Costilla, and south by I^as Animas, the county, 
 it may be seen, is the center of rich deposits of raw material of all 
 kinds and one of the chief repositories of the future vast coal supply. 
 There are over 1,700 square miles in the county, with the streams of 
 Apache, Huerfano, Cucharas and Santa Clara rivers, running from 
 north to south. In the western part of the county are the large for- , 
 ests. In the valleys and upon the table lands the soil is fertile in 
 every direction. There are about 6,967 people in the county, of which 
 Walsenburg, the county seat, has 1,000; and La Veta, 35. Two-thirds 
 of the people come from the Southern and Eastern States, and one- 
 third from New Mexico, of which the county was once a part. Their 
 condition is good, being engaged in farming, stock-growing and min- 
 ing. Educational facilities are good. The total number of acres 
 available for agriculture, 363,000; for grazing, 726,600; under ditch, 
 71,200; unoccupied public land, 256,400. Pine, piiion, spruce, Cot- 
 tonwood, elm, cedar and oak are the varieties of timber, with four 
 saw-mills in operation, having an annual output of 1,500,000. Silver, 
 gold, iron, copper, lead and manganese are the ores mined and the 
 principal districts are the Huerfano and Spanish Peaks districts. 
 Silica and fire-clay, marble of all colors and building stone of fine 
 quality are also found. The first mineral discoveries were in 1875. 
 Bstimated value of output of mineral last year was $20,000 principally 
 from the five mines in operation. The future of mining in this county 
 is good,'*and especially is this true of coal. Last year the total out- 
 put in this product was 500,000 tons. In this county the coal has a 
 peculiar formation. The top veins are from five to six feet in thick- 
 
120 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 ness; the second vein seven and one-half feet and the lower veins 
 three and one-half feet, with a stratum of sandstone and slate inter, 
 vening, running in some instances fifty feet thick. It is estimated 
 that there are yet 100,000 acres of coal lands open for filing. There 
 are several mineral springs in the county, mostly impregnated with 
 sulphur. Grazing continues to be an extensive industry. Dairying 
 has improved as a distinct industry, aggregating in value $30,000; 
 value of honey raised last year, $20,000. It is estimated that 50,000 
 acres were sown in grain last year. The climate is not excessively 
 cold nor too warm. An ample protection is afforded by the moun- 
 tains. There is an abundance of timber for building and fuel of all 
 kinds is cheap. For manufacturing there is no county more promis- 
 ing. There are thousands of acres of good agricultural land yet open 
 to settlement with plenty of water for irrigation. Such are the induce- 
 ments offered by Huerfano county to those seeking homes. The 
 county is traversed by the Denver and Rio Grande and Union Pacific, 
 Denver and Texas railways, giving an outlet in all directions for the 
 produce of the people. 
 
 Jefferson. 
 
 The county of Jefferson possesses splendid advantages of agricul- 
 ture and is rich in mineral, together with a great variety and enor- 
 mous amount of material for manufacture. It was organized in 1861, 
 adjoins Arapahoe county on the west, contains an area of about 800 
 square miles, embracing an agricultural strip noted for its beauty and 
 fertility, of about twelve miles in width by thirty in length, highly 
 productive of the cereals, the grasses and fruits of many kinds. The 
 remainder of the county is composed of foot-hills and mountains, 
 where the great wealth of mineral products are found. The popula- 
 tion is approximately 8,450. The principal towns are Golden, popu- 
 lation 4.000; Morrison, 500; Arvada, 150. Golden, one of the oldest 
 settlements in the State, is a manufacturing point, and the seat of the 
 State School of Mines and the State Reformatory. It is the local 
 market of the farmer and surrounded by unknown wealth of material 
 for manufacture and building. Morrison, besides being a delightful 
 health resort is sustained mainly by its wonderful industrial resources. 
 Arvada is situated six miles from Denver, in the midst of a splendid 
 garden and farm district, and is becoming a point for manufactures 
 suburban to Denver. At its organization in 1861, with a small settle- 
 ment divided in interests between agriculture and mining, both in 
 their primitive stages, the first years' assessment was fi66,ooo. 
 The assessed valuation of the county is now $4,214,602; real valua- 
 tion, $12,000,000; county .debt, $167,626. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture, 175,000; total acres 
 available for pasture, 337,000; total acres land under ditch, 95,000; total 
 acres cultivated under ditch, 80,000. The South Platte rirer, Bear 
 Creek, Clear Creek, Ralston Creek, and Deer Creek, all about equitably 
 distributed, rush out of the mountain canons into the plains part of 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 127 
 
 Jefferson county, affording abundance of water for irrigation and 
 domestic purposes. The soil of Jefferson is generally of a sandy, clayey 
 loam, highly productive. The average yield per acre for the cereals 
 and grasses is stated as follows: Wheat, bushels, 30; oats, bushels, 40; 
 corn, bushels, 25; barley, bushels, 45; rye, bushels, 21; alfalfa, tons, 
 4; clover, tons, 2>^; timothy, tons, 2^; native grasses, tons, 2; pota- 
 toes, (Irish), tons, 5. 
 
 The leading inducements to settlement, in addition to the re- 
 sources of wealth, are convenience to the markets, and the excellence 
 of the climate. The county is abundantly supplied with railway 
 facilities, there being eight lines passing through different portions of 
 the county. For irrigation of the agricultural lands, there are six 
 large irrigation canals, having a total length of 96 miles, irrigating 
 95,000 acres of farm lands, orchards and gardens. The live-stock, 
 interests of the county are of great importance, owing particularly to 
 the breeding of improved stocks of animals, both for utility and 
 fancy. The dairy interests of Jefferson are of large importance, and 
 the estimated product of butter in 1891-92 was 125,140 pounds, hav- 
 ing an average price of thirty cents per pound. With 2,536 hives of 
 bees, 77,683 pounds of honey were produced last year. The orchard 
 and the garden for small fruits is a most important part of the gen- 
 eral industry, the principal fruit crops being apples, grapes, pears, 
 strawberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants and raspberries. 
 The surplus of these products have a convenient and ready market 
 in Denver and the mountain towns. 
 
 The various manufactures for which the raw material is procured 
 in the county, are fire-brick, pressed brick, tiling, pottery, lime, cut - 
 stones, plaster of paris, sewer pipe, stoneware conduits, gold, silver* 
 copper and lead reduction works, beer, paper, flour, feed, bee hives 
 wagons, aleand porter, calcined fire-clay, etc. 
 
 Five mines are being now worked for iron ore, while semi-bitu- 
 menous coal veins, five to sixteen feet thick, are numerous. The 
 annual output of coal is about 20,000 tons. Of the commercial and 
 manufacturing minerals, there are eleven deposits mined for fire- 
 clay, distributed as follows: Golden City, 3 mines; Golden Gate, 3; 
 Dry Creek, 2; Apex, 2; Glencoe, i. Silica is mined at Glencoe, gyp- 
 sum at Morrison, and lime is found in great bodies all along the foot- 
 hills, from Platte Canon to Ralston Creek. 
 
 In addition to the numerous opportunities offered for enterprise 
 by reason of the great combination of natural resource, the good 
 farming lands in close proximity to the markets, the splendid facili- 
 ties for irrigation, good churches, good schools, good society and a 
 healthful clitaate, form a leading part in the many inducements to- 
 the home-seeker and the capitalist. 
 
128 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Kiowa. 
 
 Kiowa is one of the agricultural and stock-raising counties of 
 eastern Colorado, adjoining Kansas on the east, and bordering the 
 Arkansas valley on the south. It is one of the new counties, organ- 
 ized in 1889, and having been so recently transformed from the range 
 to an agricultural settlement, farming was not attempted there until 
 the year 1890. Therefore, it is in its primary stage of development, 
 with a pupulation of 1,840, principally devoted to agricultural pur- 
 suits, the crops being raised, for the most part, without irrigation. 
 The soil is a dark, sandy loam, with a marl and clay sub soil, through 
 which run the streams of the Big Sandy, Rush Creek, Adobe Creek 
 and Whiteman Creek. The Big Sandy is the only living stream, 
 affording water for stock and for irrigation to a limited extent. The 
 county contains 1,794 square miles, and has an elevation of 3,900 to 
 4,025 feet. The country is generally a level prairie, broken only by 
 the valleys of the streams, which are heavily fringed with timber, 
 and numerous depressions which become refreshing lakes during 
 seasons of rain, affording water throughout the dry months for live- 
 stock. 
 
 The Missouri Pacific rail way extends through Kiowa county east and 
 west, and along this line have been built numerous towns. Assessed 
 valuation of county, 11,326,738; estimated real valuation, 14,500,000; 
 county debt, $12,000; rate of taxation, State and county, 21 mills; 
 total acres available for agriculture, 1,200,000; acres suitable for pas- 
 ture only, 25,000; total acres under ditch, 5,000; total acres cultivated 
 under ditch, 500; total number acres of unsold State lands, available 
 for agriculture, 60,000; average price per acre, $2.50. 
 
 While 25,000 acres are classed as suitable for grazing only, the 
 entire county consists of the most excellent natural pasturage, except 
 where occupied by farms. Wheat is stated as the leading product 
 within the capabilities of soil, but the volume of its production and 
 -profit has been insignificant thus far when compared with that of 
 sorghum, for which all the land of the county is especially well 
 adapted. The value of the sorghum crop for 1892 is estimated at 
 $500,000, the estimated total production being 125,000 tons. With 
 the exception of the small area of 500 acres under ditch, all the lands 
 have been cultivated by rain-fall, and great advantage is claimed for 
 the county in this respect. The cereal crops, thus far, however, have 
 been quite limited in volume, with an average production per acre about 
 as follows: Wheat, 18 bushels; oats, 26; corn, 25; barley, 20; rye, 22; 
 sorghum yields 5 to 10 tons without irrigation. One of the largest 
 land companies in the State has now under construction a large canal 
 from the Arkansas river, extending from the western boundary of the 
 county to a point twelve miles east of Arlington, draining into a great 
 natural basin, which, when filled will be the largest body of water in 
 the State, having a depth of forty feet and covering an area of thirty- 
 six square miles. This lake will be filled during the winter and 
 reserved for summer use, and it is estimated that it will irrigate two- 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 129 
 
 thirds of the cultivable land in the county. In the process of irriga- 
 tion the surplus and seepage waters will naturally drain into the 
 smaller lakes so numerous and they, too, will become perpetual reser- 
 voirs for irrigation supply. These lakes can also be filled from the 
 ditches during the non -irrigating period. 
 
 Blue stem grass grows so luxuriantly that ranchmen dispose of it 
 readily at good prices in the markets of Denver. Sorghum cane pro- 
 duces so abundantly that three factories have been established in the 
 county for the manufacture of syrup and sugar, which is of excellent 
 quality, all the surplus finding ready sale in the Kansas and Colorado 
 markets. Here is opportunity for a great industry that could be made 
 sufficient alone for the maintenance of the county. The range inter- 
 ests are of considerable importance, and by reason of the cheap main- 
 tenance of all animals could be made an industry of great profit. 
 There are at present 25,000 animals in the county, and 18,000 of these 
 are cattle, principally upon the ranges. In view of the great improve- 
 ments to be made under the reservoir system, the opportunity of 
 obtaining cheap lands and cheap homes in Kiowa county are excep- 
 tionally good, as both Government land and cheap State lauds are 
 being placed under irrigation, while the deeded lands average very 
 low in price. The additional cost of water is by rental $1.50 per acre 
 per season; perpetual water rights, |8 for 80 acres, with an annual 
 maintenance assessment of 15 cents per acre. 
 
 Kit Carson. 
 
 This county was created in January, 1889, and formed from the 
 eastern third of Elbert county. It is one of the eastern border coun- 
 ties, occupying a central position among them and having 2,160 
 square miles. Its elevation is 4,600 feet. It is one of the "rain-belt " 
 counties, where farming without irrigation has just past the era of 
 experiment, agriculture and stock-raising being the principal occupa- 
 tions of the people. The name of the county was bestowed in honor 
 of Kit Carson, the noted pioneer and celebrated scout among the 
 Indians. It was originally a part of the great cattle range of Eastern 
 Colorado, but since its separate county organization and the introduc- 
 tion of agriculture, stock raising has become in part an enterprise of 
 the farm, although it possesses great advantages of pasture in its 
 broad domain of unoccupied Government laud, which is also availa- 
 ble for agriculture, but dependent almost wholly upon the rain-fall. 
 The time since the county's organization has been too brief for any 
 very considerable progress as compared with the older counties, yet 
 it has many elements of promise, chief among them being nearly a 
 million acres of unoccupied Government land, available both for agri- 
 culture and stock raising, while possessing also some valuable 
 resources for other industries. Population of county, 2,700; county 
 seat, Burlington, population, 300; other towns, Flagler, Bethune, 
 daremont, Vona and Seibert. The county is mostly a level prairie, 
 
130 "^HE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 covered with buflfalo grass. Assessed valuation, $1,372,409; covnty 
 debt, $720; rate of taxation, State, 425 mills; county, 10 mills; 
 general school, 4 mills. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture, 1,244,430; total acres 
 under ditch, 950; total acres cultivated under ditch, 3.50; total acres of 
 unoccupied Government land available for agriculture, 929,700; total 
 number of acres of unsold State land available for agriculture, 13,000. 
 All the lands available for agriculture are also estimated for pasture. 
 
 The assessed value of $2.50 per acre, is quoted as the average value 
 of land. The soil is a dark, deep sandy loam, and the leading pro- 
 ducts are wheat, rye, barley, oats and corn. Of other products that 
 are successfully grown are broom corn, sorghum, potatoes, millet, 
 peas, beans, pumpkins, squash, watermelons, muskmelons, beets, 
 peanuts, turnips, cabbage and in fact all field and garden vegetables. 
 
 Agriculture in Kit Carson county may be regarded as on a par 
 with most of the non-irrigated counties of eastern Colorado, where 
 for the first j^ear or two farming was purely experimental, but the 
 people who from the first settled there have been pursuing their 
 original purpose of establishing permanent homes and farms. De- 
 pending upon agriculture, they have continued to improve their sur- 
 roundings, and strengthen their industries, and to-day their faith is 
 unshaken in the future possibilities of their country, while new set- 
 tlements and new homes are being continually made. 
 
 While the county is well adapted to the live-stock industry on a 
 large scale, the animals are confined principally to the farms for do- 
 mestic purposes. Thus the dairy business and the sheep and wool 
 industry gives promise of a great future. With plenty of good water, 
 at slight depth, a mild and healthful climate, plenty of cheap, pro- , 
 ductive land, Kit Carson county has many attractive advantages to 
 the home-seeker. 
 
 Lake. 
 
 The magic city of Leadville, the great silver producer of America, 
 is the capital and mining center of Lake county. Leadville is known 
 the world over, and the name is justly associated with massive for- 
 tune. So great is its fame, the identity of Lake county is synonymous 
 with that of the silver city, with its broad environments of treasure- 
 laden hills, covering an area of 15x24 miles. The names of Iron 
 Hill, Carbonate Hill, Breece Hill and Fryer's Hill, with their honey- 
 combs of precious metals, are known in every land, and the Little 
 Pittsburg, the Robert E. Lee, Colonel Sellers, the Smuggler, the Sil- 
 ver Cord, the Maid of Erin, and other rich mines by the score, have 
 distributed their wealth to the people of all the world. Great for- 
 tunes have been made here in the past, great fortunes are being made 
 to-day, and still greater fortunes await those who will dig the treasure 
 from the deeper depths in the future. 
 
 Within a period of twelve years, the State of Colorado, so great 
 in its combination of industrial resource, has grown into a condition 
 of prosi>erity and independence unparalleled in the history of new 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 131 
 
 •countries, having received the true impetus of its marvelous devel- 
 'opment from the first discoveries at the great carbonate camp in 
 1879. The figures which tell the substantial story of that first years' 
 development are startling in the extreme: $10,333,740 taken from 
 the shallow openings in gold, silver and lead. The enormous pro- 
 duction of each succeeding year to the present has contributed in 
 great proportion to the establishment and growth of every industry 
 in the State; it has been the chief magnate to immigration and the 
 first attraction to the numerous lines of great railways that connect 
 Colorado with every State in the Union. It is this capital that has 
 built a large portion of Denver, Pueblo and other towns and cities 
 ■of the State, giving competence and fortune to many hundreds in 
 Colorado and making many happy hearts and homes throughout 
 America and foreign lands. Great fortunes were made by placer 
 mining in Lake county long before the greater treasure in carbon- 
 ates came to light. The discovery of California gulch, which forms 
 the southern boundary of the City of Leadville, dates back to i860, 
 and it is a well attested fact that something like $15,000,000 in gold 
 was taken from the bed of the gulch before it was exhausted. 
 Eighteen years later, however, the section was again brought into 
 prominence by the discovery of the deposits of lead carbonate ore. 
 Reports of the marvelous discoveries soon spread, so that by the 
 close of 1878, about 1,500 people were clustered together in log 
 cabins and tents, the first habitations of Leadville. Then it was the 
 mining hamlet of Oro, but the unparalleled stampede from every sec- 
 tion of the country soon transformed the hamlet into a city of 30,000 
 people, and this within a period of six months. Leadville was then 
 incorporated, but with the cabins and tents and all the crudities of 
 a pioneer town still predominating. But Leadville did not wait upon 
 the advent of railroads, but quickly supplied itself with many of the 
 comforts and conveniences of civiHzed life, and long before the 
 whistle of the locomotive woke the echoes the city was supplied 
 with telegraphic communication with the outside world, with also a 
 telephone service connecting the business houses with the principal 
 mines; with water and gas and electric lights; with sewers and 
 graded streets; with an adequate fire department and police protec- 
 tion; with theaters and other amusements, and if there were no 
 church buildings, there were christian organizations and places of 
 worship. 
 
 As the figures of production for 1879 and each subsequent year 
 will show, this was the beginning of the real substantial, profitable 
 development of Colorado's mines, and now, since the day of sensa- 
 tional booms has long ago passed, there can be no comparison be- 
 tween the mining business of the present and that of twelve years 
 ago, embracing the period of the Leadville discoveries. That was 
 the era of the new beginning. Sure progress and a permanent pros- 
 perity mark the operations of to-day. 
 
132 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The treasure which lies beyond the reach of present operations 
 is known to be greater, beyond the possibility of comparison, than the 
 great total output in gold, silver and lead, of $179,710,207 since the 
 year 1879. ^^ ^^^^ older mines of Leadville alone there will remain 
 fabulous masses of treasure for generations, possibly for centuries 
 to come. The limit to the depth of rich ores has never yet been 
 reached. A signal feature of the past year's mining has been the 
 number and frequency of important strikes in the old mines of Lead- 
 ville, giving an impetus and interest to mining that the district has 
 not enjoyed for years. Similar strikes have been made in the mines 
 of the numerous outlymg districts of the county, where also new 
 properties have come into profitable production, and where some 
 splendid finds of gold have recently been made, awakening a new 
 interest and renewed search for the yellow metal. Discoveries 
 made in the course of extensive development in the mines within 
 the city limits has confirmed, in the minds of experienced miners, 
 the idea that the whole city of Leadville is underlaid with an enor- 
 mous body of high-grade ore. Prospecting experiments with the 
 diamond drill have proved almost beyond question the correctness 
 of such theory. 
 
 The prospects throughout this great area of mineral formation are 
 without number and there is no telling how many of these unexplored 
 properties, especially in the new districts may prove to be as great in 
 mineral wealth as those that have given so much treasure. Thus it 
 may be seen that the future offers greater opportunities in Lake 
 county than were known or thought of in the past. 
 
 The following table shows the annual yield of Leadville mines 
 from 1879 to 1893, in gold, silver and lead, as reported by the respect- 
 ive mine owners: 
 
 Year. Value in'dollars 
 
 1879 $ 10,333,740 69 
 
 1880 15.095,153 00 
 
 1881 13,170,576 00 
 
 1882 17,131,853 00 
 
 1883 15,839,446 "00 
 
 1884 12,837,497 00 
 
 1885 12,357,662 00 
 
 1886 18,750,733 30 
 
 Year. 
 
 1887 . 
 
 1889. 
 1890, 
 1891, 
 1892. 
 
 Value in dollars. 
 
 . $ 12,072,967 81 
 11,605,205 48 
 13,639,351 75 
 11,798,892 84 
 11,916,740 00 
 8,160,388 00 
 
 Total $ 179,710,207 
 
 The large falling off in value of output for 1892, may appear to be 
 a fact in contravention of all the claims of increased development, 
 new discoveries, etc., which should add, rather than take from the 
 volume of annual yield. This is easily accounted for without the 
 slightest disparagement to the interest in Lake county. There is one 
 leading cause which brings with it other reasons for mitigation, 
 namely, the low price of silver and lead in comparison with former 
 years. Taking into account also the fact that owing to the low price 
 of silver and lead a number of large producing mines have decreased 
 their working force or closed operations altogether during the past 
 year, it is very clearly demonstrated that the output of 1892 was fully 
 equal in volume to that of each of the other two succeeding years. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. I33 
 
 The principal employment of the people other than mining and 
 smelting, are merchandise and manufacturing, subsidiary to mining. 
 The average wages paid miners is fo per day. The whole county 
 comprises a scene of mountain grandeur, which may be overlooked 
 from Mount Massive, five miles from Leadville. Evergreen Lakes 
 and Soda Springs near by are delightful places of summer resort. 
 The air is cool and dry, the waters invigorating, and in all respects 
 the climate congenial. 
 
 The future prosperity of Lake county is as certain as the con- 
 tinued existence of the mining industry of Colorado. 
 
 La Plata. 
 
 La Plata is one of the great industrial counties of the State, hav- 
 ing unmeasured wealth in its combined interests of agriculture, live- 
 stock, mining, manufacturing, smelting, its coal and coke industries, 
 and varied attractions of nature, among them its splendid mineral 
 springs and places of health and pleasure resort. All these devel- 
 opments are singularly illustrative of the peculiar and rapid trans- 
 formation of a western country from the state of savagery to that of 
 a high order of civilization. Twenty years ago the Indian held full 
 possession. A small portion of the county proper is still his home, 
 and until near fifteen years ago there were but few traces of the foot- 
 steps or handiwork of civilized man. The county occupies an area 
 of 2,700 square miles, being 60x45 miles in extent, and is the leading 
 industrial county of South-western Colorado. In 1873, and for a 
 year or two previous, the San Juan mining excitement brought 
 swarms of prospectors into the country, and in 1874, La Plata county 
 was formed from parts of other counties. The towns of Animas City ■ 
 and Parrot City were the first settlements within the present limits 
 of the county, and in the spring of 1880 the site of the present city 
 of Durango was laid out; in 1881 it was incorporated, and is now a 
 thriving city of 7,000 inhabitants, the total population of the county 
 being 10,000. 
 
 The topography of the county comprises high mountains in the 
 north, foot hills and high mesas on the upper half and broad valleys 
 and extensive lower mesas in the" southern half. The upper mesas 
 and mountains are finely timbered, and the entire county is amply 
 watered by the Los Pinos and Florida creeks, and the Animas 
 and La Plata rivers, affording the best of water for domestic and 
 irrigation purposes. These streams course through large areas of 
 the richest kind of agricultural lands, both valleys and mesas being 
 equally productive of every plant that is indigenous to a southern 
 climate, embracing many hundreds of thousand of acres as yet unoc- 
 cupied, including a portion of the Southern Ute Reservation, when 
 these lands shall be finally opened for settlement. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county, 12,301,768; real valuation of county, 
 $6,905,304; county debt (bonded and outstanding warrants), $180,000; 
 average rate of taxation for all purposes, 45 5-6 mills. Of the above 
 
134 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 assessed valuation, $1,149,211 is upon Durango lots and buildings; 
 real value of same estimated, 13,447,633. The school census of the 
 county is 1,308. The following statement shows La Plata county 
 to be a most promising field for farming and the live-stock industry: 
 Total acres available for agriculture, 640,000; total acres available 
 for pasture, 600,000; total acres under ditch (including lands accessi- 
 ble to present system), 300,000; total acres land cultivated under 
 ditch, 24,214; total acres unoccupied available land under ditch with 
 available water (including lands in Ute reservation,) 235,698. The 
 soil is a rich admixture of sandy loam, clay, etc., productive in a 
 high degree of wheat, oats, hay, potatoes, beets, rye, barley, 
 corn, all kinds of fruits and field and garden vegetables. Crops 
 have grown so enormously rich, in places and so far above the gen- 
 eral average as to appear incredible, some fields yielding as high in 
 wheat as sixty bushels, and oats 100 bushels to the acre, other pro- 
 ducts maturing in the same ratio in exceptional cases. The averages 
 are stated as follows for leading products: Wheat, bushels, 25; oats, 
 40; alfalfa, tons, 5; clover, 2>^; timothy, 2%; red top, 2; native grasses* 
 1)4; potatoes, tons, 6; sugar beets, 12. Nearest market place, 
 Durango; estimated total value of leading farm products, 1892, 
 I30O3O00. 
 
 .With its extensive ranges of grass and its fertile lands, product- 
 ive of all the farm crops the county possesses superior advantages 
 for the live-stock industry. 
 
 The yield of the orchards in the past two years establish as a 
 certainty that fruit culture will be one of the large and profitable 
 industries of the future, the mesas and higher grounds of the valleys 
 being especiall}' well adapted to peaches, apples, pears and grapes. 
 
 The City of Durango has become an important manufacturing 
 point. The leading establishments of the county, including several 
 saw mills at other points, are enumerated as follows: Iron works, 
 I ; planing mill, i ; saw mills, 5 ; lumber manufacturing companies, 
 3 ; flouring mills, 3 ; pressed brick companies, 2 ; lime kilns, 2 ; char- 
 coal burners, i ; smelters, 2 ; sampling works, i ; reduction works, 
 I. Estimated value of annual output of manufactories, not includ- 
 ing smelters, $450,000. Throughout the county the coal deposits are 
 numerous and vast in extent, and nine companies are in operation 
 developing the properties, supplying the railroads and industries of 
 all south-western Colorado, and also shipping to other markets. 
 Total output in tons, for 1891, 125,000 tons ; 1892, 225,000 tons. 
 Average price per ton, delivered, I2.50 to J53 ; number of men em- 
 ployed, 200. Immense deposits of iron ores exist in different parts 
 of the county. General character, red hematite, spathic, bog, mag- 
 netic, etc. There iron exists close by abundance of coking coals. 
 Five quarries are in operation upon large deposits of white, red and 
 and purple sandstone, and also fossil lime and marble. These quar- 
 ries are located at and near Durango, in the Animas valley. The 
 county contains great deposits of commercial and manufactural 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. I35 
 
 minerals, not yet developed. La Plata county possesses many 
 sanitary advantages in its healthful climate and splendid mineral 
 springs, cold and thermal. These springs are the Trimble Hot 
 Springs, Pinkerton Hot Springs (sulphur and iron), Sackett's Springs 
 (cold soda), La Plata Springs (soda and sulphur), Durango Bath 
 Springs. All except the La Plata are located in the Animas valley, 
 from Durango to fourteen miles above, and some of them become 
 fine health and pleasure resorts. With all the advantages of natural 
 resource enumerated, and with all its advantages of a high order of 
 social life, La Plata county offers extraordinary inducements to the 
 artisan and the laborer, to the home-seeker, the health-seeker and 
 the capitalist. 
 
 Liarimer. 
 
 Larimer is one of the oldest and richest of the northern tier of 
 counties. With an area of 4,500 square miles, it embraces a domain 
 of grazing, as well as agricultural lands, and contains large deposits 
 of mineral and building stone, thus combining a variety of indus- 
 tries, either one of which is sufficient to make it wealthy. The west- 
 ern half belongs to the mountains, embracing the great North Park, 
 which contains the finest grazing lands in the world. It is therefore 
 a producer of sheep and cattle for the most part, while in agricul- 
 ture its crops are principally the grasses and potatoes. The eastern 
 half comprises the plains and the valleys of the numerous streams 
 by which it is amply watered, and it is a land rich in agriculture and 
 live-stock, overspread with homes, towns and villages, fields, orch- 
 ards and gardens. The Cache le Poudre and the Big and Little 
 Thompson, with their numerous tributaries, water the lands, and 
 some of the largest crops in the State are produced. Upon the- 
 north of the county is the State of Wyoming; east, Weld county; 
 south, Boulder and Grand, and west, Routt county. Fort Collins, 
 the principal city, is the county seat. Crossing it from north to 
 south is the Medicine Bow range of mountains, the highest peaks 
 of which rise 14,000 feet above sea level. The population is 8,108, 
 of which Fort Collins has 2,500. Other towns are Loveland, Ber- 
 thoud and Walden. The county was organized in 1861, from original 
 Territory, and named in honor of Gen. James Larimer, who became 
 governor of Kansas in the early days. Two years after its organiza- 
 tion the valuation was $6,000; in 1879, it was $1,724,820, and last year 
 the valuation had grown to $5,136,480, assessed, or a real valuation 
 of $15,000,000. There are fifty-eight public schopls in the county, 
 not including the Agricultural College, an institute well known 
 throughout the Western country for its usefulness in promoting the 
 agricultural interests of the West. In Larimer the school census is 
 2,800 and the property valuation $8,400. There are also large church 
 organizations, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Brethren, Episcopa- 
 lian, Baptist, Catholic, Christian and Unitarian. In Larimer county 
 there are about 150,000 acres of land available lor agriculture; and 
 about 2,000,000 acres grazing; the aggregate public land is estimated 
 
136 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 at 2,000,000 acres, including mountain and park lands. Upon the 
 mountains and along the streams there are large sections covered 
 with timber principally pine, cedar, spruce and the cottonwood and 
 the timbering output is large and finds ready sale at local points. A 
 sufficient amount of development has been done to demonstrate 
 beyond doubt that there are rich gold and silver and copper mines 
 in Larimer county. Extensive coal veins have been found in North 
 Park, but are yet undeveloped. Gypsum and lime are also found in 
 g'reat quantities. Larimer county is one of the largest producers of 
 building stone in the State. A large number of quarries are now in 
 operation, with an output of 15,000 car loads per annum. The qual- 
 ities of stone are the white, grey and red sandstone and also gran- 
 ite. There are also large deposits of tinted grey and mottled marble. 
 There are 312 miles of irrigating canals and 88 miles of railroads 
 operated by the Union Pacific company. For picturesqueness 
 and variety of scenery, Larimer county is unsurpassed. The 
 value of the manufactures aggregate about $r, 000,000 per annum. A 
 large portion of this was flour, which has a high reputation through 
 the eastern markets. Whilst in some counties the grazing interests 
 are on the wane, Larimer maintains its position as one of the chief 
 stock-raising sections. This year there are 60,000 head of cattle on 
 the feeding grounds; 20,000 horses, 18,000 sheep, with a wool-clip of 
 75,000 pounds. The acreage of grain this year is very large. Apples 
 produced last year, 10,000 bushels. In all particulars where 
 agriculture is concerned, Larimer county takes rank as a successful 
 section for the farmer. The product is unsurpassed and the markets 
 are always active. While possessing great material resource, the 
 most remunerative industries are those pertaining to the farm and 
 live-stock industries, which include extensive breeding of fine and 
 fancy cattle and horses; numerous dairy establishments and the 
 extensive cultivation of fruits of all kinds. Of the cereals, wheat is 
 the great product while alfalfa and potatoes form enormous crops. 
 
 Las Animas. 
 
 Las Animas county, in its present stage of development, bespeaks 
 a future of great industry and fortune which is only waiting popula- 
 tion, capital and labor. Las Animas county is situated in southeast- 
 ern Colorado, the Territory of New Mexico being its southern 
 boundary. The west half of the county comprises foot-hills and 
 mountains; the eastern half is prairie. In the prairie portion the 
 valleys are cultivated under irrigation; in the mountain portion are 
 numerous farms where crops are raised without irrigation. Through- 
 out the western portion the industries are divided between coal min- 
 ing, coke burning, farming, quarrying and the lumber business, the 
 mountains being covered with forests of pine, cedar, piSon, hemlock, 
 and scrub oak. Gold, silver, iron, and traces of copper are also found 
 but as yet with little development. The county has an area of 4,032 
 square miles, with an elevation of 4,000 feet on the plains and rising 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 137 
 
 to I3,cxx3feet in the mountains. The county has a population estimated 
 at 20,000. The City of Trinidad, situated in the midst of the great 
 Raton coal fields, is the county seat, with a population of about 9,000. 
 Other towns in the county are El Moro, 400; Starkville, 1,500; Engle- 
 ville, 1,500; Sopris, 1,500; Victor, 15, Gray Creek Mines, 250; Forbes 
 Mines, 1,000; Aquilar, 500; Road Canon Mines, 800, nearly all these 
 settlements having been made at or near the coal mines, the popula- 
 tion being engaged principally in mining, farming and stock raising. 
 
 The county is watered by the Purgatoire river and Apishapa, Trin- 
 chera, San Francisco, Gray, Raton and Chicosa creeks. The valleys 
 of these streams comprise the principal agricultural lands of the 
 county available by irrigation. There are eleven irrigating canals 
 and ditches in the county affording sufficient water for 51,562 acres, 
 and there are now 35,000 acres cultivated under ditch. The soil is a 
 black leaf mold in the mountains, a sandy loam and clay on the 
 plains, and adobe in the bottoms. 
 
 The county was formed from unorganized territory in 1866, hav- 
 ing at that time a very small population, and a valuation of only 
 $100,000, on account of a lack of development. The assessed valu- 
 ation for 1892 was $4,000,000 ; estimated real valuation, $12,000,000. 
 The county has a bonded debt of $250,000, at 2 per cent. . 
 
 The permanent stability of the county is assured in its vast re- 
 serve of material resource. Its wealth in coal alone is sufficient for 
 a large population. One of the greatest advantages is that of rail- 
 way facilities. The Denver and Rio Grande, the Atchison, Topeka 
 and Santa F6, and Denver, Texas and Fort Worth railways cross 
 the county, reaching Trinidad, giving an outlet to the Pacific Coast, 
 the Gulf of Mexico, and communicating with all parts of Colorado 
 and the West. The county is well provided with educational facili- 
 ties and religious advantages. 
 
 The entire area of unentered Government land is classed as graz- 
 ing land. The greater part of this land is the open prairie, com- 
 prising nearly all the eastern half of the State, being for the most 
 part beyond the reach of irrigation. It becomes a great range for 
 cattle and sheep, and gives to Las Animas great advantages in the 
 live-stock industry. The remainder of the lands are distributed as 
 follows: Total acres available for agriculture, 210,000 ; total acres 
 land under ditch, 52,000; total acres cultivated under ditch, 35,000; 
 total acres unoccupied available land under ditch with available 
 water, 17,000 ; total acres unoccupied Government land available for 
 agriculture mountain lands, 75,000; of lands under reservoirs, on 
 prairie, estimated, 80,000. The soil is productive of all the cereals, 
 grasses and vegetables, and some fruits are grown. The most 
 profitable crops in their order are alfalfa and potatoes. 
 
 Number of cattle in county, 40,000; dairy cows, 1,000; horses, 10,- 
 000; asses, 700; mules, 500; sheep, 75,000; swine, 1,000. It will be 
 seen that cattle and sheep form a large part of the industry of the 
 people. The sheep are bred up from the New Mexican natives to seven- 
 
138 '^HE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 eights grade by thoroughbred Merino rams, and the annual wool clip 
 aggregates 500,000 pounds, having a value of from 15 to 19 cents. The 
 dairy cows belong to the farms. Product of butter, 50,000 pounds; 
 price, 30 cents per pound. Alfalfa, plentiful grazing on native grasses 
 and a mild southern climate give superior advantages for dairying. 
 Profit per season for butter, common cows, JJ535. 
 
 Most of the manufactures are located in Trinidad. Establish- 
 ments in county: one rolling mill, one foundry, two smelters, three 
 flour mills, one planing mill, four stone quarries, five saw-mills, one 
 cement plant. Capital invested, $300,000; value of annual output, 
 $250,000. There are ten coal mines in operation, and the population 
 at these ten camps aggregates 8,650 souls. Average wages paid 
 miners, 50 cents per ton. The mines are easily worked, the veins 
 being 4^ to 15 feet thick. Amount of capital engaged in coal min- 
 ing, $7,845,000. Average cost for mining per ton, 80 cents. 
 
 Great bodies of fine sandstone exist in the county, and four quar- 
 ries adjacent to Trinidad are in operation. This stone is shipped for 
 building purposes to the northern counties of Texas, and through the 
 State as far northward as Denver, 
 
 Coking is a large industry at Trinidad, as statistics show: number 
 of ovens, 650; number of men employed, 700; capital invested, $390,- 
 000; output in tons, 1892, 201,177. The markets for the coke are the 
 smelters of Colorado and adjacent territory. Manufactural and com- 
 mercial minerals are plentifully deposited in the county. 
 
 Although the county shows remarkable development, a great 
 future yet awaits it. The manufactories most needed are woolen 
 mills, tanneries, beef canning, glass works, brick yards, cotton mills 
 and a number of other establishments that might be maintained to 
 utilize the cheap fuel and abundant raw material. 
 
 Lincoln. 
 
 Lincoln is centrally located among the eastern tier of counties, 
 possessing advantages exclusively for stock-raising and agriculture. 
 It is one of the newly organized counties, being sparsely settled, and 
 containing 1,500,000 acres of unoccupied Government, railroad and 
 State lands for entry, lease and sale. The county was organized in 
 1889, and prior to that time was the home of the range cattle. It is 
 now being gradually converted into agriculture, though with small 
 development. Sheep-raising is one of the leading branches, and 
 the most important in value of product. For the most part, the 
 farmers depend upon the rain-fall for their crops, though there is 
 sufficient water in the several small streams for considerable irriga- 
 tion, and there are about 2,000 acres under ditch, and i;5oo acres 
 cultivated by irrigation. 
 
 The county has an area of 2,592 square miles. Population 800, the 
 settlements being made principally along the lines of the Rock 
 Island and Union Pacific railways, which cross the county, the former 
 from east to west, in the northern portion, the latter from south-east 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. I39 
 
 to north-west. The elevation is 5,000 to 5,600 feet, and the land is 
 mostly a high, level prairie, cut sufficiently by streams for good 
 drainage. Hugo is the county seat, .and the other villages located 
 on the railways are Arriba, Bovina, Limon, Mirage, Creech, Boero 
 and Lake. The county has no debt, and the rate of taxation is only 
 16 mills for all purposes. Assessed valuation, $1,675,266. Total acres 
 of land available, 1,327,104; total acres available for pasture, 331,776 ; 
 total acres land under ditch, 2,000; total acres cultivated under 
 ditch, 1,500; total acres unocupied Government land available for 
 agriculture, 1,000,000; total acres unsold State land available for 
 agriculture, 500,000. Price of lands, Government, lr.25 per acre; 
 railroad, $3.50 to $15.50, ten years time ; State lands for lease. The 
 soil is a dark, sandy loam, productive of the cereals, grasses, vege- 
 ables, etc. Estimated average yield per acre for leading products : 
 wheat, bushels, 18 ; oats, 35; corn, 35; barley, 30. rye, 18; buck- 
 wheat, 20; alfalfa, tons, 5; timothy, 2; native grasses, 2 ; millet, 2; 
 sorghum, 4; broom corn, 3; potatoes, 5. 
 
 In common with other sections of the plains, where the range is 
 wide and covered with nutritious grass, affording good grazing 
 almost all the year round, the advantages are excellent in Lincoln 
 county for raising blooded horses and fine and fancy cattle, sheep, 
 etc. Estimated number of horses in county, 691; cattle, 5,757; dairy 
 cows, 500; swine, 30; sheep, 73,350. Estimated annual clip in wool, 
 366,750 pounds. Average price per pound, 14 to 16 cents. The breed 
 of sheep is from one -half to three-fourths blooded Merino, and the 
 manufactural standing of the wool is good. 
 
 Whatever disadvantages and privations there may be in the early 
 stages of a settlement, it is urged as one of the strongest persuasive 
 arguments that a. man may at once install himself in a home with 
 160 acres by homestead entry at trifling cost, and from the start reap 
 'greater profits than are known on the best farms of Eastern States. 
 If the immigrant prefer he can lease the State lands at a cost of $S 
 per year for 160 acres, and be paid for all improvements made at the 
 end of his term. Among the special advantages claimed for the 
 county as being attractive and satisfying to the immigrant, are: 
 Pure air and bountiful sunshine, mild winters, clear, cold and soft 
 water, no malaria, cool nights for sleeping and comfortable days for 
 recreation and labor. As to benefits of the climate, it is. claimed to 
 be a sure cure for asthma and highly beneficial to people afflicted 
 with lung or chest diseases. The county is amply provided with 
 schools and churches and the social condition of the community is 
 good. 
 
 Logan. 
 
 Logan is an agricultural and stock raising county, situated in 
 north-eastern Colorado, western Nebraska being its northern boundary 
 line. Its location is in every way favorable for commerce and indus- 
 try. While it may be included in the tier of eastern counties depen- 
 dent upon the rain-fall for farming, the South Platte river runs cen- 
 
140 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 trally through the county from south-west to north-east, and 
 from this stream ten irrigating canals, with 113 miles in the county, 
 aflford water for 76,100 acres, and ;^5,ooo acres are now actually under 
 cultivation under ditch, with 35,000 acres more of rich land under 
 ditch unoccupied and open for settlement. One of the supreme 
 advantages of Logan county is that farming can be successfully carried 
 on with or without irrigation, while there is plenty of water and a great 
 abundance of grass for stock. The raising of cattle for the markets 
 is the leading feature of the live-stock industry. The Union 
 Pacific railway follows the Platte river in its diagonal course through 
 the county and is crossed at Sterling by the Colorado and Wj^oming 
 railway, which also passes nearly centrally through the county east 
 and west, thus affording easy and ample transportation facilities for 
 the products of the farm and range. The county has an area of 1,830 
 square miles. Elevation, 3,920 feet. For the most part its area is 
 undulating plains, the streams being the South Platte river, Pawnee, 
 Cedar and Frenchman creeks. Sterling is the county seat, with a 
 population of 1,200. Other towns and villages are Fleming, Atwood, 
 Merino, Iliff, Crook and LeRoy. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county, $1,706,093; real valuation, 5,118,279; 
 county debt, 30,000; rate of taxation, 28 mills; increase of valuation 
 since organization, land 33 per cent; increase valuation town property, 
 25 per cent; total acres of land available for agriculture, 976,680; 
 total acres available for pasture, 194,320; total acres of land under 
 ditch, 76,100; total acres of land cultivated under ditch, 35,000; total 
 acres of unoccupied land under ditch with available water, 35,000; 
 total acres of unoccupied Government land available for agriculture, 
 839,673; total number acres unsold State land available for agricul- 
 ture, 40,000; Average price per acre for all land, I3. The soil is a 
 sandy loam. Wheat is the leading product and all the cereals, grasses, 
 vegetables and fruits can be grown that are grown anywhere in a sim- 
 ilar latitude. Estimated average yield per acre for leading crops- 
 wheat, bushels, 20; oats, 40; corn, 30; alfalfa, tons, 4; native grasses, 
 tons, 1)4 ■ The estimated total value of leading products for 1892, 
 was $313,562. The first settlers farmed only under ditch, but of late 
 years, in the Frenchman valley and on the uplands, crops of all kinds 
 have been successfully raised without irrigation. In IvOgan county, 
 as in all the rest of the arid region where the seasonable rain-fall is 
 sufficient, deep ploughing is the main secret of success. The growth 
 of population and industry is of a steady, permanent character. A 
 cheese factory and a flouring mill have been established at Sterling, 
 and an elevator near the east line of the county. 
 
 Estimated number of live-stock in county: Cattle, 30,000; horses, 
 2,949; mules, 95; asses, 2; dairy cows, 750; sheep, 16,000; swine, 
 1,000. Logan, county has many advantages for the horse, many 
 herds living the year round without other care or shelter than nature 
 affords. Blooded horses do extremely well, as the climate is very 
 healthful. The advantages for raising fine and fancy cattle, sheep. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. ^4^ 
 
 liogs, poultry, etc., are very good. This part of Colorado was for- 
 merly the home of the range herds of cattle, the animals living 
 through all seasons of the year without other sustenance than prairie 
 grass. In the matters of climate and good pasture the county 
 throughout is especially well adapted to raising sheep for wool. 
 Estimated annual clip, 100,000 pounds; average price, 15 cents per 
 pound. The breed of sheep most successfully grown are the Shrop- 
 shire and Merino grades. The manufactural standing of the wool 
 is regarded as good, being fine, long, staple wool. The dairy is an 
 industry of growing importance. 
 
 The educational and religious advantages of I/Ogan county will 
 compare favorably with any county in the State. Churches are 
 numerous and there are 44 schools for a school population of 917. 
 
 In addition to the numerous advantages presented for the home- 
 seeker, the health -seeker and the capitalist, there are thousands of 
 acres of choice Government land subject to the homestead entry; 
 thousands of acres of deeded lands that can be bought at from $4. to 
 $6 per acre; plenty of lands under good irrigating ditches that can be 
 bought with water at from |i5 to <|f30 per acre. In all respects, its an 
 inviting field for the immigrant farmer contemplating a location in 
 the West. 
 
 Mesa. 
 
 Mesa county has been famous as the representative fruit growing 
 section of Western Colorado. It embraces the fertile valleys of the 
 Grand, Gunnison and Plateau rivers in their outflow from the State 
 into Bastern Utah. It possesses a combination of large resources in 
 such materials as the precious metals, stone, coal and the manufactu- 
 ral minerals, all being as yet undeveloped, except coal, which is the 
 basis of an important productive industry. Fruit growing, general 
 agriculture and the live stock business are the chief industries. Fruit 
 growing becomes the leading interest, and the valley of the Grand is 
 the region where such development has been made within the ten 
 years of its settlement that it has won fame as the great fruit country 
 of Colorado. Its true greatness, however, will come a few years later 
 with the results of present development. Mesa, together with Delta, 
 Montrose and Garfield counties, prior to 1881, embraced a large por- 
 tion of tha Ute Indian reservation. The Indians being removed in 
 1882, white settlement immediately began in the valley, the people 
 first turning their attention to stock growing and general agriculture, 
 and fruit tree planting as an industry did not begin until 1886. Mar- 
 velous results have followed this brief period of time. In 1883 the 
 county was divided into separate counties, and Mesa made its organi- 
 zation with a population of 500. It now has a population of 7,000, the 
 thriving city of Grand Junction, the metropolis of western Colorado, 
 having a population of 3,500; De Beque, 200; Fruita, 250; Cleveland, 
 100. The county contains an area of 3,400 square miles and has an 
 altitude of 4,500 feet. Its topography comprises broad valleys, high 
 mesas or table lands, broken by hills and sloping spurs of the moun- 
 
]42 ''^HE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 tain ranges. The valleys are everywhere rich in soil and the mesas- 
 are highly productive of all crops wherever water can be applied. 
 The high mesas and hills are covered with spruce, pinon and cedar 
 forests. Assessed valuation, ^2,303,000; real valuation, $7,000,000; 
 county debt, 179,000; rate of taxation, State, county and school, 40 
 mills. 
 
 Total acres land available for agriculture, 225,000; total acres 
 available for pasture, 900,000; total acres land under ditch, 90,000; 
 total acres land cultivated under ditch, 25,000; total acres unoccupied 
 available land under ditch with available water, 65,000; total acres of 
 unoccupied Government land available for agriculture, 50,000;. 
 average price of deeded land per acre, with water, $35. The soil 
 varies in character, being red, sandy, adobe mixed, and sandy loam. 
 The best land being cultivated, the yields are in some instances 
 enormously high. Under the diflSculty of estimating an average for 
 the county, the range of production is reported as follows: Wheat, 
 bushels per acre, 25 to 60; oats, 25 to 100; corn, 20 to 50; barley, 20 
 to 50; rye, 20 to 50; alfalfa, 4 to 6 tons; clover, 2; timothy, 2 to 3; 
 native grasses, i to 2; potatoes, 5 to 15 tons; sugar beets, tons, 20 to 
 25. Average ruling prices at nearest markets — Wheat, per 100 
 pounds, |i.oo; oats, $1.05; corn, lr.25; barley, $1.00; rye, |i.oo;. 
 alfalfa, per ton, $10; clover, per ton, $15; timothy, per ton, $15; po- 
 tatoes (Irish), $1.40 per cwt; sweet, $4 00; sugar beets, per ton, $5.00; 
 cabbage, per ton, $30. 
 
 The fruit crop of 1892 is estimated as follows: Apples, bushels, 
 2,500; peaches, 6,000; plums, 500; pears, 200; apricots, 100; prunes, 
 100; grapes, pounds, 32,000; blackberries, quarts, 1,500; raspberries, 
 12,000; gooseberries, 11,000; currants, 3,000; strawberries, 53,000. 
 
 The above figures, given as the total product in fruit represent an 
 area of only 800 acres producing. This includes a large proportion 
 of the orchards where the trees have just come into bearing, all trees 
 being young and none of them having reached more than half their 
 capacity. Many thousands of acres have been planted in orchards 
 and vineyards representing all kinds of fruits in innumerable 
 varieties, and each year in future will mark a large increase in pro- 
 duction. It is the superior quality of fruit and the enormous yields 
 that have been attained from the young trees that gives to this section 
 its deserved notoriety as a fruit producer. The Grand valley peach is 
 far superior to the California product, while all varieties of grapes 
 grow luxuriously and most prolific, many of the choice California 
 varieties growing as superbly as they do in their native climate. In 
 fact all the fruits grow to rich perfection in that section. They bring 
 the highest prices paid for fruit in the United States, and are con- 
 sumed almost entirely in the local markets and surrounding mining 
 camps. With greatly increased production a few years hence, aided 
 by the fruit-growing counties of the eastern side, the two great fruit 
 sections will supply all the State with the best fruit that ever ripened 
 on the American continent. It is estimated that 1,500,000 trees have 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. I43 
 
 been planted in Grand valley. Over 300 miles of irrigating canals 
 have been cpnstructed, with, about 50 miles of large ditches in opera- 
 tion, while hundreds of farmers have small ditches for from two to 
 ten farms each. Average cost of farm labor $20 to foo per month and 
 board. 
 
 The Denver and Rio Grande, the Little Book Cliff, the Denver 
 and Rio Grande Western and the Colorado Midland railways, the lat- 
 ter forming a junction with the Denver and Rio Grande Western at 
 Grand Junction, traverse the county, having an aggregate trackage 
 of 204 miles, giving direct communication with Denver and Salt 
 Lake City. The live stock interest is especiallj' important in Mesa 
 county, as it is throughout Western Colorado. Mesa county is espe- 
 cially well adapted to horses, cattle and sheep. Estimated number in 
 county: Horses, 4,500; cattle, 30,000; mules, 125; asses, 60; dairy 
 cows, 200; sheep, 25,000. Coal mining will in time become an impor- 
 tant industry. Two large mines are in operation within twelve miles 
 of Grand Junction. Coking coal is abundant, and a start in coke 
 manufacture has been made. In addition to the delightful climate, 
 everywhere prevalent in this portion of Western Colorado, Mesa 
 , county possesses two places of health and pleasure resort. Mesa 
 lakes, a fine summer resort, altitude 11,000 feet, and Polen Mineral 
 Springs, twelve miles north-east of Grand Junction, on the Little 
 Book Cliff railroad. As one of the inducements offered to settlement 
 in Mesa county, the conditions of elimate are so favorable that the 
 farmers plow every month in the year. The country is rich in 
 resource. The land is highly pr®ductive of all manner of crops, 
 labor receives large rewards, and the products of the soil at all times 
 command high prices, having ready sale. 
 
 Mineral. 
 
 Among the last acts of the Legislature in March this year (1893), 
 was the passage of a bill forming Mineral county. The territory 
 embraced in the new county was taken from Hinsdale, Rio Grande 
 and Saguache counties. As its name suggests, it is a mining region 
 — the very heart of the silvery San Juan. More in keeping with the 
 purposes of its creation it might have been named the county of 
 Creede, inasmuch as it was formed for the express purpose of embrac- 
 ing the new but rich and famous silver mining district and town of 
 Creede in order that the residents of that section might enjoy the legal, 
 commercial and social advantages possessed by all other populous 
 and prosperous communities in Colorado. The new county in the 
 beginning of its industrial and social organization embraces little else 
 than mouutains,mines,mining camps and the magical town of Creede. 
 But this is sufficient. It is a mining district of immense riches and 
 incalculable possibilities. Creede has in a twelve-month become the 
 rival of Leadville as a silver producer and bears the same relation to 
 the mining districts of the new county as Leadville bears to Lake. 
 Creede will in the near future become noted as one of the most pecu- 
 
144 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 liarly attractive and romantic townsites in Colorado, flanked on all 
 sides by high mountains whose rugged summits, reaching near the 
 drifting clouds, present an e^er changeful view, and above all their 
 fascinating charms giving the comforting assurance that they contain 
 treasure for the maintenance of generations to come. Statistics of 
 the mineral production for the past six months show that this new 
 field of discovery is one of the richest and most promising in the 
 vState, and even in its primary stage of development having no 
 superior as a producer of wealth. 
 
 Montezuma. 
 
 An area of 2,128 square miles in the south-west corner of Colo- 
 rado, adjoining Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, comprises the county 
 of Montezuma, a section of the country peculiarly rich in its combi- 
 nation of material resource. It is one of the new counties, organized 
 in 1889, and thus far in its development it is chiefly valuable for agri- 
 culture, though it contains great riches in coal and iron, building stone, 
 timber and the precious metals. The county, in its general physical 
 features, comprises mountains and undulating plains. About 650,000 
 acres are tillable, with rich soil, the remaining 763,170 acres being 
 mineral, timber and grazing lands. Of this vast territory, only about 
 180,000 acres have been taken up. The principal rivers of Montezuma 
 county are the San Juan riyer, the Mancos and the Dolores river. 
 These streams, with their numerous tributaries, afford an abundant 
 water supply to all portions of the county, and the valleys possess a 
 deep, rich, alluvial soil, highly productive of the cereals, grasses, 
 fruits, melons, and in fact all manner of crops possible in the tem- 
 perate zone. The county has the advantage of a southern climate, 
 and experiments prove that tobacco-growing could be made profit- 
 able. The seasons are especially favorable to fruit growing. The 
 average elevation of agricultural lands is about 5,000 feet. The 
 principal towns are Cortez, the county seat, situated in the geograph- 
 ical center, Mancos and Dolores. Total population of county, 2,800. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county, $842,877; real valuation, 12,528,631; 
 county debt, |46,ooo. Rate of taxation, 35 2-5 mills. 
 
 Total acres available for agriculture, 650,000; available for pasture, 
 30,000; total acres under ditch, 150,000; total acres cultivated under 
 ditch, 15,000; total acres unoccupied available land under ditch, with 
 available water supply, 50,000; total acres unsold State lands availa- 
 ble for agriculture, 7,000; average price of land per acre, $2.50. Esti- 
 mated average yield per acre for leading products: Wheat, bushels, 
 25; oats, bushels, 40; corn, bushels, 45; barley, bushels, 30; rye, bush- 
 els, 20; alfalfa, tons, 5; clover, tons, 2; timothy, tons, 2; red top, 
 tons, 2; native grasses; tons, 1%; potatoes, tons, 6; estimated value 
 of leading products in 1892, $277,000. The apparently high averages 
 per acre are justified in the fact that these farms are selected in rich 
 valleys where a much higher production is attained, and with a gene- 
 ral cultivation doubtless the high averages will be fully maintained 
 
RESOURCES OP COLORADO. I45 
 
 for the entire county, for this is a section where enormous yields are 
 made. For instance, on. one ranch near Cortez four acres yielded 
 129^^ bushels of oats to the acre. Other yields per acre have run as 
 follows: Wheat, 56 bushels; potatoes, 10 tons; watermelons, 80 
 pounds, and corn, 50 bushels. In the matter of irrigation considera- 
 ble progress has been made, and about 200 miles of irrigating canals 
 have been constructed bringing 150,000 acres under ditch and irriga- 
 ting 10,000 acres. Average cost of water per acre per season, |i.5o. 
 Average cost of labor per month on farm, J^30 and board. The county 
 oflfers every advantage of climate and good grazing all the year round 
 for the live stock industry. 
 
 Thus far there is no development of consequence in mines, or the 
 coal veins, or the quarries, and these resources will remain for the 
 population of the future. For pleasure seekers and seekers after the 
 curious in archaeology and geology, Montezuma county is an inviting 
 field. Here once lived a race of people whose identity is unknown, 
 versed in the arts and sciences of their day, who tilled the soil, built 
 substantial dwelling places, places of worship and fortifications for 
 defense. The relics and ruins of these people are found throughout 
 the county. 
 
 Montrose. 
 
 Eleven years ago Montrose county formed a part of the Uncom- 
 pahgre Ute Indian reservation. The first permanent white settle- 
 ments were made there in 1882, and now it is the scene of farms, 
 orchards, cattle ranges, towns, villages and country homes, surrounded 
 with all the comforts and conveniences of civilization. It contains an 
 area of 1,300 square miles, bounded on the east by Gunnison county, 
 on the west by Utah, on the south by San Miguel, and on the north" 
 by Delta and Mesa counties, becoming one of the three leading fruit 
 producing counties of the " Western Slope." About two-fifths of the 
 area is rich cultivable land, two-fifths is timbered and also good graz- 
 ing land, and about one-fifth is waste; that is it consists of inaccessi- 
 ble canons and rocks, the latter embracing large deposits of coal. 
 The timber lands are covered with cedar, pinon and yellow pine. The 
 agricultural lands are watered by the Uncompahgre and San Miguel 
 rivers, flowing north-west and the Gunnison river flowing through 
 the eastern portion. The agricultural lands, embracing an area of , 
 500,000 acres, for the most part, contain broad, beautiful valleys and 
 the lower mesas, possessing great richness of soil, of variable charac- 
 ter, and highly productive of fruits and all manner of farm products 
 and garden vegetables. It is properly classed among the rich fruit 
 producers of Western Colorado, yet having its greater adaptation to 
 general agriculture and the live-stock industry, wherein the cattle 
 range and the wool interests engage a large share of the attention 
 and the efforts of the people. The county also possesses large deposits 
 of coal, both of the bituminous and anthracite varieties that are yet 
 undeveloped. In 1880 there was only one white resident in the 
 
146 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 county — the Indian agent. To-day the population is 4,500, mostly 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits. The first attempts at agriculture 
 were made with small gardens in 1882. To-day more than 80,000 acres 
 are cultivated. The value of improved farm lands have^ncreased from 
 nothing in 1882, to an average of $35 per acre. The town site of 
 Montrose, the county seat, was established in December, i88r, and the 
 city now has a population of 2,000. Assessed valuation of county, 
 12,153,693; estimated real valuation, |6,ooo,ooo; county debt, |i57,- 
 635; rate of taxation, county ig}4 mills. State, 4 mills; number of 
 schools, 23; school population, 1,118; number of teachers, 30; aver- 
 age wages paid teachers, I56. Total acres of land available for agri- 
 culture, 500,000; total acres under ditch, 80,000; uncultivated patented 
 land, 200,000; acres of unoccupied Government land, 400,000. The 
 soil is an admixture of adobe, red cedar and sandy loam. The lead- 
 ing products are wheat, oats, alfalfa and fruit, the latter including all 
 kinds of fruits that can be grown in the temperate zone, the apple and 
 the pear in their many varieties taking precedence because of their 
 exceeding fine growth and plentiful production. All field products 
 are successfully grown. The estimated average yield per acre is as 
 follows: Wheat, bushels, 21; oats, 36; corn, 40; alfalfa, tons, 4; tim- 
 othy, 4; potatoes, 4. 
 
 In its abundance of luxurious grass, pure water and the natural 
 protection afforded by the hills and valleys, Montrose county ofi^ers 
 many superior advantages to the stock -raiser, especially to the cattle- 
 man. It is especially well adapted to sheep. The high mesas pro- 
 duce an abundance of yellow-stem grasses, with plenty of clear 
 spring water, making "the most desirable horse range. Horses raised 
 on these high grounds develop enormous lung expansion, and great 
 endurance. The gramma grass and native red top can not be 
 excelled for cattle and sheep. The winters are so short and mild 
 that very little feeding is required. Hogs thrive on alfalfa as well as 
 corn. The dry climate and absence of dew are very advantageous 
 also to poultry raising. Estimated number of live-stock in county: 
 Cattle, 45,000; dairy cows, 400; horses, 5,000; mules, 175; asses, 322; 
 sheep, 28,000; swine, 1,200. The wool clip for 1892 was 155,000 
 pounds. Average price, 15 cents per pound. 
 
 The orchard and vineyard have become the source of home sup- 
 ply, and also of a revenue for the surplus, the product being most 
 luxurious, and embracing all manner of deciduous and small fruits. 
 Cheap coal, ample railway facilities and close proximity to mining 
 camps, renders Montrose an eligible position for the smelting busi- 
 ness. 
 
 There are no distinctive health resorts, but the City of Montrose 
 possesses a mineral well, with bath house connected, that is ex- 
 tensively resorted to for the cure of rheumatism and various other 
 ills. The water is highly mineralized, and is used both hot and cold. 
 
 For the home-seeker, the climate of Montrose county is most de- 
 sirable. The soil is rich and productive, the society is first-class. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 147 
 
 Excellent schools well sustained, good, substantial ciiurclies; popula- 
 tion increasing, property of all kinds to be had at reasonable prices, 
 and a generous welcome extended to all enterprising, progressive 
 settlers. 
 
 Morgan. 
 
 This is distinctively an agricultural county, having also great 
 advantages for the live-stock industry. In name and geographical 
 lines it is only four years old, but in settlement it is one of the oldest 
 sections of the State. It was formerly a part of Weld, one of the 
 pioneer counties of Colorado. It is located on the South Platte river. 
 Fort Morgan, the county seat, being situated in the center, and 78 
 miles north-east of Denver. Morgan county embraces ground of his- 
 toric interest. Fort Morgan, in the days before white settlement, was 
 a stage statiqn, called Camp Tyler, afterward changed to Camp War- 
 dell, and in 1886, christened Fort Morgan in honor of Colonel Chris- 
 topher Morgan, Aid-de-Camp U. S. Volunteers. It was a prominent 
 trading point on the old stage route to California and Pike's Peak, 
 and occupied by U. S. cavalry until 1870. The county was organized 
 in 1889. It forms a perfect square, embracing an area of 1,296 miles, 
 and having an elevation of 3,000 feet. The entire county is a level 
 prairie, except as it is broken by the valleys of the several streams. 
 Its chief water supply is the South Platte river, which brings a large 
 area under cultivation by irrigation. The entire area is of fertile soil, 
 and offers a field of great opportunity to the future farming popula- 
 tion. At present it is in great part the rich domain of the stock 
 grower, whose herds of horses, cattle and sheep are scattered over the 
 grassy ranges. Since the first settlement the county has changed, 
 from an exclusively grazing and stock growing county to a first-class 
 agricultural county, there being a combination of the two branches. 
 In the farming settlements land has increased in average value from 
 f5 to $25, while town property has increased 75 per cent., all due to 
 agricultural development. • To the same cause is due .the establish- 
 ment of all towns and railway stations, the county being crossed by 
 the Burlington and Missouri and the Union Pacific railways, which 
 follow the fertile valley of the Platte from west to east. The princi- 
 pal towns are Fort Morgan, population, 600; Brush, 250; Corona, 100; 
 Orchard, 100; Snyder, 50. Assessed valuation of county, ^1,300,000; 
 estimated real valuation, ^3,900,000; no county debt; rate of taxation, 
 ID mills. 
 
 The soil is a black, sandy loam. Potatoes form the leading crop, 
 but all cereals, grasses and vegetables are successfully grown, with a 
 large average yield. Total acres of land available for agriculture, 
 420,000; total acres land available for pasture, 406,440; total acres 
 land under ditch, 218,960; total acres cultivated under ditch, 74,511; 
 total acres of unoccupied available land under ditch, with available 
 water, 86,420; total acres unoccupied Government land available for 
 agriculture, 108,960; total number acres unsold State land available 
 
148 ^H^ INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 for agriculture, 34,560. Average price per acre, $5. Total number of 
 irrigating canals in county, 12; aggregate length in miles, 186^; 
 average area irrigated under each ditch, one-third; average number of 
 acres unoccupied under each ditch, five-eights. 
 
 The number of acres classed as available for agriculture does not 
 necessarily imply cultivation exclusively by irrigation. This part of 
 the State is visited by frequent seasonable rains, which in a measure 
 lessens the requirement for irrigation, and thus far, whenever at- 
 tempted, crops have been successfully raised without irrigation. But 
 this method of farming has not been extensively adopted, because 
 the irrigation facilities are adequate for the greater part of present 
 population. The country for the most part, lying beyond the reach of 
 irrigating canals, is devoted to the live-stock interests, which affords a 
 livelihood and considerable revenue to a large proportion of the pop- 
 ulation. 
 
 Farms in the valleys have yielded an average per acre, wheat, 
 bushels, 28; oats, 45; corn, 35; barley, 42; alfalfa, tons, 5. Number 
 of cattle in county, 14,074; dairy cows, 600; horses, 2,964; mules, 75; 
 sheep, 42,239; swine, 200. 
 
 Fine horse-breeding has been followed quite extensively, and with 
 success, by the recent introduction of Percheron, Norman, Clydes- 
 dale and Gold Dust horses, and the French Coach. Several com- 
 panies have been organized to breed these blooded horses, and they 
 are now shipping horses to Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and Den- 
 ver markets. The county possesses all the advantages for fine and 
 fancy cattle, hogs, etc., and the sheep industry is especially profit- 
 able. Prevalent breeds of sheep. Merino and Shropshire, and the 
 wool is noted as first-grade. Wool clip for 1892, 231,850 pounds; 
 price, 16 cents per pound. This being a great alfalfa county, it is 
 well adapted to bee culture. Annual product of honey, about 12,500 
 pounds. Experiments in small-fruit raising have proved successful. 
 The vital statistics of Morgan county abundantly prove the healthful- 
 ness of its climate. Mortality, one-half of one per cent, per annum 
 since organization. The large amount of unoccupied land under 
 ditch, the large area to be developed under proposed new systems of 
 canals, and the advantages for stock-raising, offer the best induce- 
 ments for the home-seeker and the capitalist. Mills, manufactories, 
 tanneries, and all branches of business that go with a first-class agri- 
 cultural and stock-raising country are the enterprises most needed. 
 
 Otero. 
 
 Otero county comprises an important part qf the rich agricultural 
 country in the Arkansas valley, and is one of the most promising 
 fields of industrj' in the State. Otero is one of the new counties 
 organized in 1889, and taken from the western portion of Bent, the 
 old pioneer range cattle county of the State. Until this division 
 occurred. Bent and Pueblo counties embraced all of the Arkansas 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. -[49 
 
 valley on the plains, and this section of country was known as the 
 great rendezvous of the herds and the herdsmen, and constituted the 
 great highway of travel from the land of distant civilization through 
 the wilds of border life. Thus until recent date that position of Colo- 
 rado was peculiarly associated with the perils of the pioneer pilgrim, 
 and has recorded many stories of wild Western adventure. Even 
 within the brief period of ten years, all things have been changed. 
 Ten years ago this country was the domain of the cattlemen, and the 
 possibilities of agriculture were unknown, and though its advantages 
 for the live-stock business have been greatly enhanced, it has become 
 one of the richest sections of the State for the farm, the garden and 
 the orchard. Otero county has an area of 2,376 square miles; eleva- 
 tion, 4,200 feet; population, about 7,000. L,a Junta, the county seat, 
 population, 3,500, situated at the junction of the Atchison, Topeka 
 and Santa F^'s Colorado and Southern Pacific lines, and Rocky Ford, 
 population 1,000. Situated on the Santa Fe main line, are the prin- 
 cipal markets for the fine agricultural country surrounding. Other 
 towns, Catlin, 100; Fowler, 50; Ordway, 30. The Arkansas river is 
 the principal stream, coursing through the central portion and afford- 
 ing water for irrigation to large tracts of the most fertile land in the 
 State. Other small streams are Tampas creek, Purgatoire and 
 Apishapa creeks. Assessed valuation of county, $2,620,295; real val- 
 uation, 5,240,590; county debt, $24,000; rate of taxation, 26 mills. 
 
 Total acreage of land available for agriculture, 528,930; total acres 
 available for pasture, 991,710; total acres land under ditch, 528,930; 
 total acres unoccupied Government land available for agriculture, 
 991,710; total acres unsold State land available for agriculture, 90,000; 
 average price per acre, $2.50. 
 
 The soil is a sandy loam, everywhere throughout the valley in 
 this as well as other counties in the same stretch of country, deep, 
 rich and wonderfully productive. Alfalfa is at present regarded as 
 the leading crop, because it is more generally cultivated, but with an 
 average yield per acre in all the cereals, which is above that of the 
 State, every cereal, root crop or grass are profitably grown, while the 
 soil and climate are so perfectly adapted to all kinds of fruits that all 
 the available land of the county, and for that matter all the watered 
 lands of the Arkansas valley could be converted into orchards and 
 vineyards laden with fruits in all their kinds and varieties. Otero 
 county, for its part produces with abundant success, corn, wheat, 
 oats, rye, alfalfa and the grasses. In fact everything that can be 
 grown in the temperate zone can be cultivated in the Arkansas! val- 
 ley. At the United States Experimental Station, situated at Rocky 
 Ford, both cotton and tobacco have been grown to perfection. 
 Throughout the county, but more particularly confined to the valley 
 lands, around Rocky Ford and other centers of settlement, the Rocky 
 Ford watermelon and canteloupe are products of most wonderful pro- 
 lific growth. Throughout the -west, and even in the eastern cities, the 
 Rocky Ford watermelon has become famous and familiar, and Otero 
 
150 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 county in this respect occupies the same relation to the West that the 
 State of Georgia holds for the fame of the Georgia watermelon in the 
 east and south. Its cultivation has become a leading industry and a 
 source of large revenue. The average yield of leading products in 
 the county are estimated at: Wheat, bushels, per acre, 26; oats, 40; 
 corn, 40; alfalfa, tons, 5. 
 
 Otero is also a county of considerable material resource, having 
 gypsum, lime, silica, sandstone, limestone and coal, these resources 
 as yet having but little development. As a part of the general in- 
 dustries, flouring mills, canning factories and creameries have been 
 established at Iva Junta and Rocky Ford, and the dairy business is an 
 important feature of the farm. The county offers splendid advanta- 
 ges for cattle and stock-raising, both for pasture on the range and for 
 fine breeding and good keeping on the farm. The county is every- 
 where beautiful for a home, while the towns are pleasant places, of a 
 thrifty population, and everywhere inviting to the home-seeker. The 
 schools are in excellent condition, the churches represent all religious 
 denominations. The people are united in their respective labors for 
 the upbuilding of the county; the climate is mild and healthful, and 
 a choice of all the industries pertaining to a rich agricultural coun- 
 try are offered to the home-seeking immigrant or the capitalist desir- 
 ing to invest in industrial enterprise^. 
 
 Ouray. 
 
 This is one of the most famous mining counties in the great San 
 Juan country, so noted for its riches in gold and silver. Its name was 
 bestowed in honor of Chief Ouray, of the Utes, whose removal from 
 the State in 18S2 left the white settler in possession of the county. It 
 is distinctively a mining county, rich in production and rich in pros- 
 pect. It was settled by adventurous miners in times when the hostile 
 red man reigned supreme, and was organized in 1876, when Colorado 
 became a State. From the years of its first settlement by white men, 
 its history has been that of steady and substantial development. The 
 first discoveries were made in 1875, but the difficulties of access to 
 the mines with proper machinery, and the impossibility of transpor- 
 tation, except for small quantities of the more valuable ores, for 
 many years retarded both the exploration and development of the 
 richest properties. 
 
 By the introduction of railways, the best of machinery and a 
 number of stamp mills, reduction works and smelters, the mines 
 have been made to yield their treasures by the millions and there has 
 been an advancement all along the line of general industries. Ouray 
 is the county seat, a flourishing town dependent upon the mining 
 industry for support The principal streams are the Uncompahgre 
 river and Canon, Red Mountain, Bear, Oak and Dallas creeks, Crow 
 creek and the Dallas Fork of the Uncompahgre river. All over the 
 county there is timber, forests of yellow pine, spruce, balsam and 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 151 
 
 quaking asp. The surface of the county generally is mountainous. 
 The general character of the mineral formation is gold and silver 
 allied with the baser metals and is found in vertical fissure veins, in 
 the rock known locally as trachyte, and is from 3,000 to 4,000 feet-in 
 thickness. The precious metals are also found in veins which cut 
 through the sedimentary and metamorphic rock. The product 
 includes gold, silver, lead, copper, iron and zinc, and the districts in 
 which mining is done are Sneffels, Poughkeepsie, Red Mountain, 
 Paquin, Sentinel, Almadi and Uncompahgre. Whilst mining is the 
 chief occupation, some attention is paid to farming and live-stock. 
 The soil is a sandy loam, the valleys affording excellent grazing 
 ground. The county's area is only 450 square miles. Population, 
 6,806. Principal towns, Ouray, 2,900; Ridgway, 800; Ironton, 800; 
 Red Mountain, 460; Virginius, 450. Elevation, 6,800 to 13,500 feet. 
 Assessed valuation of county, $1,399,298, or about one-third of the 
 real valuation of its property, exclusive of developed mines which 
 form the great volume of l^the county's true wealth. The people 
 of the county make very little pretension to agriculture, but there 
 are about 26,000 acres of rich agricultural lands lying principally in 
 ths Uncompahgre valley, which is settled by ranchmen and produces 
 large crops of hay, some small grain and Ij^rge quantities of vegeta- 
 bles. The farms now cultivated under ditch comprise 6,067 acres, 
 which leaves about 20,000 acres open for occupation and tillage. The 
 valleys possess the advantages of good pasture aud plenty of water 
 for the animal industry and cattle raising, though as yet not exten- 
 sive, could be made a profitable business. Crops raised on a small 
 scale in these valley lands have averaged as follows: Wheat, 30 
 bushels per acre; oats, 50; barley, 30; rye, 30; alfalfa, 5 tons; native 
 grasses, 2 to 3 tons; potatoes, 200 bushels. 
 
 The total number of live stock in the county is estimated as fol- 
 lows: Cattle, 3,177; horses, 1,812; mules, 165; sheep, 1,600; swine, 148. 
 The soil and climate have been found to be well adapted to small 
 fruits, and fexperiments with orchard fruits have recently proved suc- 
 cessful. In the way of manufacturing and other industries, the City 
 of Ouray has one brewery and bottling works, a grist mill, repair 
 shops of the Rio Grande Southern Railway, two machine shops, car- 
 riage works, two wood working shops, one cabinet shop and several 
 blacksmith shops. Among establishments most needed is an iron 
 foundry to utilize the native material and furnish wares for home use. 
 
 Mining for the precious metals will always be Ouray's main source 
 of wealth. The mountains on every hand are streaked and seamed 
 with mineral, and with the progress of more thorough developrnent 
 in recent years the large increase in the production of gold gives 
 every assurance of great fortune in the yellow metals yet to be dis- 
 covered, while in the past two years enormous increases have been 
 made in the yield of silver. For a period of ten years the mining 
 industry had to contend with the most serious difficulties in the matter 
 of transportation. But now the Denver and Rio Grande railway extends 
 
152 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 from its Salt Lake line to the town of Ouray, the Silverton and Red 
 Mountain has been built across the mountains and through the min- 
 ing districts to Silverton, and tbe Rio Grande Southern, from Ouray 
 to Durango is finished, and thus by three railway lines this great gold 
 and silver district of the San Juan region is connected with the rest 
 of the world, with outlets to the north and to the south. Ouray now 
 has its own concentrators and steam jigs for lead ores, its own lixi- 
 viation works for the gray copper and chloride deposits, its own stamp 
 mills for gold ores, and owners of low and medium grade properties 
 have a market for their production which does not consume the bulk of 
 their labor in railway and smelting charges. Since the revival of 
 mining development by the advent of the railways, hundreds of new 
 discoveries have been made, and there are now not less than 200 
 developed mines in the county, a large proportion of them in opera- 
 ration. The production of silver, gold, lead and copper by the county 
 during the past two years was as follows: 
 
 
 1891 
 
 1892 
 
 Gold . 
 
 $ 125 000 
 
 2,790.000 
 
 1,1.9 000 
 
 215,000 
 
 $ 287,500 
 
 
 1,808 7t)0 
 
 I^ad 
 
 3/5, OuO 
 
 
 1*3, 7uO 
 
 
 
 
 $ 4,310,000 
 
 $ 2,875,000 
 
 The large decrease in production for 1892 is due mainly to the low 
 price of silver, and the consequent decrease in mining operations. In 
 connection with the mining industry, there are in the county nine 
 stamp mills, six concentration and reduction works. Average wages 
 paid miners, $3.50 per day. In the above aggregate of the annual 
 output of Ouray county mineral, it must be considered that the 
 greater part of the total volume comes from a few mines of largest 
 development, where in some instances new strikes in the older prop- 
 erties contribute the most important part. This is the most encour- 
 aging part of the mining history of this section, and promises every- 
 thing for the future of the camp. Important among the various at- 
 tractions of Ouray county are its fine sanitary conditions. The City 
 of Ouray is a popular health resort. There are no less than 100 min- 
 eral springs in the county and in Ouray City, hot and cold mineral 
 springs of the finest remedial virtues are amply provided with bath 
 houses and suitable accommodations for the health or pleasure- 
 seekers, while the hotel accommodations are all that could be de- 
 sired. In its many resources and attractions, Ouray county has a fu- 
 ture of great wealth and prosperity. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. I53 
 
 Park. 
 
 Park county is centrally situated in the high mountains, and is 
 surrounded by the counties of Lake, Clear Creek, Chafifee, Fremont, 
 El Paso and JeflFerson. It possesses an area of 2,144 square miles, all 
 of which is mountainous, except 520,000 acres, which comprises 
 South Park, one of the links in the great chain of parks in the Rocky 
 Mountain system. It is almost exclusively a mining and stock-rais- 
 ing county. Its principal mining districts are neighbors to the great 
 silver and gold mining regions of Lake and Clear Creek counties, 
 though l«ss important in their yield of the precious metals. Three 
 hundred thousand acres in the South Park comprise the agricultural 
 area. The remainder of the park, together with the hills and valleys 
 that border the higher mountains, form a grazing area of 600,000 
 acres, thus afltbrding good advantages for the live-stock industry. 
 Agriculture is impossible, owing to the altitude, which is from 8, 100 
 to 14,300 feet, with an average of 9,000 feet above sea level. The 
 county is watered by the South Platte, and the north, south and 
 middle forks of that stream, and a large number of private irrigating 
 ditches are constructed through the Park, but only for the purpose of 
 making hay from the wild grasses for winter feed to the cattle, sheep 
 and other animals which range the country in large herds through 
 the open seasons, and require feeding through the more severe periods 
 of the winter. Beef cattle are slaughtered from the ranges, fat in 
 tnid-winter. 
 
 The county was organized in 1861, and has a population estimated 
 at 4,000. The assessed valuation of Park county is $2,075,292; esti- 
 mated real valuation, 14,150,584; county debt, $25,000; rate of taxation 
 county and State, 25 4-30 mills. The principal towns are Como, Fair- 
 play and Alma, with mining populations of about 500 each. The 
 principal districts of present operations are horseshoe, lead ores, car- 
 rying small amount of silver; Mosquito district, rich gold and silver 
 mines, also some lead and copper; Mount Bross, both gold and silver, 
 and Mount Lincoln, the same. Buckskin district has gold mines that 
 have been operated since 1869. About fifty mines are in operation. 
 The total estimated value of the output of the mines in dollars for 
 gold, silver, copper and lead in 1891, was $716,450. Output in 1892, 
 $525,000. The decrease in the output for '92 is attributed to the low 
 price of silver. One large coal mine at King, near Como, and belong- 
 ing to the Union Pacific railway, is in operation. The county con- 
 tains a great deal of undeveloped wealth outside the kingdom of 
 precious minerals. Along Currant Creek are extensive deposits of 
 mica. Kaolin is found at Montgomery, and there are beds of abes- 
 tos, silica, gypsum and fire-clay. The most extensive quarries of 
 lime are near Fairplay. In every direction there are vast quantities 
 of building stone, and from the saline wells quantities of salt are 
 taken. 
 
][54 "^HE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The Colorado Midland, the London and Leadville and the Denver 
 and South Park railways pass through the county, with a trackage of 
 153 miles. There are many fine resorts in Platte Canon. The Hart- 
 zell Hot Springs aflFord fine attractions, with all accommodations for 
 the health and pleasure seeker. For magnificent scenery, fine fish- 
 ing and hunting and a climate that is congenial and healthful, South. 
 Park everywhere receives favorable attention, while for the person 
 looking after industrial pursuits, the mining country has not yet been 
 half way prospected, and there is an abundance of timber and grazing 
 land remainiup; idle awaiting the requirements of future population. 
 
 • 
 Ptiillips. 
 
 This is one of the new counties of North-eastern Colorado, organized 
 in 1889, adjoining Kansas on the east and forming one of the tier of 
 counties in what is popularly termed the ' 'rain-belt' ' section of the State. 
 It is exclusively an agricultural and stock raising county, cattle and 
 sheep predominating. It has an area of 672 square miles and an ele- 
 vation of 3,500 feet. It is admirably situated and is throughout a 
 beautiful level prairie. It is without living streams and its water sup- 
 ply is obtained from wells and the seasonable rain-fall, from which 
 latter source the depressions and the " dry creek " beds retain ample 
 water for all stock. All the cereals, grasses, vegetables and melons 
 are successfully raised, and the sheep and wool industry is important, 
 particularly on account of the wide range of good pasturage. Popu- 
 lation, 3,500; county seat, Holyoke; population, 1,000. Assessed 
 valuation, $809,000; real valuation, |2, 400,000; county debt, 25,000; 
 rate of taxation, 4>^ mills; total acres land available for agriculture, 
 416,000; total acres available for pasture, 14,080; total acres of unoc- 
 cupied Goverement land available for agriculture, 4,600; total acres 
 unsold. State lands, available for agriculture, 19,000; average price 
 per acre, $7. Estimated profit per acre per season on wheat, f 10; oats, 
 $g; corn, $6.50; rye, $15; barley, |i2; potatoes, Irish, $30. The esti- 
 mated annual wool-clip of the county is 20,000 pounds, principally 
 from the Merino sheep, bringing in the market an average price of 20 
 cents per pound. While the number of animals of all kinds is com- 
 paratively small, the advantages oflFer an opening for extensive enter- 
 prise in connection with the general live-stock business. In farming, 
 wheat is the leading product and the most successful. The soil of 
 Phillips county is a rich sandy loam, having a depth of five feet. With, 
 deep ploughing, it is claimed that it becomes retentive of moisture 
 under the influence of the underflow throughout the arid region, as 
 well as from the rains, although the season at times become exceed- 
 ingly dry. Corn especially thrives under these conditions. The soil 
 of Phillips county, like that of all North-eastern Colorado, and simi- 
 lar in most respects to that of Western Nebraska, is well adapted to 
 the culture of the sugar beet, and a beet-sugar manufactory is one of 
 the future probabilities of that section. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. ^55 
 
 A branch of the Burlington and Missouri railway runs centrally 
 through the county, giving convenient transportation for the products 
 of the farm. The various settlements in the county, with their 
 numerous schools aud churches, show a healthy social condition, and 
 as the results of the past two year's farming has fully sustained every 
 enterprise. 
 
 Pitkin. 
 
 This is one of the richest mining counties of the State. It lies on 
 the western slope of the main Continental range, adjoining Lake 
 county on the west, with an area of 900 square miles, and a popula- 
 tion af 12,000. The City of Aspen, the county seat, with a population 
 of 8,000, is the great mining center of the county, bearing the same 
 relation to Pitkin county that Leadville bears to Lake. The great 
 mines of the county, and among them some of the richest and most 
 famous producers in the State, immediately surround the city, and 
 from these mines come the enormous masses of silver that entitle it 
 to rank as second only to Leadville in mineral riches. The greater 
 portion of the county is mountainous, with an abundance of timber, 
 and the valleys are amply watered by four principal streams and their 
 numerous tributaries, 250,000 acres of valley lands being available 
 for agriculture and grazing, with a sufficient water supply to irrigate 
 all arable areas. Owing to the altitude of the valleys, which aver- 
 age 7) 500 feet, no great effort has been made in agriculture. Very 
 little grain is grown, and the principal products are hay, potatoes and 
 garden vegetables, the hay that is cultivated, together with the rich 
 grazing of the valleys, being ample to keep the cattle and other live- 
 stock of the county. Total acres of land available for agriculture, 
 20,000; for grazing, 230,000; acres cultivated under ditch, 9,000; acres 
 unoccupied under ditch, with available water, 7,500; unoccupied pub- 
 lic lands, 5,000 acres. The average production per acre for hay and 
 -other crops is as follows: Alfalfa, tons, 5; clover, 3; timothy, 3; red 
 top, 3; native grasses, 2; potatoes, (Irish), 6; turnips, 12; cabbage, 12- 
 Number of cattle in county, 30,000; horses, 1,650; asses, 350; dairy 
 cows, 700; sheep, 200; swine, 350. 
 
 Some varieties of small fruits, particularly blackberries, raspber- 
 ries, gooseberries, currants and strawberries grow in great profusion, 
 and can be raised at enormous profit. But Pitkin county embraces a 
 great combination of miscellaneous industries and resources. The 
 coal industry is one of the most important in Pitkin county. There 
 are numerous large deposits of coal, and there are fine bituminous 
 mines in operation, furnishing coal and coke for Aspen and other 
 markets outside the county. Output of county for 1891, 150,000 tons; 
 for 1892, 165,750. Average price per ton, $3.50; average cost for min- 
 ing) 90 cents; number of men employed in coal mines, 250; average 
 price paid miners per day, fo. In the southern portion of the county 
 is one of the largest bodies of iron in the western country, without 
 development. Great bodies of peach-blow sandstone exist in the 
 
156 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 western portion. This is regarded as the choicest building stone in 
 the world. There are also large marble beds of the white, black and 
 mottled varieties. The social and religious aspects of the county are 
 most favorable. There are thirteen public schools in the county, 
 while the City of Aspen has nine churches, i Catholic, 2 Methodist, 
 I Lutheran, 2 Epicopal, 2 Presbyterian and 2 Swedish. The City of 
 Aspen is reached from the outside world by the Denver and Rio 
 Grande and the Colorado Midland railways. These lines afford 
 ample transportation to the people, and the products of their 
 industry. 
 
 So great is the mineral wealth of Pitkin county, that all other in- 
 terests are secondary and subordinate to the mining industry, and the 
 county needs nothing more for her permanent prosperity. The as- 
 sessed valuation is $4,000,000, while the real valuation is estimated at 
 j^i8,ooo,ooo. Up to 1S81, the greater part of the county was a part of 
 the Ute Indian reservation. In the fall of 1879, the great "lead" 
 was discovered that has made this country rich, and in 1880 there was 
 stated the mining camp of Aspen. Pitkin county was organized 
 May 27, 1881, and its progress has been one succession of surprises. 
 For the first seven years of Aspen's existence, its inaccessibility pre- 
 vented the rush which is usual with new mining camps. The early 
 miners experienced all the difficulties incident to the industry in 
 isolated mountain regions, when dependent upon jack trains and 
 teams for transportation. There was therefore no very startling reve- 
 lations by development until 1887, when two lines of railway reached 
 the camp. The value of the output for that year was $2,358,000. 
 This gave a stimulus to the industry; the mining population in- 
 creased, new discoveries were made, new machinery and increased 
 forces were placed in the older mines, and operations began on the 
 new ones, rich strikes were made, mineral was found in plenty 
 throughout the county, new districts were formed, and Aspen soon 
 sprang from a mining town to a city of handsome proportions. In 
 1888 the production of silver in Aspen reached the splendid sum of 
 $5,229,860, and has largely increased each year to the present, the 
 output for 1892 being reported at $8,162,293. 
 
 The situation of Pitkin county, with reference to the mineral for- 
 mation, is one of the advantages so great that there is no possibility 
 of computing the extent of mineral treasure. Its eastern boundary is 
 the summit of the Continental Divide, and in and near the summit 
 of these mountains are numerous rich and valuable gold leads that 
 are gradually being opened up, and in time will bring enormous 
 riches to the county. About fifteen miles west of this summit lies 
 the point where the archean rock upheaves the silurian deposits, and 
 in those magnesian lines that lie between the quartzite and the lower 
 carboniferous shales, or blue lime, are found the richest deposits of 
 silver ore in the country. This line of contact, or lode, extends in a 
 north-east direction across the whole county, a distance of about 
 forty miles. While its apparent richest point is in or about Aspen, 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 
 
 157 
 
 development shows that, to a great extent, it is all mineralized. At 
 first it was supposed that the richest mines were all on Aspen Moun- 
 tain, But soon, however, Smuggler Mountain began to produce, and 
 is now producing rich ore as far north as Woody creek, (about eight 
 miles), and good mines are being discovered all along this wonderful 
 lode for a distance of twelve miles to the south. Since the great 
 camp of Aspen began to produce, there has been mined from this one 
 great lead the enormous amount of $40,000,000, and the entire pro- 
 duct of the county forms a large proportion of the entire product of 
 the State in mineral wealth. 
 
 Besides rich producing mines that are credited to the Aspen dis- 
 trict proper, there are the mines of Maroon Creek district, the fissure 
 veins in Conundrum gulch and about Ashcroft, the rich leads of Lin- 
 coln gulch, the valuable gold deposits of Independence, the copper 
 ore beds on Snow Mass, and the undivelof ed section on Rock Creek, 
 and many other sections of new discovery. The following record of 
 the value of output of the Aspen mines is a wonderful showing in 
 view of the fact that its real substantial development did not begin 
 until five years ago: 
 
 
 Year. 
 
 Tons. 
 
 Value. 
 
 1884 
 
 10,000 
 12,500 
 13,000 
 26,800 
 90,170 
 129,750 
 147,800 
 129,053 
 182,468 
 
 $ 
 
 1,4?0,000 
 
 1885 
 
 1,625,000 
 
 1886 
 
 1,530,00(1 
 
 1887 
 
 2,358,000 
 
 1888 
 
 5,229,860 
 7,259,000 
 
 1889 
 
 1890 .... 
 
 7,098,240 
 
 1891 
 
 7,320,000 
 
 1892 
 
 8,162,293 
 
 
 
 Totals 
 
 724,621 
 
 $ 
 
 41,702,593 
 
 Average wages paid miners $3 50 per day. 
 mining, estimated at $12,000,000. 
 
 Capital invested in 
 
 In connection with the mining industry there is one large smelter, 
 three reduction works and three stamp mills at Aspen, employing 
 about 200 men. There are hundreds of mines in the county yet 
 awaiting development, which, it may reasonably be expected, will 
 yield as richly as any that have been developed. The great area has 
 been only partially prospected and thousands of acres are open to 
 location by prospectors. As in the case of Leadville the richer strikes 
 which have occurred of late years in the older mines by extended 
 development have been the greatest contributions to Pitkin county's 
 wealth. 
 
 In addition to its wealth it has the advantages of splendid climate 
 and fine mineral springs, and the delightful City of Aspen becomes 
 one of nature's health resorts in all seasons of the year. 
 
158 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Prowers. 
 
 One of the important factors in the transformation of the Arkan- 
 sas valley from a sterile waste to a land of homes and towns, of fields, 
 of orchards and gardens, is Prowers county, situated in the eastern 
 extremity of the ralley, adjoining the State of Kansas. It is one of 
 the several counties taken from Bent, formerly the great cattle range 
 of south-eastern Colorado, and has wonderful advantages of soil for 
 agriculture and stock raising, which become the chief industries of 
 the people. The first agricultural settlements were made about 
 twenty years ago, but there was little farming for general crops until 
 after the county organization in 1889. It is within the area designa- 
 ted as the "rain belt," and crops of grain and hay have from the first 
 been raised there without irrigation. But the true era of agriculture 
 dawned when large extensions of irrigating canals were made down 
 the Arkansas, reaching into and through Prowers county within the 
 past three years. Large irrigating canals have been constructed in 
 the richest portions of the valley, covering wide tracts of land that 
 now produce richly in wheat, oats, corn, alfalfa, in fact all the cereals, 
 grasses, root crops and the fruits of tree and vine. Other irrigating 
 ditches are projected or under construction, and the future of the 
 county will be that of great agricultural development, wherein the 
 orchard and the vineyard will be an important part, inasmuch as all 
 the Arkansas valley in Coiorado is splendidly adapted to to fruit 
 culture. 
 
 For the past five years Prowers county has been making rapid 
 strides along the highway of agricultural progress. Much of her once 
 unattractive prairie land has been converted into far reaching ranches 
 of alfalfa and grain, and this has been the result of irrigation. In 
 no other portion of the State has more been accomplished in so short 
 a time, toward a large, thorough and efficient system of irrigation as 
 -in Prowers county. The truth of this statement will be made more 
 apparent by the following figures, which are illustrative of the gene- 
 ral advancement of agriculture in the Arkansas valley. The greatest 
 portion of the work has been accomplished within the last two or 
 three years. 
 
 The La Junta and Lamar canal is 114 miles long, is 30 feet across 
 at the head and covers hundreds of thousands of acres of now most 
 valuable land. The Colorado and Kansas, when completed, will be 
 155 miles long, reaching into western Kansas, and covers 100,000 acres. 
 This was the fourth ditch built in the valley and was the first of any 
 great size. 
 
 The Bed Rock is a mutual ditch, is eleven miles long and covers 
 4,000 acres of fine bottom land. The Amity canal waters the land 
 north of Lamar. It is now sixty-seven miles long and will, when 
 completed, reach the State line — a distance of eight}' miles from the 
 head-gate. It now coversi io8,coo acres, a great portion of which is 
 jtnproved land. The cost of construction of this ditch was |2oo,ooo. 
 
RBvSOURCES OF COI.ORADO. I59 
 
 The Prowers County Land and Irrigation Company is the successor 
 of a company from whom they bought several ditches for |ioi,ooo. 
 Their main ditch is fifty-three miles long and capable of irrigating 
 30,000 acres. 
 
 Among the private ditches are the Hyde, eight miles long and 
 irrigating 8,000 acres; the Manvel, fourteen miles in length and cov- 
 ering 15,000 acres; the Graham, having 10,000 acres under it and 
 being twelve miles in length; the Buffalo, irrigating 12,000 acres, 
 with a length of fifteen miles; the Susan ditch, six miles in length 
 and covering 1,000 acres; and the X. Y. ditch, twelve miles long and 
 irrigating 9,000 acres. These canals serve as a fair illustration of the 
 extensive advancement made not in Prowers county alone but through- 
 out all the counties of the Arkansas valley. 
 
 Prowers county has an area of 1,658 square miles, an elevation of 
 3,500 feet, and an estimated population of 2,200. The county seat is 
 Lamar, with a population of about 700. Other towns are Granada, 
 Holly, Mulvane, Carlton and Manvel, mostly situated on the line of 
 the Atchison, Topeka and Santa F^ railway, which runs through the 
 county east and west. 
 
 Assessed valuation of Prowers county, ^1,291,365; estimated real 
 valuation, $3,500,000. The county has 22 public schools and several 
 churches, principally of the Methodist and Christian denominations. 
 The larger portion of the county consists of grazing lands, all of it 
 being cultivable, and there are about 200,000 acres available to irriga- 
 tion, a large portion of it being now under ditch, the present system 
 of ditches aggregating over 200 miles in length. In 1892, there were 
 about 20,000 acres planted in grain alone, and the average yield was 
 stated at 30 bushels for wheat, oats 50, rye 25, corn 45, alfalfa 5 tens. 
 The price of land ranges from $5 to $2$ per acre. The perpetual water 
 rights for 80 acres sell in this county at $1,000, and the water assess- 
 ment is 15 cents per acre. 
 
 With an unlimited range, a mild climate and fine grass through- 
 out the year, the county possesses every advantage for the live-stock 
 industry. Estimated number of cattle in county, 25,000 head; horses, 
 2,000; sheep, 15,000. 
 
 Among the industries of the towns is one of the largest flour mills 
 in the State, located at lyimar, which is one of the requirements of 
 the growing agricultural interests. It has a capacity of 400 barrels 
 of flour per day. A number of small manufactories have sprung up 
 within the past year incident to agricultural development which 
 increased the assessed valuation on such property from $20 in 1891 to 
 $480 in 1892. In all departments of industry the strength of the 
 county lies in the great resource of its fertile soil, with a vast area of 
 land awaiting tillage at the hand of the new population that is stead- 
 ily moving westward in quest of settlement and home. 
 
160 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Pueblo. 
 
 The county of Paeblo possesses great wealth of material resource, 
 and it is rich in its agricultural and live-stock interests, but its greater 
 prosperity is due to the magical growth of the City of Paeblo, which 
 has, within the past tea years, developed from a commercial town of 
 4,QOO inhabitants to a splendid metropolis, both of commerce and 
 manufacture, with a population of 40,000. No county in the State 
 furnishes a more pertinent illustration of the rapid and substantial 
 ratio of increase in wealth, population and industrial development, 
 and in all these the county and city are second only to Denver and 
 Arapahoe -county. 
 
 Pueblo county, lying at the foot of the mountains in the Arkansas 
 valley, is a ground of historic fame, and the present site of Pueblo 
 City was a rendezvous of the Indians, Mexicans, and the trading 
 American adventurers before Colorado was a territory. Much of its 
 crudities remained until after the lyeadville discoveries in 1878. But 
 now all things have changed, and a swift transformation has estab- 
 lished the perfect order of a high civilization. The county contains 
 about 2,700 square miles, with an average elevation of 5,200 feet, its 
 lowest altitude in the valleys being 4,400 feet. In physical features it 
 comprises foot-hills, valleys, mesas and level plains. It is watered by 
 the Arkansas river, which flows centrally through, and its tributaries, 
 the Fontaine Quibouille, Huerfano and St. Charles, which aflford 
 water for irrigation. Both mesas and valleys are fertile, and the soils 
 vary at different parts between a sandy loam, black loam, clay, de- 
 composed shale and alluvial wash from the mountains. All these 
 lands are highly productive, wherever water can be applied, and the 
 leading products in their order are wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, 
 alfalfa, beans, peas and every variety of vegetables, and nearly all 
 kinds of fruit. The county also contains a large area of grazing 
 land, finely adapted to live-stock, which is one of the prominent 
 interests. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture 217,000 
 
 Acres available for pasture 415,300 
 
 Total acres under ditch 43,116 
 
 Total acres unoccupied Government land available for agri- 
 culture 42,000 
 
 Total acres available State land 32,000 
 
 Estimated average yield per acre in leading crops: 
 
 Wheat, bushels 30 
 
 Oats, '• 45 
 
 Corn, " 60 
 
 3arley, " 30 
 
 TLye, " 30 
 
 Alfalfa, tons 5 
 
 Clover, " 3 
 
 Timothy, " 3 
 
 Millet, " 3 
 
 Hungarian Grass, tons 3 
 
 Potatoes, bushels 150 
 
 Vegetables and small fruits yield enormously. 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. IQl 
 
 Estimated yield of leading crops in 1892 : 
 
 Wheat, bushels 59,6S0 
 
 Oats 37.000 
 
 Corn 59 900 
 
 Barley '. . . . 6,»*0 
 
 Rye 2,6H7 
 
 Alfalfa, tons 9,987 
 
 Clover 2,946 
 
 Timothy 2,387 
 
 The possibilities of fruit growing are limited only to the area culti- 
 vated. The product is of high quality. Following is the crop of 
 1892 from 268 acres in bearing: Apples, bushels, 5,000; peaches, 330; 
 plums, 1,604; pears, 40.5; grapes, tons; 25; blackberries, quarts, 2,300; 
 raspberries, quarts, 2,000; gooseberries, 7,100; currants, 6,250; straw- 
 berries, 119,875; cherries, 2,350. Bee culture has great advantage in 
 the variety of plants and flowers, wild and cultivated. Number of 
 hives, 587; product of honey, pounds, 30,087, Number of cattle in 
 county as reported by assessor, 23,807; dairy cows, 4,367; horses, 
 6,375 mules, 500; asses, 150; sheep, 6,500; swine, 950. The wool 
 clip in 1892 was 30,080 pounds. Dairies, 3; cheese factories, i. But- 
 ter manufactured in 1892, 12,900 pounds. Assessed valuation of 
 Pueblo county, $18,800,000, or a real valuation approximating ^60,- 
 000,000, with a county debt of $488,000, the larger proportion of this 
 for public improvements. Educationally, Pueblo county stands in 
 favorable contrast with the schools of the Eastern States. There is a 
 school census of 7,730, attending 64 public and 5 private schools. 
 Value of school property, public, $447,646; private, $120,750; total, 
 $568,396. 
 
 THE CITY OF PUEBLO. 
 
 The advantages of Pueblo county have been shown in brief, -and 
 many points of value have been omitted. The City of Pueblo, as a 
 center of wealth, population and industry, claims the greater share 
 of attention. Like all large cities having an important combination 
 of industries, the suburban environments become the points of the 
 greater productive operations. Pueblo is conveniently accredited 
 with every and all industries. In the abstract, this is proper, but the 
 suburban city of Bessemer has 6,000 inhabitants; Overton, 1,500, 
 These towns contain the larger manufacturing establishments, give 
 more employment and yield a larger proportion of wealth to the peo- 
 ple. Practically this trinity of towns unite in making the City of 
 Pueblo, with 40,000 inhabitants, and a great combination of industrial 
 interests. This is the view that must now be taken of Pueblo, look- 
 ing to its great future. 
 
 "Where the coal meets the iron great cities are built. Pueblo is 
 so situated and will be a great city. " This is a prediction of ten years 
 ago, which is verified to-day. It is already a manufacturing center, 
 of the Rocky Mountain region. It is one of the largest distributing 
 points in the State. Situated as she is within easy reach of great iron 
 deposits, and with her numerous furnaces, she will continue to sup- 
 
|g2 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 ply the markets of the West -with railroad and all manner of mer- 
 chant iron and steel, while from her mineral wealth, with her smelters 
 and her shops, she is furnishing the world her quota of silver and 
 gold, and the implements of use from copper, lead and zinc, all these 
 the products of native ores. The iron and steel products are from the 
 Colorado Coal and Iron company, the only establishment of the kind 
 in the State, employing 2,000 men and millions of capital. Other 
 leading industries are: The Philadelphia Smelting company, the 
 Pueblo Smelting and Refining company, the Colorado Smelting Com- 
 pany, the Massachusetts Smelting and Refining company, three 
 sampling works, Lannon's Iron Foundry, Pueblo Pressed Brick com- 
 pany, machine shops, fire brick company, harness manufactory, 
 broom factories, harness and saddle, Rocky Mountain Oil company, 
 and a large number of smaller establishments, altogether giving 
 employment to more than 10,000 people. The assessed value on man- 
 ufactures is $7,220,000, representing a true value of $14,000,000. The 
 annual value of manufactured products is estimated at $24,000,000; 
 value of raw material consumed, $4,500,000. The markets for the 
 manufactured articles are the railroads and mining camps in the State, 
 the adjoining States and Territories and points in other States, from 
 New York to San Francisco. The assessed valuation of merchandise 
 is $1,926,000, representing a true valuation of $10,000,000. Pueblo is 
 second only to Denver as a great railway center and distributing 
 point for all manner of traffic. The railways concentrating in the 
 city and connecting it with all parts of the world are the Denver and 
 Rio Grande, Missouri Pacific, Union Pacific, Atchison, Topeka and 
 Santa Fe, and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific, all these roads 
 having a combined trackage of 309 miles in the county. The city is 
 compactly built in its business centers, with a prevalence of large 
 blocks of brick and stone. It is elegantly equipped with hotels and 
 places of amusement, and it has rapid transit throughout its urban 
 and suburban thoroughfares. The city is picturesque in its environ- 
 ments of hills and mesas, which have become the sites of the most 
 delightful homes, while miles of level plane have become populated 
 within the recent years of the city's magnificent growth. In all 
 respects Pueblo is most favorably situated, having a tributary resource 
 of wealth from the mines and the farms of Central Colorado and the 
 great Arkansas valley, that assures its industrial permanency and will 
 surely make it one of the great cities of the West. 
 
 Rio Blanco. 
 
 Rio Blanco, or the county of the White river, is located in the 
 north-western part of the State and is bounded by Utah Territory on 
 the west, Routt county on the north and east, and Garfield county 
 on the south. Meeker is the county seat and is located near the site 
 of the Indian battle ground where Thornburg and his command were 
 surrounded and massacred during the Meeker outbreak. Meeker, 
 after whom the town was named, was the unfortunate agent at the 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO 163 
 
 reservation when the uprising occurred. He was killed and his fam- 
 ily carried into captivity. A monument was erected on the site of the 
 battle ground as a commemoration of the event and as a tribute of the 
 UnitedStates Government to the gallant service of the troops. It was in 
 this county also where occured the more recent trouble with the Utes 
 under Colcrow, and where the State militia gave efifective aid in driving 
 forever from that section of the country the roving bands who every 
 summer terrorized the settlers along the White river. To-day the pop- 
 ulation of the county is i, 195, of which Meeker has 3po. The county 
 is well watered by the White river and its tributaries. There are for- 
 ests of white pine, white and red spruce and fir, of which the table 
 lands of the eastern part are covered. The soil is a gravelly loam. 
 Farming and stock-raising are the chief industries, and from the 
 prosperity of the people these industries thrive. But its greater riches 
 for the future lie in its wonderful material resources, which as yet are 
 undeveloped. In April, 1889, Rio Blanco county was organized from 
 the northern part of Garfield county. At that time the valuation was 
 1803,020; this year it is estimated at ^2,000,000; the debt is |4i,ooo in 
 bonds. There are seven public schools, a school census of 250, and 
 a valuation of j55i3,ooo in school property. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture, 150,000, two-thirds 
 of which require long ditches; acreage for grazing, 2,000 square miles; 
 acres of land under ditch, 25,000; unoccupied public land, 100,000 
 acres; under cultivation, 20,000 acres. There are two saw-mills in 
 operation; also some mining prospects of a low silver grade ore; also 
 iron and beds of bituminous coal in the great Hogback. Of 
 the latter there is some development, four mines being in operation to 
 supply the local market. The veins run from 3 to 30 feet. In this 
 county are also found beds of bistre mineral paint, a fire-clay of -good 
 quality, immense deposits of gypsum and lime. A fine quality of 
 sandstone of the yellow, mottled and gray varieties are also found. 
 
 The county has immense wealth in coal and iron. The coal veins, 
 consisting of about twenty in number, ranging from three to thirty 
 feet in thinkness, traverse the entire width of the county, and the 
 workable veins are found always in the I/aramie sandstone, or past 
 cretaceous. Nine of the veins thus far discovered range in thickness 
 from 7 to 25 feet, all of which contain good, merchantable coal, and 
 some of the veins have coal of a superior grade. In these coal 
 measures there is a 7 foot vein of cannel coal of exceptional quality. 
 There is also a 6 foot vein of coking coal. Asphaltum has been 
 found, and petroleum exudes from the sand ledges south of White 
 river. The heads of the north and south forks of White river are 
 known to contain a great amount of silver-bearing lead ores, which 
 will in time add to Colorado's output. Sandstone of excellent qual- 
 ity for building exist in many shades and colors, and in enormous 
 deposits. 
 
 Rio Blanco county has a great future for agriculture. It is esti- 
 mated that 230 square miles is arable land. About 60,000 acres have 
 
164 "^H^ INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 already been located, to irrigate which 880 miles of canals and ditches 
 have been constructed. There still remain 90,000 acres of irrigable 
 land to be located, the most of which can be irrigated by large 
 canals. As yet, agriculture is not extensive, only the richer valley 
 lands being cultivated. The crops are abundant, the usual average 
 per acre being, of wheat, 30 bushels, oats 50 bushels, and potatoes, 
 240 bushels. 
 
 Under present conditions, the live-stock industry is the interest 
 representing t^p greatest amount of wealth. No country in the 
 world possesses greater advantages for live-stock than the sheltered 
 hills and grassy valleys of Rio Blanco county. Besides the advan- 
 tages of a rich summer range throughout the county, the enormous 
 yields of alfalfa and other hays afiford ample feed for winter, enab- 
 ling the herdsmen to keep his horses, cattle and sheep in good condi- 
 tion throughout the year. The number of cattle in the county is 
 estimated at 50,000 head; horses, 8,000; sheep, 10,000. The annual 
 wool clip is about 40,000 pounds. 
 
 Fruit culture has scarcely passed the stage of experiment, but it 
 has been proven that most of the fruits more successful in Mesa 
 county can be grown in portions of Rio Blanco, while all kinds of 
 wild berries grow in great abundance upon every hill-side in the mid- 
 dle and western portion. The forests contain a wealth of useful tim- 
 bers, and abound in elk, deer, mountain sheep and the smaller game. 
 The county contains numerous fine lakes and streams, swarming 
 with fish, and affording the most delightful places of health and 
 pleasure resort. 
 
 Rio Grande. 
 
 The county of Rio Grande is situated in the southern part of Col- 
 orado, and in the central and western portions of the great San Luis 
 valley. It is watered by the famous Rio Grande river and its tribu- 
 taries, and possesses immense resource of wealth in agriculture, min- 
 ing and stock-raising. It embraces mining camps that are noted for 
 their riches in the precious metals. The county contains an area of 
 1,260 square miles. The western portion of the county is mountain- 
 ous, and largely covered with forests of useful timbers, which become 
 the source of a large lumber supply. The eastern portion, about one- 
 third the county, lies in the valley, with level surface, a soil of rich, 
 sandy loam, easy to irrigate, and comprising one of the richest bodies 
 of agricultural land in the State, the larger portion being unculti- 
 vated, becoming a vast range of superior grazing land for the flocks 
 and herds. Thus the live-stock industry of Rio Grande county 
 becomes one of great importance, combining with it the dairy and 
 wool interests, which are of increasing profit to the farmer and the 
 stockman. 
 
 The county was organized in 1874. The first settlers were stock- 
 men, and believed the country good for nothing else. Then a few 
 acres were cultivated along the river bottoms, mostly for garden stufi'. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 1(35 
 
 Then soon it was discovered that grain grew well and matured. 
 Finally the large canals, which make San Luis valley so famous for 
 its superior irrigation facilities, were constructed, and the country has 
 proved one of the best agricultural sections of the State, notwith- 
 standing the altitude is 7,500 feet. There are now over 800 irrigating 
 canals and ditches in the county, having an aggregate length of 500 
 miles, and irrigating 150,000 acres. It is in this valley that crops of 
 oats have attained the highest growth, and entire fields of wheat and 
 oats have reached the highest average and the greatest maximum 
 yields for the State. 
 
 Rio Grande county has a population of 4,800. Del Norte, with a 
 population of 1,000. is the county seat; Monte Vista, 1,200. The 
 remainder of the popul ation is distributed among the farms and 
 mining camps. 
 
 Assessed valuation of county . .■ $1,780,143 
 
 Real valuation 3,360,000 
 
 County debt 130,812 
 
 Rate of taxation, county, 25 mills; State, 4 2-5 mills. 
 
 Total acres of land available for agriculture 191,960 
 
 Acres land under ditch 150,000 
 
 Acres cultivated under ditch 77,000 
 
 Total acres unoccupied land under ditch with available water 73,000 
 Total acres unsold State lands available for agriculture . . . 85,500 
 Average price for land, with water, $15 per acre. 
 
 The leading products of the soil are wheat and oats. Crops most 
 successfully grown, wheat, oats, barley, rye, buckwheat, potatoes, 
 turnips, field peas, sugar beets, cabbage, alfalfa, clover and all grasses, 
 small fruits and garden vegetables. The average yield per acre in the 
 leading products are above that of the State, and, owing to the preva- 
 lence of exceptionally large production on many farms, the range is 
 reported approximately as follows: "Wheat, bushels per' acre, 25 to 
 50; oats, 40 to 80; barley, 40 to 60; rye, 40 to 60; alfalfa, 4 to 5 tons; 
 timothy, i to 2 tons; red top, i]4 to 2^ tons; potatoes, Irish, 6 to 9 
 tons; turnips, 20 tons. Monte Vista and Del Norte are the principal 
 markets, and the products are consumed in the county. All the towns 
 in the valley have increased from villages to their present importance, 
 by reason of agricultural development, with a steady increase in pop- 
 alation, and value of property to the present. 
 
 The Denver and Rio Grande railroad passes through the center of 
 the agricultural region, reaching the mining camp, with a trackage 
 of 56 miles. Water rental, $1.10 per acre per season. Average cost 
 of farm labor, $25 to foo per month, estimated profit per season per 
 acre on wheat, I15; barley, ;55r5; Irish potatoes, ;j5ioo; alfalfa, $25; 
 timothy, 5^5 1 native grasses, $10. The following statistics of live- 
 stock do not show the true extent of its importance. All the uncul- 
 tivated portion of the county comprises a vast range of fine grazing, 
 while the hay products afford the most nutritious feed. There is 
 therefore room and sustenance for great multiplication of the herds. 
 Number of cattle, 18,000; dairy cows, 1,200; horses, 4,000; mules, 
 168; asses, 52; sheep, 30,000; swine, 700. In addition to the advant- 
 tages enumerated, the climate, altitude, etc., haye splendid adapta- 
 
IQQ THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 tion for breeding fine blooded horses, while the mountains, valleys 
 and plains, afford every means for the promotion of the cattle and 
 sheep industry. It is also a favorable country for hogs and poultry, 
 the hog fattening as well upon alfalfa as upon corn. The wool-clip 
 for 1892, was 120,000 pounds, the sheep being a cross between the 
 Mexican and Merino, and the wool commanding an average price of 
 16 cents per pound. A combined creamery and cheese factory started 
 last summer (1892), shows that such an establishment can be made 
 greatly profitable. One of the chief advantages is in the abundance 
 of water by artesian wells, at 47 to 50 degrees, no ice being needed at 
 any time of the year. The principal manufactories of the county 
 consist of one foundry, one flour mill, at Monte Vista; one brewery 
 and one concentrator at Del Norte. Capital invested, about |575,ooo. 
 Gold, silver, lead and iron are mined. Thirty mines are in operation, 
 and there are 425 patented claims, including 550 acres of patented 
 placer ground. Some very important finds of gold have been made, 
 and recent discoveries give promise of rich rewards in future opera- 
 tions. Coal has been discovered in the south-west corner, but as yet 
 undeveloped. One iron mine was opened in the fall of '92, and the 
 property is operated for shipment of ore to the foundries at Pueblo. 
 Fine qualities of pink and gray lava and gray sandstone exist in vari- 
 ous parts, and four quarries are in operation. There are also unde- 
 veloped beds of mineral paint, kaolin, fire-clay and lime. 
 
 Owing to the delightful climate and charming surroundings all the 
 towns and settlements are classed as health resorts, while the Shaw 
 mineral springs (warm) and the hot springs at Wagon Wheel Gap, are 
 established resorts for the health and pleasure seeker. The latter 
 place is historic and famous, and is one of the popular resorts of the 
 West for the health and pleasure seeker. The advantages of climate 
 in Rio Grande county and throughout San Luis valley are many. There 
 are no extremely severe winter storms or blizzards. Land under irrigat" 
 ing canals, wkich are completed and in successful operation is still 
 cheap, while the settler has the superior benefit of having the canals 
 completed and in successful operation when he locates. Opportunities 
 for investment of capital in many enterprises are offered, and among 
 present needs are such as a potato starch factory, beet sugar factory 
 concentration and reduction works, to meet the demands of increas- 
 ing output from the mines. The soil is especially well adapted to the 
 growth of the sugar beet. The yield is very large and the per cent, 
 of sacharine very high — 15 to 17 per cent. Rio Grande as well as all 
 the counties of the great San Luis valley will before many years be 
 filled with an industrious and thrifty population. 
 
 Routt. 
 
 In the diversity and vastness of its resources, and in the many 
 advantages of varied industry, Routt county offers one of the richest 
 fields in the State for development. It only awaits the advent of the 
 railway to overcome the rugged environments of mountain barriers, 
 
RESOURCEIS OF COIvORADO. IQiJ 
 
 when it will become famous in the world for its many attractions. 
 Similar in its general physical features to other mountain counties it 
 surpasses all in the variety of charming scenes. The Park Range of 
 the Continental Divide is the eastern boundary; upon the west lies 
 Utah; upon the north, Wyoming, and Rio Blanco and Eagle counties 
 on the south. A journey from any portion of the State over the 
 ranges into Routt county may be likened to sudden transportation to 
 a strange country in an unknown part of the world. The county 
 takes its name from the Hon. John L. Routt, twice Governor of the 
 State, his last term expiring in '93. Its area is 4,500 square miles, 
 being in form 90 x 50 miles, occupying the north-west corner of the 
 State. Middle Park occupies a large area in the eastern end of the 
 county, and the remainder of its territory comprises hills and valleys, 
 forests and streams. In some portions the forests are densely tim- 
 bered, covering vast tracts of country, and alive with elk and deer, 
 and the smaller game. Many broad, fertile valleys intervene and 
 stretch out through the county to its western limits. A multitude of 
 springs, forming creeks in the eastern part and increasing in volume 
 to rivers in the center, empty into the Yampa (Bear) river in its out- 
 ward flow to the west. These streams flowing north and south into 
 the main river water numerous valleys that are everywhere rich in soil 
 and productive of all the cereals and grasses. Considerable farm 
 development has been made during late years, and wheat, oats, rye, 
 barley and potatoes are grown with great success. The soil yields 
 enormously, and notwithstanding the sparse settlement, the crops 
 have become so important in the Yampa valley as to require the 
 establishment of two flouring mills, the product of which contributes 
 largely to the maintenance of the population. The leading industry 
 of the people thus far developed is that of stock raising, and for this 
 business the county throughout oflFers extraordinary advantages. 
 The product of greatest volume and value, therefore, is hay for winter - 
 feeding. These splendid valleys, so amply watered, so rich in wild 
 grass and so well sheltered by the surrounding hills, offer every pos- 
 sible advantage to the live-stock industry, and the herds of horses, 
 cattle and sheep are large and numerous. The cattle business is espe- 
 cially large and profitable, while a number of the leading stock farms 
 in the State have been established in this county, and the breeding 
 of blooded and thoroughbred horses has become a large branch of 
 the business. According to the assessor's report for 1892, the live- 
 stock statistics are as follows: 
 
 Horses ..'... 10,874 
 
 Cattle 28,672 
 
 Sheep.. 20,470 
 
 Mules 74 
 
 Asses 20 
 
 Swine 134 
 
 Assessed valuation, $624,979. 
 
 Routt county was organized in 1887. Three years later its popula- 
 tion was only 140. The population, according to the census of 1890, 
 was 2,369. It possesses room and resource for the population of a 
 
168 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 State. Steamboat Springs is the county seat, and the second town in 
 importance is Hahn's Peak, a few miles to the north, which is the 
 center of a placer mining district, yielding considerable wealth in 
 gold. 
 
 The assessed valuation of the county is 11,148,797; estimated real 
 valuation, 13,446,401. 
 
 In addition to its splendid advantages of agriculture and stock- 
 raising, there is enormous wealth in its combination of material re- 
 source. There are undeveloped discoveries of silver and lead. Coal 
 is found in immeasurable quantities, the field extending from Steam- 
 boat Springs westward to the State line. A few miles west of Steam- 
 boat Springs a great body of bituminous coal is found in veins from six 
 inches to twelve feet wide, while nearby great deposits of anthracite are 
 known to exist. I/arge bodies of the strongest, most compact white 
 sandstone are found in the Yampa valley, and great bodies of onyx, 
 that cannot be excelled in the world for beauty and purity, are found 
 in various places. Iron of high manufactural grade is found in 
 immense bodies in many parts, and indications of oil are to be seen 
 throughout the county. 
 
 The people are now anticipating the early construction of a short 
 line Pacific railway from Denver to Utah, through Routt county, 
 which will overcome all obstacles to industrial development, and 
 make this one of the richest, most populous counties in the State. 
 One of the chief attractions, as well as one of the great sources of 
 wealth in the future of Routt county, will be in its great number and 
 variety of mineral springs, hot and cold. There are no less than 100 
 of these springs, immediately surrounding the town of Steamboat 
 Springs, and these waters became the chief attraction to the early 
 settlers at this place. These springs are divided into a dozen distinct 
 groups. Analyses prove their waters to be of the highest medicinal 
 value in healing many diseases, and renewing exhausted vitality. In 
 these various groups, the temperatures vary from 40° to 150°, each 
 spring differing in some respects in their chemical combination, in 
 some instances being entirely distinct. The most important of these 
 are two hot springs of highest temperature, the one being 103°, and 
 the other 150°, so hot that it will quickly cook an egg. These 
 springs represent the highest type of Vichy waters. The former 
 yields 250, and the latter, 400 to 500 gallons per minute. The spring 
 that is destined to become of greatest use and benefit, is called the 
 Bubbling spring. It forms a natural bathing pool, and its waters are 
 highly charged with sulphur, soda, magnesia and iron, and are in a 
 constant state of commotion, owing to an immense pressure of car- 
 bonic acid gas. The temperature is 75 degrees. Its chief virtue, so 
 far as tested, is in the healing of rheumatism, and many a victim who 
 has tried it testify that this spring is a certain and speedy cure. 
 
 The people of Routt county are confidently awaiting the advent 
 of the railway, and when that day dawns there will be some of the 
 most startling revelations in the history of Western development. 
 
RESOURCES OF COtORADO. IQ^ 
 
 Saguaclie. 
 The farming, stock-raising and mining county of Saguache is 45 
 by 80 miles in extent. Rio Grande and Costilla counties bound it on 
 the south, Hinsdale and Gunnison on the west, Gunnison and Chaf- 
 fee on the north, and Huerfano, Custer and Fremont on the east. In 
 this area there are 3,936 square miles. In the valleys the elevation 
 is 7,500 feet, in the mountains the altitude is 9,000 feet. The face 
 of the county is diversified. Thickly timbered are the mountains 
 and fringing the streams are areas of forest land. The soil is a sandy 
 loam principally. Saguache county has a population of 3,291, and 
 the principal towns are Saguache, the county seat. Bonanza and Villa 
 Grove. The act creating the county was passed January, 1867, and in 
 June following its officers were appointed. The territory was takea 
 from Costilla county and the Ute language was drawn upon for a 
 proper name signifying "blue earth." At this time the assessed 
 valuation was about 137,500, and the rate of taxation did not exceed 
 one per cent. The existing county debt is $80,000, and the assessed 
 valuation is 12,093,043, or an actual valuation estimated at |6,ooo,ooo. 
 The estimated school census of Saguache county is 960, with 27 
 schools and a property valuation of $15,000. The Methodist, Pres- 
 byterian, Baptist, Episcopalian, Catholic and Union have flourish- 
 ing congregations. Agriculturally Saguache county has quite a 
 future. There are 200,000 acres of land available for irrigation; and of 
 this amount 20,000 acres unoccupied Government land. There are 
 about 3,900 acres of unsold State land also available for agriculture. 
 There are eight saw-mills with an annual output in lumber of 2,000,- 
 000 feet. Mining, however, is the principal industry. In the districts 
 of Kerber, Crestone and Biedell there are some excellent prospects, 
 especially in Biedell and Crestone, where are found the gold ores. 
 The output is chiefly silver. Discoveries were made in Crestone and 
 Oriental districts in 1874, Biedell district in 1882 and in Kerber dis- 
 trict in 1880. As near as can be ascertained the output is $150,000, as 
 may be comprehended the mining work is still confined to prospects 
 which generally show encouraging improvements as depth is gained. 
 The extension of the Denver and Rio Grande railroad from Villa 
 Grove to Alamosa has furnished much needed population and stimu- 
 lated work in this direction, especially among the low grade ores. 
 Coal has been found on Kerber Creek. The lands that have been 
 entered and developed have shown fair prospects. There are four 
 iron mines with an annual output of 20,000 tons. The character of 
 the ore is hematite and the bodies from which it is extracted are said 
 to be among the largest in the State. In addition to these 
 sources there are quantities of lime and plenty of good building 
 stone, generally of a pink variety. Gas has also been found in an 
 abundance in the valley, and the general supposition is that oil also 
 exists. For irrigation there are about 60 miles of main canal exclu- 
 sive of laterals and small ditches. Artesian wells which are driven at 
 a depth of from 150 to 400 feet also furnish an inexhaustible supply of 
 
170 TH^ INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 ■water. These, too, are used for irrigating purposes. The discovery 
 of so many resources in this county has stimulated railroad building 
 and the D. and R. G. R. R. has entered in various directions. 
 Saguache county, in addition to the advantages already enumerated, 
 claims a ranking place among the resorts of the State. Near Cres- 
 tone are the Valley View Springs; five miles south-east of Villa 
 Grove are the Chamberlin Springs; within an half a mile are the 
 O'Neil Springs, and twenty-eight miles south of Saguache are the 
 Shaw Springs, all of which are eminently good for medicinal purpo- 
 ses. It is in this county where the live-stock industry flourishes. 
 There are 3,400 domestic cattle, and over 24,000 head of range cattle; 
 horses, 5,000 head; sheep, 17,000, with a clip of 60,000 pounds. The vari- 
 eties of wool grown are fine, medium and coarse, for which the prices run 
 14 to 17 cents per pound. This year there is a large acreage of cereals 
 with an active demand and a strong market for all grain and hay 
 raised. The hardy varieties of fruit grow well, but horticulture is 
 yet in its experimental stage. Water for irrigation costs $1.40 per acre 
 per season, rental, and the perpetual water-right for 80 acres is con- 
 sidered to be worth $400; upon this the assessment per acre per season, 
 is 25 cents. So abundant, however, is the artesian flow that wells are 
 being driven upon most of the farms. Some ranchmen have irriga- 
 ted as much as 30 acres of grain land, and others as much as 80 acres 
 of grass land from these wells, which vary from two to four inches in 
 diameter. 
 
 San Juan. 
 
 This is the central county of the great mining country of south- 
 western Colorado, famous in the world as the "Silvery San Juan." 
 It is one of the smallest counties in the State, having an area of 500 
 square miles, and one of the richest in silver and gold. An estimate, 
 or a surmise, concerning the great, immeasurable and unfathomable 
 treasure concealed within the stony vaults of the stupendous moun- 
 tains would be impossible. The metallic seams and stripes that fret 
 the mountains give the impression that every rock and cliflF is loaded 
 with precious minerals. It was organized in 1876, and is exclusively 
 a mining county. It is bounded on the east by Hinsdale, on the west 
 by Ouray, San Miguel and Dolores, and on the south by La Plata 
 counties, all forming a part of what was originally known as the San 
 Juan silver region in the days of early territorial settlement, when 
 only the mountain ranges, the peaks and streams divided and desig- 
 nated sections. The region now embraced by San Juan was known 
 as the heart of this country. It is a land of grotesque configuration. 
 The Sierra Madre rises to a lofty height on the eastern side, the La 
 Plata mountains lie on the west. Between these two ranges lies the 
 valley of the Animas river, in which is situated the town of Silver- 
 ton, the county seat and mining headquarters of all the surrounding 
 camps. The peak of King Solomon stands to the north-east, Red 
 mountain rises in the north, and Engineer mountain and the Sultain 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 17X 
 
 rear their majestic heads in the south-east. The whole aspect of the 
 county presents a scene unexcelled in picturesque grandeur. The 
 Denver and Rio Grande railway extends from the south to the north, 
 tracing the Las Animas river to its source near Animas Forks, giving 
 an outlet southward to the world, while the Silverton and Red Moun- 
 tain railway, one of the greatest examples of engineering skill, 
 crosses Red Mountain, connecting Silverton with Ouray, and thence 
 northward with all the railway systems of the State. There is plenty 
 of water from the Animas and numerous smaller streams that rush 
 down from the mountain sides. The valleys thus fertilized are richly 
 productive of grass, affording abundant pasture for the cattle and 
 horses which comprise a considerable part of the property of the 
 settlers. 
 
 The total population of San Juan county is 2,500, embraced almost 
 exclusively in the mining towns and camps. Silverton, 1,500; How- 
 ardsville, 100; Eureka, 125; Mineral Point, 100; Chattanooga, 100. 
 The elevation of the county is from 9,200 to 12,000 feet. The hill- 
 sides are coyered with timber. 
 
 Assessed valuation $ 982 T'lS 
 
 Estimated real valuation • 3,000,000 
 
 Rate of taxation, btate and county, 51 4-30. 
 
 The county has one public school, in Silverton, with a school pop- 
 ulation of 240. Value of school property, $15,000; three teachers, 
 wages, f 90 per month. Churches, one Catholic, oue Congregational. 
 The people come from all parts of the United States and Europe, and. 
 their employment other than that of mercantile pursuit is almost 
 exclusively that of mining. However, in Silverton there are: one 
 brewery, one electric light plant, two saw-mills, nine stamp mills, 
 eight concentration and reduction works. The future of the county 
 depends entirely upon the development of the great silver-bearing 
 fissure veins that seam every mountain within this vast area of min- 
 eral wealth, but until of recent years the development has been slow 
 for lack of transportation facilities. But since the building of rail- 
 ways and the establishment of smelters and reduction works at 
 Durango in La Plata county adjoining, the refractory and low grade 
 ores have been treated together with the ores of higher value, and 
 the entire mining community is now in the midst of an era of pro- 
 gress and prosperity, such as it has never enjo3'ed before. 
 
 The Uncompahgre, Animas, Eureka and Red Mountain districts, 
 contain the principal mining camps, with about forty-five developed 
 mines, while patented mines and rich prospects may be numbered by 
 the hundreds. The general character of ore mined are free gold ores, 
 lead ores, gold and silver bearing, copper and iron, the silver ores 
 predominating. As is the case in other rich mining sections of the 
 State, the great strength of the county lies in its enormous reserve of 
 treasure, which will require for its development the labor and genius 
 of man for centuries to come. There is no section of the State that 
 
172 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 ofifers a greater field for labor in the mining industry. No section has 
 more positive assurance of permanency and growing prosperity; none 
 that can surpass it in the number, size and extent of its silver-bearing 
 fissure veins. 
 
 San Miguel. 
 
 This is one of the most prominent mining counties in the State, 
 rich in its present development and great in the prospect of its undis- 
 covered wealth. It belongs to the silvery San Juan region, and its 
 mountains comprise a land of silver and gold, awaiting only the com- 
 bined forces of adequate labor and capital to prove its wealth in the 
 shining metal. In point of development, San Miguel county has 
 been, until recently, a distinctively mining county, and in this lies its 
 greatest source of wealth, but its largest area, extending westward 
 from the mining region to the Utah line, comprises vast tracts of val- 
 ley and mesa lands, possessing a fertile soil, and aflfording fine graz- 
 ing for stock. In late years, many of these valleys have been settled by 
 a farming people, and the lands cultivated with success. Great atten- 
 tion has been paid to live-stock, and cattle-raising is an important in- 
 dustry in that section. From this source comes the greater part of 
 the fresh meats and dairy products used in the mining camps of the 
 county. 
 
 San Miguel was organized in 1883, being formerly a part of Ouray 
 county, and takes its name from the San Miguel river, the stream of 
 gorgeous scenery so famous, which flows through the entire county 
 from east to west. Situated in the south-western portion of the 
 State, its eastern half is embraced in the great San Juan mineral belt 
 It is bounded on the east and north by San Juan, Ouray and Mont- 
 rose counties, on the south by Dolores county, and on the west by 
 Utah. The county seat is Telluride. Its area is 1,600 square miles; 
 its elevation, 6,000 to 13,000 feet. The mountains are covered with 
 forests of pine, pinon and quakingasp. The valley lands are well- 
 watered by the numerous streams that flow through the county. The 
 population of the county is 2,908. Telluride, with a population of 
 1,200, is the principal town; San Miguel, 100; Pandora, 100; Ophir, 
 250; Ames, 75; Placerville, 100. The people are from the Eastern 
 States, mainly, many of them Cornish miners, of industrious, frugal 
 habits, and little disposed to wild speculation, with great faith in the 
 richness of this mining district. Official figures place the valuation 
 of the county at $1,398,221, as against |r6.84i in 1883. 
 
 The social and moral education of the community is good. It has 
 five public schools. The county has a future of fine promise in agri- 
 culture, having over 500,000 acres available land, rich in soil and with 
 plenty of water, besides 100,000 acres of good grazing land. Ten 
 thousand acres are now under ditch and cultivated, producing a fine 
 average yield of the grains and vegetables. The average yield of 
 wheat is placed at 30 bushels per acre. There are three saw-mills, 
 and the present output in lumber is 3,000,000 feet per year. In the 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 'x73 
 
 mining industry lies the greatest source of wealth for this county. 
 The character of the mineral formations is silver, gold and lead, in 
 fissure veins. There are also a number of very promising placer 
 fields along the streams. The principal mining districts are the 
 Upper San Miguel, l/ower San Miguel, Trout Lakes and Iron Springs. 
 The first discoveries were made in 1876. The estimated output for 
 the entire county this year (1890) is $2,500,000 in gold and silver. 
 The gold fields of San Miguel are developing fabulously rich veins, 
 and mainly on this account a three-fold increase of output is expected 
 during the coming year. The mineral resources in that section are 
 said to be inexhaustible, and in their infancy of development. The 
 same might be said of their discovery, for new strikes of rich bodies 
 of mineral are of almost daily occurrence. It is a vast and promis- 
 ing field for the prospector. With the railroad facilities given by the 
 completion last year of the Rio Grande Southern, vast bodies of low- 
 grade ores will now find a market, and the production will greatly 
 increase. No county has had to contend against greater obstacles in 
 developing the mines and conveying the more profitable ores to 
 market. Now these obstacles are removed, and a great increase may 
 be expected. The climate is mild and healthful, the scenery is de- 
 lightful and of peculiar interest, and Trout Lakes, at an elevation 
 of 12,000 feet, is a charming place of resort for the health and 
 pleasure seeker. 
 
 Sedgwick. 
 
 The county of Sedgwick, named in honor of Gen. Sedgwick, occu- 
 pies the north-east corner of the State, bounded on the north and east 
 by Nebraska. It is an agricultural and stock-raising county. . The 
 larger part lies beyond the reach of irrigation, being in the "rain- 
 belt" area, where crops are grown without irrigation. The Platte 
 river, however, courses through the north-west quarter affording irri- 
 gation for the valley lands, which are very fertile and highly pro- 
 ductive. The area of the county is 576 square miles; population^ 
 1,500, The county was organized in 1889. Julesburg, situated at the 
 junction of the Union Pacific main line and the Union Pacific Short 
 Line, is the county seat, with a population of 800, mostly from 
 Nebraska and Iowa. The soil is a rich sandy loam, with a gently 
 undulating surface, productive of all crops. Wheat and corn are the 
 leading crops, and the soil is said to be eminently suitable for the 
 culture of the sugar beet, being similar to the sugar beet lands of 
 Nebraska. The assessed valuation of Sedgwick county is |759,945; 
 estimated real valuation, $1,800,000. The county has twenty-four 
 public schools, and the church organizations are Congregational, 
 Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic and Evangelical. The lands are 
 divided by estimate as follows: 
 
 Total acres available for agriculture 300,000 
 
 Available for grazing 68,000 
 
 Unoccupied Government land available for agriculture . . 45,000 
 
 School land 12.900 
 
174 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The total acreage cultivated, irrigated and non-irrigated, 50,000 
 The average yield per acre in various crops is stated at : Wheat, 20 bush- 
 els per acre; oats, 45; rye, 17; barley, 15; corn, 40. With a vast open 
 range, ample provision for winter feeding and convenience of railway 
 transportation, the county possesses every advantage for live-stock and 
 cattle raising especially as a thriving industry, the dairy products being 
 a considerable part of the profits. The combination of agriculture 
 and the live-stock business, gives the assurance of permanency and 
 prosperity to the people with whom the first few years of settlement 
 could have been but little more than an experiment, in view of the 
 doubts and disputations that then existed concerning the possibility 
 of farming in Eastern Colorado without the aid of irrigation. Out of 
 this confusion has come great industrial thrift, the stability and pro- 
 gress of all enterprises and a good order of society. 
 
 Summit. 
 
 Situated on the Western Slope at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the area 
 of 650 square miles, which constitutes Summit county, forms the cone 
 of the Continent. As the name implies, it is the Summit county of 
 the range. Grand county bounds it on the north. Lake county on 
 the south. Clear Creek and Park counties on the east, and Eagle 
 county on the west. This is distinctively a mining county. The first 
 settlement was made by gold miners in 1859. ^^ is principally moun- 
 tainous, with the valley of the Blue river in the center, where a little 
 agriculture is carried on upon the ranches. The county was organ- 
 ized in i860, with Breckenridge as the county seat, the town being 
 important as the principal mining camp of the county for the pro- 
 duction of silver and gold. The Breckenridge district has long been 
 a steady gold producer, and this and other camps are rich in prospect 
 for the yellow metal. Total population of county, 3,000; Brecken- 
 ridge, 2,000; Kokomo, 400; Robinson, 100; Dillon, 200; Montezuma, 
 150; Rathbun, 150. 
 
 The mountains are covered with an abundance of pine. The 
 streams are the Blue river, Snake river and Ten Mile creek. Assessed 
 valuation, J5i, 000,000; real valuation, $2, 500,000. There are .eight 
 schools and three churches, Catholic, Episcopal and Methodist, in 
 the county. Most all of the accessible valley lands have been taken 
 as homesteads, and the people living on the ranches raise such pro- 
 ducts as hay, potatoes, cabbage, turnips, hardy vegetables and a 
 small amount of oats. 
 
 Summit has maintained its position as a substantial mining county 
 since its more extensive settlement in 1S80, with considerable advance- 
 ment in discovery and development, and maintaining also a fair pro- 
 
RESOURCES OF COI.ORADO. ^75 
 
 portion in the general average of output. Eor 1891 and '92 the 
 output was: 
 
 
 1891 
 
 1892 
 
 Gold 
 
 $ 125,000 
 1,325,000 
 
 $ 125.000 
 
 1,125 000 
 
 400 000 
 
 Silver 
 
 Lead 
 
 
 
 
 
 Number of smelters in county, i; stamp mills, 13; concentrating 
 and reduction works, 17; number of men employed in smelters, 60; 
 in stamp mills, 40; concentration and reduction works, 75; average 
 wages paid miners, $3. The whole county is divided into mineral 
 districts, and while the county is especially noted for its production 
 of gold, the principal metals are gold, silver, lead, copper and zinc, 
 and the number of developed mines are very numerous, with many 
 prospects that will add greatly to the future mineral wealth of the 
 State. In addition to mining there are a number of industries which 
 add a great deal of revenue to the county. I^umber mills are located 
 at Breckenridge, Frisco, Dillon and Montezuma; a number of char- 
 coal kilns are located at Frisco, and there are numerous lime beds in 
 the county. White and variegated marbles are found in numerous 
 parts of the county. 
 
 The climate is healthful, with plenty of good water. Soda Springs 
 near Dillon and other parts of the county, and Iron Springs near 
 Montezuma and near Breckenridge, and there are good accommada- 
 tions at the mining towns for the health and pleasure seeker. 
 
 WasMng-ton. 
 
 The county of Washington, one of the thriving north-eastern 
 counties of the State, was formed in 1887, from the eastern portion of 
 Weld, the banner wheat and potato producer of Colorado. It is exclu- 
 sively an agricultural and stock-growing county, having special advan- 
 tages for sheep, and promises a large contribution to the future wool 
 industry of Colorado. The county has an area of 1,080 square miles, 
 and is a rich, rolling upland prairie. It is one of the pioneer counties 
 in what is known as the "rain-belt" area, there being but little water 
 for irrigation. About 25,000 acres of its Territory in the north- 
 western portion, are accessible to ditch; the remainder is dependent 
 upon rain-fall for farming, and crops of all small grain, hay and vege- 
 tables, have been successively raised for a number of years. The 
 Burlington and Missouri railway runs centrally through the county, 
 and it was the first and chief factor in settling the country, and devel- 
 oping its agricultural interests. The town of Akron, which began its 
 existence as a division station on this railway, is the principal town 
 and county seat, with a population of about 1,200, the census of 1890 
 ^ giving the county credit for 2,301. Since that time large numbers of 
 new agricultural settlements have been made and the population has 
 
176 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 been considerably increased as the growth of the towns in forming 
 settlements will show. Otis, with 300, and Hyde, with 200 inhabit- 
 ants, are the other principal towns of the county. 
 
 The assessed valuation of Washington county in 1892, was $915,- 
 048, representing a real valuation approximating 5^2,500,000. Num- 
 ber of acres of agricultural lands assessed, 12,207; number of acres 
 of grazing lands assessed, 214,618. These figures, however, do 
 not represent either the agricultural or grazing areas. Of the 
 half million acres or more in the county, not less than two- thirds 
 are available either as pasture lands or agricultural, and have proved 
 highly productive wherever cultivated. The combination of agricul- 
 ture and stock-raising is the chief source of the county's wealth. 
 The principal crops are wheat, oats, hay, potatoes and vegetables of 
 all descriptions. The farms thus far have been located within con- 
 venient range of the railway, principally in the central and western 
 portion, where it has been demonstrated the rain-fall is seasonable, 
 and with deep ploughing, the soil being retentive of moisture, yields 
 an average per acre of wheat, 20 bushels; oats, 30; potatoes, 150 to 
 200. The assessor's report for 1892, gives the live-stock statistics as 
 follows: Cattle, 4,478; horses, 1,289; sheep, 6,263, but as is custom- 
 ary, these figures represent only about two-thirds the real numbers. 
 With an abundance of good pasturage and the provision that can now 
 be made for feeding from the farm the advantages for live-stock are 
 almost without limit, and the country is especially favorable to sheep 
 wherever winter shelter can be provided. The soil is covered with a 
 medium growth of buffalo grass, with hills extending along the 
 southern border of the county. Among these hills are valleys, in 
 which large quantities of grass are cut each year, and they afford 
 excellent pasturage for stock. 
 
 The amount of unoccupied Government land available for agri- 
 culture is estimated at 300,000 acres; unsold State lands available for 
 agriculture, 16,000 acres. These lands are easily obtainable for set- 
 tlement at the Government price of I1.25 per acre, and from $2.50 to 
 I5.00 for State lands, while deeded lands can be obtained at exceed- 
 ingly low prices and on the easiest terms, in the midst of settled 
 agricultural districts. 
 
 The county is well provided with schools and churches, the Meth- 
 odist, Presbyterian, Christian and Catholic organizations being rep- 
 resented, principally at Akron, which is the principal market and 
 shipping point, and also the industrial headquarters of the county. 
 In the adjacent country there is a variety of material of manufacture 
 which will be utilized with profit in due time. A number of well-de- 
 fined discoveries of fire-clay, limestone, plaster of paris and cement- 
 rock have been made, and the quality of brick manufactured is with- 
 out a superior for hardness and durability. 
 
 In common with the rest of the State, Washington county is 
 underlaid with a great supply of wholesome water, easily accessible. 
 The roads are natural roads the year round, hard, dry, free from mud 
 
. RESOURCES OP COLORADO. 177 
 
 and dust alike. So pure and healthful is the atmosphere, that the 
 climate is proving a panacea for those afflicted with rheumatism, or 
 with throat and lung diseases, or the various forms of catarrh. 
 Medicines are quickly discarded, and the sufferer regains health and 
 strength. 
 
 Accessions to the county's wealth and population are being 
 steadily made year after year, and it will always be a substantial agri- 
 cultural and stock-raising country, with convenient markets for all 
 manner of produce. 
 
 Weld. 
 
 Weld county is the best wheat and potatoe county in the State, has 
 the best and surest water supply, is settled by people from the best 
 portions of the United States, has a fine climate and is in every way 
 a desirable place for a home. These are the inducements the people 
 of that favored locality present to the new comer. The county has 
 been noted because of its conspicuous association with the history of 
 western settlement, and it was while under the fostering care of the 
 renowned Horace Greeley that the Greeley colony in 1870 made a 
 settlement in Weld county and gave to that community a local capi- 
 tal, and to Colorado the prosperous city of Greeley. In his mind's 
 eye Mr. Greeley beheld this section when he penned his oft repeated 
 admonition to the eastern young men to "go west and grow up with 
 the country." Weld county formerly embraced all the territery now 
 comprising seven counties in the north-east part of the State. Its 
 territory has been gradually reduced till its boundaries are circum- 
 scribed by the county lines of Boulder and I^arimer on the west, 
 Arapahoe on the soath, Morgan and Logan counties on the east and 
 the new State of Wyoming on the north. The county takes it name 
 from Ivouis Landgard Weld, the first Territorial secretary, and was 
 organized in 1S63. It has an area of 4, 104 square miles and has a 
 population of 11,741. The first assessed valuation was 1240,000; last 
 valuation, 18,214,195; real valuation of $25,000,000. There is no debt 
 and the treasury shows a surplus. Greeley, the principal city, has 
 4,000 population; Platteville, 500; Eaton, 100; Windsor, 250; Evans, 
 250; lyupton, 250; and Erie, 1,000. Farming, stock raising, mining 
 and manufacturing are the industries pursued. The county is well 
 watered by the South Platte, Cache la Poudre.Big and Little Thompson, 
 St. Vrain, Boulder, Box Elder and Lone Tree rivers. There are no natu- 
 ral forests, but along the valleys through which these rivers flow there 
 are quantities of native timber. The soil is a rich sandy loam, well 
 watered by a thorough system of irrigating canals and yields all kinds 
 of farm products. The county has 98 public schools with a school 
 population of 3,450; value of school property, 1123,126; number of 
 teachers 98. In addition, the City of Greeley has the State Normal 
 School and the Greeley Business College. The churches — Congre- 
 gational, 4; Methodist, 4; Baptist, 3; Presbyterian, 2; Adventist, 2; 
 Unitarian i; Church of Christ, i. 
 
178 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Weld county has great facility for agriculture. It is estimated 
 that there are 2,000,000 acres of cultivable land, which embraces the 
 larger part of the county. Of this area there are 600,000 acres classed 
 as grazing land which, with ample water, would be agricultural. 
 Over 200,000 acres are under ditch; more than 100,000 acres are irri- 
 gated, and there are 60,000 acres under ditch and unoccupied. The 
 estimated yield of principal crops for 1892 was, wheat; 1,000,000 bush- 
 els; potatoes, 2,000,000, bushels; alfalfa, 26,525 tons. 
 
 Average yield per acre, leading crops for 1892: 
 
 Wheat, bushels 25 
 
 Oats, " 35 
 
 Corn, '• 30 
 
 Barley, " .33 
 
 Alfalfa, tons 5 
 
 Clover, " 3 
 
 Timothy, " 2 
 
 Red Top, " 2 
 
 Potatoes, " 5 
 
 Beets, stock, tons 10 
 
 Live-stock statistics as reported by assessor of the county: 
 
 Cattle 27,910 
 
 Horses 1,817 
 
 Mules 67 
 
 Sneep 50,700 
 
 Swine 2,6*0 
 
 The wool clip for 1892 is estimated at 80,000 pounds. 
 
 The county has three dairies. Dairy products, 1891-1892: 
 
 j 1891 ! 1892 
 
 Butter, pounds ... 
 
 Butter, va.ue .... 
 
 Cheese, pounds . . . ; 
 
 Cheese, vaiue 
 
 There is a great abundance of coal in Weld county, the mining of 
 which gives employment and sustenance to 2,500 people. The first 
 discoveries were made in 1S65, and there are now fourteen mines in 
 operation with an annual output of about 50,000 tons. At Erie, in 
 the south-western part of the county are the largest coal bodies yet 
 developed, and these are inexhaustible. Building stone of fine qual- 
 ity is also found in abundance. 
 
 The railroads of the county are the Burlington and Colorado, the 
 Colorado and Wyoming, Denver, Utah and Pacific, Denver Pacific, 
 Denver and Boulder Valley, aggregating 237 miles. Weld county 
 claims no health resorts, but is situated in an altitude beneficial to 
 all. The average death rate is 2^ per cent. Greeley, especially is a 
 desirable abode, having an abundance of shade and pure water. The 
 ■city has a number of manufactories, such as irrigating pump works, 
 machine shops, pickling establishments, flouring mills, tile works, 
 brick yards, door and sash factories, planing mills and other import- 
 ant establishments. Eaton also has a large flouring mill. Bee cul- 
 ture is an important industry, and last year the estimated amount of 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 179 
 
 Jioney produced was 60,000 pounds. The total acreage in grain this 
 jear is estimated at 250,000; fruit, 600 acres; and the estimated value 
 of product of market garden last year was jf20o,ooo. Small fruits 
 were also abundant. The bulk of this product was sold in the mar- 
 kets of Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Denver and the mining towns. 
 The average cost of water by rental per acre per season is $150; a per- 
 petual water right for eighty acres is worth ^1,200, with an assessment 
 of 12%, cents per acre. The crops of 1892 fairly illustrates the great 
 fertility of soil in Weld county. Alfalfa is one of the leading 
 crops in volume and value, and the last year's yield was enormous. 
 Besides these all manner of field crops were raised, and in all crops 
 there is a large annual surplus for the markets. 
 
 Yuma. 
 
 Yuma is another of the tier of eastern Colorado counties, situated 
 in the north-east part, and in many respects will bear a description 
 similar to other parts of the non-irrigated section devoted exclusively 
 to farming and stock-raising. Having an area of. 1,260 square miles, 
 the west half is level, and the east half rolling prairie. .It was organ- 
 ized in 1889, and now has a population of 3,500. The principal 
 towns are Yuma, the county seat, with a population of 600, and 
 Wray, 400. Climate, mild; elevation, 3,600 feet. 
 
 As the settlements are all new, and only limited, advancement in 
 general industries has been made, as a consequence the efforts of the 
 people have been directed mainly to the establishment and mainte- 
 nance of their homestead entries, meanwhile making a good .begin- 
 ning in stock-raising, wool-growing, the dairy interests, etc., and as a 
 result of increased farming operations, quite a considerable surplus 
 of wheat, corn and hay was raised in the county in 1892. 
 
 The people who have established the county and its industries 
 after a number of years of experiment, under the necessity of de- 
 jjendence upon rain-fall for the success of their crops, are gratified 
 with present results, and have a growing confidence in the future 
 agricultural possibilities of that part of eastern Colorado. 
 
 A fair crop was raised the first year. The second year was with- 
 out increase, owing to the drouth; the crop was doubled in 1891, and 
 nearly doubled again in 1892. The rate of advancement, while not 
 very rapid, has been steady, and of a healthful nature, the first-com- 
 ers generally remaining. Actual settlement began in 1889. In 1890 
 the population of the county was 2,600; in 1891, about 3,000, and 
 3,500 in 1892. In 1889 all land except the seggregated acres of State 
 lands, were Government possessions at $1.25 per acre. Lands now 
 under priyate ownership range from f 5 to |20 per acre. 
 
 The amount of land in the county available for agriculture or for 
 grazing is estimated at 806,400 acres; total acres cultivated, 45, 000; total 
 acres of unoccupied Government land subject to entry, 100,000; total 
 
180 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 number of acres of unsold State land available for agriculture in 
 county, 44,800. Average price for deeded land, $6 per acre. The soil 
 is a dark, rich, sandy loam. 
 
 Estimated average yields per acre: 
 
 Wheat, bushels 20 
 
 Corn, " 24 
 
 Rye, " 18 
 
 Alfalfa, tons 4 
 
 Millet, " 2}i 
 
 Flax, bushels ' 18 
 
 Sorghum, tons 3 
 
 Potatoes, " 5 
 
 Beets, Sugar, tons 3% 
 
 Oats, bushels 49 
 
 Barley, " 35 
 
 Buckwheat, bushels 16 
 
 Timothy, tons 1% 
 
 Hungarian Grass, tons 2% 
 
 Sugar Cane, tons 3 
 
 Broom Corn J^ 
 
 Beets, stock, tons 8 
 
 Turnips, bushels 250 
 
 Markets for surplus products, Denver, Omaha and Chicago, vta 
 Burlington, Missouri railway, which passes through county. 
 
 Estimated total products of county in 1892: Wheat, bushels, 172,- 
 380; oats, bushels, 87,762; corn, bushels, 431,862; barley, 12,378; rye, 
 6,500; buckwheat, 2,109; alfalfa, tons, 800; native grasses, 4,765; 
 millet, tons, 6,874; sugar cane, tons, 4,173; sorghum, gallons, 3,240; 
 broom corn, tons, 245; beans, cwt., 532; potatoes, cwt., 30,125. Aver- 
 age cost of labor per month on farm per hand, $20 and board: 
 Assessed valuation of county, f 1,250,000; real valuation, Jf2, 500,000; 
 county debt, $13,700; State tax, 4'/^ mills; county tax, 15 mills; school 
 tax, 5 mills; number of schools, 37; school population, 700; value of 
 school property, $20, 000; 'number of teachers employed, 41; average 
 wages paid teachers per month $45. Church organizations — Catholic, 
 2; Presbyterians, 4; Methodist, 4; Lutheran, 3; Baptist, i. 
 
 Yuma county was originally a part of the great cattle^range of 
 Colorado, but both the territory and the number of animals have been 
 greatly contracted owing to farming settlement, the live-stock indus- 
 try becoming a part of the farm itself. But it has great possibility 
 under this combination. Estimated number in county: Cattle, 6,000; 
 horses, 2,000; mules, 125; dairy cows, 2,000; sheep, 3,200; swine, 2,00a 
 Though these numbers are comparatively small, the possibilities of 
 the wool and dairy interests are great, while the number of swine 
 given is significant in view of increased possibilities of corn culture. 
 Estimated annual wool crop, 20,000 pounds; prevailing breed of sheep, 
 Merino; manufactural standing of wool, good; price, 16 cents per 
 pound; number of creameries, 2; cheese factories, 2. 
 
RESOURCES OF COI.ORADO. 
 
 181 
 
 Estimated amount and value of butter and cheese manufactured, 
 1891 and 1892: 
 
 Butter, pounds 
 Butter, value . 
 Cheese, pounds 
 Cbeese, value . 
 
 1892 
 
 250.000 
 
 50,000 
 
 80,000 
 
 8,000 
 
 Profit per cow per season for butter ^ $21. 
 
 There are three roller flouring mills in the county, with a capacity 
 of 100 barrels per day. Capital invested, |45,ooo. Yuma county 
 offers inducements for a canning factory, beet sugar factory, broom 
 factory, woolen mills and other establishments useful in a farming 
 community. 
 
 Among the special inducements offered to home seekers are the 
 healthful climate, cheap and excellant land for homestead entry, 
 easy farming with profitable cr®ps, and with the same amount of 
 capital used in the east for rental the farmer can own his own home. 
 
182 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Forestry. 
 
 THE timber lands comprise io,63o,cxx) acres, and the greatest 
 extent of the more useful timbers grow upon the mountain sides, 
 in the valleys and upon the high rolling plateaus. A spur of 
 the Rocky Mountains, known as the North and South Divide, which 
 extends over fifty miles into the mid-eastern part is covered with pine, 
 and another large timbered tract extends through the southern por- 
 tions of Las Aanimas and Baca counties, while some of the best tim- 
 bers are found in the south-western part, in Archuleta and La Plata 
 counties, and some of the largest forests exist in the northern portion 
 of the State. The most useful timbers for general purposes are the 
 yellow and white pine and white spruce, and all these are abundanL 
 White and yellow pines are the predominant species and are used 
 extensively in building, entering largely into general superstructure, 
 and are used almost exclusively in the wooden buildings of the 
 smaller towns and cities. Pinon, which grows promiscuously, is 
 largely used for fuel and the production of charcoal. Cottonwood, 
 oak, cherry and other timbers of small growth and less value occupy 
 the borders of the small streams. Large areas of the quakingasp 
 cover the high mountains with a dense growth, generally replacing 
 the coniferous trees where they have been destroyed by fire. Small 
 stunted junipers cover the high plateaus of South-western Colorado. 
 The lower mountain slopes and the south-eastern part of the State 
 furnish coarse lumber suitable for railroad ties, for fuel and timber 
 for mining purposes. 
 
 Colorado is furnished with a most delightful variety and luxurious 
 growth of ornamental trees and shrubbery. Of the evergreens, 
 twenty-one varieties have been counted. The favorite varieties of 
 evergreens are the blue, red and Eugleman spruces, the blue, red and 
 white cedars and junipers. Among the native pines are the yellow 
 and pondorosa varieties, popularly used for decorating lawns. Of 
 other trees and plants that grow in Colorado, chiefly as trans-plants, 
 are the elm, honey locust, cut-leaf maple, pimple-leaf elm, laurel, 
 leaf willow, the Norway sugar maple, the catalpa, the kempseri, the 
 linden, the mountain ash, the balm of Gilead, the weeping willow, 
 the black cherry and the red oak. 
 
 A deep interest has been awakened in timber culture, and apart 
 from the numerous orchards that have been planted in all fruit-grow- 
 ing sections of the State, considerable efforts have been made to cul- 
 tivate forest trees on the plains. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 183 
 
 Gems of Colorado. 
 
 GEMS and precious stones are abundant in the mountains of Colo- 
 rado, and every mining town is a market for them. In Denver 
 and other cities they sparkle in the show windows of the jew- 
 eler and form a part of the stock in the museums and curio establish- 
 ments. The labor involved in the collection, dressing and mounting 
 of these stones has given rise to an industry of considerable import- 
 ance. The varieties are very numerous, embracing almost all the 
 glittering beauties of the world, including the sparkling crystals that 
 glitter like the diamond. The topaz, of all colors, and the agate are 
 probably the most numerous of all precious stones. The Colorado 
 rubies are regarded as the most beautiful. In some portions of the 
 State garnet crystals are found weighing from one ounce to three or 
 four pounds. The aqua marine, of a light blue or sea green color, is 
 found at an altitude of 12,000 to 14,000 feet, varying in size from one 
 inch to four inches in length, and one tenth of an inch to one inch 
 in diameter. Phenacite, of the colorless, transparent variety, is found 
 in considerable quantity. It is one of the most brilliant stones 
 known, occasionally showing prismatic colors by artificial light. 
 The topaz, in its various colors, has been found of such quality 
 and size as to vary in price from 50 cents to |ioo each. The zercon 
 is a gem sometimes known as jargon or jargoon, jacinth or true 
 hyacinth. These are among the most beautiful crystals known, 
 owing to their transparency, brilliancy and perfection. Among other 
 choice stones found in abundance are the opals, amazon stones, the 
 sapphires, green spinnels, etc. Semi-precious stones, such as smoky 
 topaz, cairngorm, chalcedony, agate, moss agate, yellow, brown and red 
 jasper, blood stone or heliotrope, cornelian, cats-eye, onyx, sardonyx, 
 rock crystal, agatized or petrified wood, etc., all found in considera- 
 ble quantities. These gems in their different forms are used for set- 
 tings in all kinds of jewelry, for paper weights, charms, cabinets and 
 ornaments of many descriptions. 
 
184 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Commercial and Manufactural Minerals. 
 
 OF minerals that are classed as manufactural and commercial, 
 there is such a variety and abundance, and so distributed 
 among the counties that to enumerate or locate them would 
 exceed the possibility of suflScient space in this work. In these re- 
 sources alone it is said the State possesses wealth sufficient for the 
 maintenance of its population. These materials are used at all man- 
 ufacturing points in the State, and yet it can scarcely be discovered 
 that the immense deposits, so numerous, have been disturbed. The 
 leading materials are such as fire-clays of all varieties, kaolin, silica, 
 gypsum, lime, cement, clays for pressed brick, mineral paints, mica, 
 asbestos, mercury, native cryolite, sulphur, dolomite, graphite, car- 
 bonate of soda, zinc, kalomite, cinnabar, bismite, and hundreds of 
 minerals with a confusion of technical names, familiar only to the 
 chemist and mineralogist, all having their uses and their value, and all 
 to be reckoned among the immense resources of the State. 
 
 Apiary. 
 
 BEE culture has grown within the past few years from an experi- 
 ment to a business of considerable profit. The possibilities of 
 honey production are without limit. Alfalfa, so abundantly 
 grown in all parts of the State, is unrivalled as a honey-making 
 plant, and would alone be sufficient, but there are the red clovers, the 
 sweet clovers, in great abundance; fruit blooms of all kinds are be- 
 coming more plentiful with the advancement of fruit culture, while 
 endless varieties of wild flowers bestrew the mountains and the 
 plains. From a rece«t small beginning it is estimated that there are 
 now 6,000 colonies of bees in the State, producing upwards of 300,- 
 000 pounds of honey, of the finest quality. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 185 
 
 One Advantage of a Dry Country. 
 
 PEOPLE living remote from the arid regions, who have never seen 
 an irrigating ditch and know but little about the processes or the 
 superior benefits of irrigation, have a feeling which is quite nat- 
 ural, that they would not like to live in a country where they cannot 
 see the rain. . But this is an erroneous impression which may be cor- 
 rected. We have an annual season of rain, which comes at a time of 
 the year when most needed and lasts long enough to be enjoyable. 
 During these periods it rains frequently and in great abundance. 
 After the rainy season then comes the dry part of summer with its 
 constant flood of brilliant sunlight. It is during this part of the sum- 
 mer that the irrigating canals are brought into service. It often 
 occurs that during the dry season in Colorado, there is a drouth in 
 many of the Eastern States and crops are parched and destroyed. 
 But with the irrigating system in Colorado no such thing is possible. 
 On the contrary, whether the rain comes in season or comes not at 
 all, there is never such a thing as failure of the crops, while the farmer 
 can so use the water that he can manage the thrift of his crop, pro- 
 longing its growth or causing it to ripen at a time to suit the necessi- 
 ties of harvest. The diry weather is regarded as neither disagreeable 
 nor an inconvenience, but on the contrary it gives one immunity 
 from the caution that is always necessary to protect one from the 
 uncertain elements in rainy countries. And again there is immunity 
 from the inconvenience and the disagreeable features of moving 
 about, whether on foot or by conveyance in mud and rain, for full 
 one-third of the year. The feeling of freedom which experience 
 brings in Colorado is that we do not wish to be bothered with the 
 fickle elements of the east that bring in their train inconvenience, 
 disappointments and delays in every business or social plan or under- 
 taking. Here we can always rely upon our weather, having no fear 
 of the latter rains of summer, and enjoying a sunny sky throughout 
 the delightful months of autumn, with none of those long, wet 
 gloomy periods that prevail throughout the valleys of the Eastern 
 half of the continent. 
 
186 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The Water Supply. 
 
 IT has been the experience of Colorado's settlers as they advance 
 in industrial development, that all things requisite for their wel- 
 fare develop themselves always in the time of need. It may be 
 assured that the mountains of the State contain sufficient water to 
 irrigate all occupied agricultural lands for many years to come. 
 Should the present means of utilizing these waters fall short, the 
 measures are already on foot to supply the deficiency. Numerous 
 reservoirs have within the past few years been constructed in the 
 mountains, at the foot-hills and at various points far out upon the 
 plains. There are many similar projects going forward, looking to 
 the future. Some of these reservoirs are of enormous size, contain- 
 ing a supply for many thousands of acres. For the most part these 
 new projects are located in new and sparsely settled portions, where 
 it is certain the beauty of the country and the great fertility of soil 
 will attract the future settler in Colorado. These reservoirs are con- 
 structed for the purpose of storing water in winter, and also to catch 
 and save the waste waters of summer. Thus they replenish the irri- 
 gating ditches when they are exhausted during the dry season. There 
 is sufficient water in the mountains to supply all the reservoirs that 
 may be constructed for many years to come. It has long been the 
 aim of the Federal Government to establish such reservoirs through- 
 out the arid region. But the impatient energy and enterprise of 
 Colorado's people cannot await the slow process of National legisla- 
 tion. Already by individual effort some of the most gigantic enter- 
 prises of the kind have been completed and the water will be availa- 
 ble in 1893. It is maintained by scientific authorities that underneath 
 all these great plains is a vast subteranean lake, and it has been often 
 suggested that this body of water would be our final recourse. 
 Should such a necessity ever arise, no one need be impatient or 
 doubtful about the means to be employed in bringing this water to 
 the surface. All that is necessary is to trust to the genius and 
 indomitable will of the American people to accomplish anything 
 that has about it the shadow of remotest possibility. Both the inven- 
 tion of the means and the work of bringing water out of the depths 
 to irrigate the plains will be an easy matter whenever the time comes 
 that it is necessary for the welfare of man. However, with present, 
 provisions, there is a supply for the future millions of population. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 187 
 
 The Legal Distribution of Water. 
 
 THE water of the State is the property of the people. Under the 
 law, a company, or an individual constructing a ditch from a 
 natural stream, is considered a common carrier, and, under the 
 law, may receive a certain amount of money for conveying this water 
 from its natural bed out over the country to certain tracts of land. 
 
 The first ditch to appropriate water from any natural stream, said 
 ditch having filed a statement of this fact with the county clerk, is 
 entitled, whenever there is any scarcity of water in that stream, to 
 the first right of the water, and in concession as they follow, other 
 ditches are entitled to their proportionate supply. These are called 
 ' ' priorities. ' ' 
 
 By the laws of the State, the first ditch constructed has a priority 
 right to the water appropriated, and no canal tapping the stream 
 nearer its service can divert the water of the older ditch. The laws 
 provide for measurement, proof of quantity and date of appropria- 
 tion, so that there may be no controversy as to whom the water right- 
 fully belongs. Every equitable safeguard which experience suggests 
 is made to protect the rights of those who invest in these enterprises. 
 
 The rate to be charged for water by the year is regulated by the 
 board of county commissioners for each county, and the law com- 
 pels a ditch company to give water to any applicant at the price 
 established by the board of county commissioners, whenever the 
 water commissioner of that water district shall determine that there 
 is more water in the ditch than has already been purchased, leased 
 or delivered. 
 
 There is both the perpetual and the rental water-right plan iu 
 vogue in Colorado. Rentals range from I1.50 to I2.50 an inch per 
 season. Fifty statutory inches are considered sufficient to irrigate 80 
 acres of land, or according to other measurements, 1.44 cubic feet 
 under a 5 inch pressure per second of time, will convey sufficient 
 water to cover 80 acres of land. 
 
 The perpetual rights vary from $10 to I12.50 for enough water to 
 cover an acre of land forever. In addition to this price, which gives 
 perpetual right to the water for a certain number of acres mentioned, 
 companies charge from 50 cents to I1.25 an acre per year to maintain 
 a canal and pay its operating expenses. 
 
 The new-comer, seeking a home-farm, naturally locates his land, 
 first, contiguous to the stream from which he may take out his own 
 ditch, and second, contiguous to a ditch already built. In the first 
 instance, he absolutely controls his own water supply from the 
 stream, and in the second instance, he joins a co-operative associa- 
 
188 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 tion, so to speak, who divide among themselves the water passing 
 through the ditch, whence they expect to receive their supply. In 
 the first instance, the locator builds and maintains his own canal, or 
 ditch; in the second instance, he buys his water, and pays someone 
 else for maintaining the ditch. 
 
 Sources of Revenue. 
 
 Following is an abstract of assessments, rate of taxation, etc., 
 showing the assessed and estimated real valuation of the property of 
 the State for 1892: 
 
 ASSESSED VAI^UATION OE WVE-STOCK, 1892. 
 
 Number.* 
 
 Assessed 
 Valuation. 
 
 Cattle 
 
 Horses 
 
 Mules 
 
 Asses 
 
 Sheep 
 
 Swine 
 
 Goats ...... 
 
 All other animals . 
 
 Total assessed valuation of live-stock 
 Estimated real valuation 
 
 696,839 
 
 197,470 
 
 9,701 
 
 2,946 
 
 693,249 
 
 21,588 
 
 3,336 
 
 9,170 
 
 $ 5,470,741 
 
 4,765,611 
 
 332,614 
 
 22,838 
 
 743,582 
 
 48,992 
 
 3,882 
 
 29,761 
 
 $11,418,021 
 34,254,063 
 
 *The number of cattle should be increased over assessor's returns by one-third 
 the number of horses should be advanced to 125,000. and, sheep to 1,500,000, accord- 
 ing to ofiBcial estimates of the Cattle Grower's Association. 
 
 ACREAGE AND ASSESSED VAI^UATION OF LANDS, 1892. 
 
 (AssESSEO Valua- 
 tion.'" 
 
 Agricultural lands 
 
 Grazing lauds 
 
 Coal lands , 
 
 Improvements on public lands . . . . , 
 
 Improvements on lands 
 
 Town an"9 city lots and improvements 
 
 3,636 242 
 
 8,327 015 
 
 59,053 
 
 23 295,207 
 13 336,353 
 2,589,623 
 1,428,392 
 6,203,659 
 37,195,757 
 
 Totals 
 
 12,022,310 
 
 54,048,991 
 
 *The above figures represent about one-third of estimated real value. 
 
RESOURCES OF COI^ORADO. 189 
 
 MISCELI/ANEOUS. 
 
 ♦Assessed valuation. 
 
 Assessed valuation of mining property and gross output $ 7,118,223 
 
 Amount of capital employed in manufactures , 1,352,013 
 
 Assessed valuation of railroads, (4,65766 miles instate) 81,578,535 
 
 Assessed valuation oftelegraph and telephone lines, (4,944 miles instate) 266,185 
 Assessed valuation of merchandise, diamonds; jewelry, gold and silver 
 
 plate, etc 102,485 
 
 Clocks and watches 213,043 ' 
 
 Bank stock, money and credits, (bank stock or shares) 4,727,982 
 
 Amount of money and credits 4,998,350 
 
 Vehicles of every description, (41,906) •••..., 1,090,009 
 
 Musical instruments, (9,381) 529,474 
 
 Household property 867,115 
 
 All other property 3,688,031 
 
 Total $ 56,631,395 
 
 *The mileage of railroads, telegraph and telephone wires is correctly reported, 
 and the assessment is made according to fixed rates per mile. For all other articles 
 under this head the figures representing valuation may be multiplied by three to 
 obtain an estimate of real valuation. 
 
 RATE Olf STATE TAXATION. . 
 
 The general revenue levy, applied to each county in the State 
 (1891-92) was 2i^ mills, the general and special levies being distributed 
 as follows: 
 
 General revenue levy 2 11-30 mills 
 
 Mute and blind levy |. . . . ]4 mill 
 
 University levy 1-5 mill 
 
 Agricultu»-al college levy % mill 
 
 School of Mines levy % mill 
 
 Insane asylum levy 1-5 mill 
 
 Stock inspection levy 1-15 mills 
 
 Capital building levy 14 niill 
 
 Normal school levy % taiU 
 
 Ute war debt levy ]4 mill 
 
 Interest on capital building bonds levy 2-15 mills 
 
 Military poll tax per caoita $ 1 00 
 
 Total tax levied (1892) | 1,040,54158 
 
 Total assessed valuation 236,884,449 48 
 
 Following is the estimated general revenue fund income for the 
 fiscal years 1893-94. In making this estimate the State Auditor states 
 officially that it is made upon a basis of one-third of the actual valua- 
 tion, as has been the rule in the past: 
 
 Assessment of 1893, estimated $ 245,000,000 00 
 
 Assessment of 1894, estimated 255,000,000 00 
 
 Total $ 500,000,000 00 
 
 Total tax collectable each year $ 1,124,166 70 
 
 Fees from Secretary of State, two years $ 140,000 
 
 Insurance department 65,000 
 
 Interest on deposits 70,000 
 
 Receipts from all other sources 15,000 
 
 Total I 290,000 00 
 
 Total estimated income of revenue $ 1,414,166 70 
 
 INCREASE IN VAI.UATION. 
 
 The following shows the increase in the assessed valuation of prop- 
 erty In the State for the eight years from 1885 to 1892: 
 
 1885 . . . .• $ 115,420,130 90 
 
 1886 124,269,710 06 
 
 1887 141.323,684 37 
 
 1888 168,812,246 93 
 
 1889 :....$ 193,254,127 88 
 
 1890 220,544,064 62 
 
 1891 231,405,296 04 
 
 1892 236,884,449 48 
 
190 
 
 THE INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 Rate of Wages. . 
 
 The schedule of wages paid in Colorado in the various branches 
 of manual skilled labor is higher in most instances than the wages 
 for similar vocations in other states, while in recent years by the 
 home production of many of the necessaries, the cost of living has 
 been appreciably reduced. 
 
 SCHEDULE OF WAGES PAID IN COIyORADO, 1892. 
 TRADES, ETC. 
 
 PER DAY 
 
 Awning makers $2.50 
 
 Barbers 1 65 to $3.00 
 
 Bakers 2.25 to 3.00 
 
 Bench hands (woodworkers) 2.25 to 3 00 
 
 Blacksmiths 2.50 to 8 50 
 
 Blacksmith helpers .... 1.75 to 2.50 
 
 Boiler makers 3 00 to 4.00 
 
 Boiler makers' helpers . . 1.75 to 2.75 
 
 Boot and shoe makers . . 2.50 to 8.25 
 
 Bookbinders 3.00 
 
 Brewers 2.60 to 4.00 
 
 Bricklayers 8..'')0to 5.00 
 
 Brick moulders 2 50 to 3..50 
 
 Brick laborers 2 75 to 3.25 
 
 Broom makers 1 50 to 2 50 
 
 Butchers 2.50 
 
 Cabinet makers 2.50 to 3..50 
 
 Carpenters 2.75 to 3 00 
 
 Carriage makers 2.50 to 3.00 
 
 Cigarmakers 2.00 to 4 00 
 
 Compositors (regular) week 15.00 to 20.00 
 
 Carriage painters 2 00 to 4.00 
 
 Cooks (with meals) .... 1.50 to 5.00 
 
 Coopers 8.00 
 
 Cornice makers 300 to 3.50 
 
 Engravers 3.50 
 
 Grainers 5.00 
 
 Granite cutters 4.00 
 
 Harness makers 2 00 to 2.50 
 
 Hatters 2.50 to 3.00 
 
 Hodcarriers 2.75 to 3.00 
 
 Horseshoers . . 
 House painters 
 Iron moulders . 
 Laundrymen . 
 Lead glazers . . 
 Linemen . . . 
 Macaroni makers 
 Marble cutters and polish 
 Millers . . . 
 Machine woodworkers 
 Machinists .... 
 Paper hangers . . . 
 Pattern makers . . 
 
 Plasterers 
 
 Plumbers . . 
 Printing pressmen 
 Sign painters. . . , 
 Soapmakers .... 
 Soapmakers' helpers 
 Steam and gas fitters 
 Stone cutters . . . 
 Stone masons 
 Stationery engineers 
 Stereotypers . 
 Tailors 
 Tile layers . . 
 Tinsmiths . . 
 ' Upholsterers . 
 Waiters (with meals) 
 Watchmakers . . . 
 
 PER DAY 
 
 2 50 to $3..50 
 
 2.75 
 
 3.25 to 8.50 
 
 165 to 2..50 
 
 2 50 to 3.00 
 
 3 00 
 175 to 2.00 
 
 ers 3 00 
 
 2. 50 to 3.00 
 
 2 25 to 3.25 
 2.50 to 3.150 
 8.00 to 3.25 
 825 
 
 3.50 to 4.50 
 
 8.00 to 4..50 
 
 8 00 to 3.50 
 
 2.75 to 4.00 
 
 8.00 to 6.00 
 
 2.00 to 3.00 
 
 3 50 to 4.00 
 3.45 to 4.75 
 4.00 
 
 2.00 to 3.75 
 8 50 
 
 2.00 to 3.50 
 400 
 
 2 00 to 3.25 
 300 
 
 100 to 2.00 
 
 2 50 to 6.00 
 
 CLERICAL LABOR. 
 
 Retail clerks and salesmen $10 to $ 25 per week. 
 
 Shoe clerks 12 to "" 
 
 Dry goods clerks 6 to 
 
 Office clerks 10 to 
 
 Clerks in Federal and State offices 75 to 
 
 Typewriters and stenographers 50 to 100 
 
 Hotel clerks (including board) ' • • 80 to 75 
 
 Bank clerks (average) 60 to 
 
 Time keepers 75 
 
 20 
 20 
 
 20 " 
 100 per month 
 
 100 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 Ranch hands (average, with board) $25 per month. 
 
 Laborers 1.50 to $2 00 per day. 
 
 Teamsters 40 to $60 per month. 
 
 Janitors . 40 to 90 " 
 
 Porters 40 to 75 " 
 
 Quarrymen 2.25 per day. 
 
 Quarry foremen ..... 3.50 per day. 
 
 Coal miners' wages differ in different localities, ranging from $2.60 to 
 $3 00 per day; $12 to $24 per week; 50, 65 and 75 cents per ton. 
 
 Cable car gripmen and conductors 20 to 25 cents per hour. 
 
 Electric car motorneers and conductors . . 17}4 to 25 cents per hour. 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. 
 
 191 
 
 The daily earnings of men employed in and about metalliferous 
 mines differ according to locality and nature of work. In some 
 camps miners earn from I3.50 to |4-5o; average range, I3.00 to $3.50 
 per day. Foremen in mines receive from I4.00 to $7.00 per day, 
 while " top " men receive from I2.25 to I3.00 per day. 
 
 PEMAlvE WAGE EARNERS. 
 
 
 
 
 WAGES- PER WEEK. 
 
 
 LOWEST. 1 HIGHEST. 
 
 Milliners 
 
 Milliners, foreladies . . . 
 
 Dressmakers 
 
 Dressmakers, foreladies . . 
 
 Saleswomen 
 
 Seamstresses 
 
 Typewriters 
 
 Telegraph operators .... 
 
 Office clerks 
 
 Cashiers 
 
 Cash girls 
 
 Bookkeepers 
 
 Shirt makers 
 
 Laundry workers 
 
 Factory girls ........ 
 
 Domestics (with board) . . 
 Chambermaids (with board) 
 Supernumeraries (theaters) 
 
 Laundresses 
 
 Confectionery workers . . . 
 
 7 00 
 18 00 
 
 6 00 
 10 00 
 
 3 50 
 
 3 00 
 
 5 00 
 800 
 
 4 00 
 4 00 
 
 1 50 
 
 6 00 
 
 4 00 
 3 00 
 
 2 40 
 
 3 50 
 
 3 50 
 
 5 00 
 
 4 00 
 4 00 
 
 15 00 
 25 00 
 18 00 
 25 00 
 12 00 
 
 9 00 
 18 00 
 15 00 
 15 00 
 15 00 
 
 2 50 
 15 00 
 10 00 
 
 6 00 
 
 7 50 
 
 8 00 
 
 5 00 
 7 00 
 
 10 00 
 
 6 00 
 
 Number of females actively engaged in various occupations and 
 dependant thereon for livelihood, 15,752, including teachers and 
 other professionals and exclusive of amateurs. 
 
 Summary of Advantages. 
 
 The combination of industries in Colorado form a very surprising 
 summary of inducements for parmanent residence in this State. In 
 its unlimited resource of gold, silver, lead, copper, iron, oil, coal, 
 marble and stone, we find the material that forms the basis of diversi- 
 fied employment for a large population. 
 
 In the fertile soil of millions of acres of land yet unoccupied there 
 is the assurance of a great agricultural future. • 
 
 For manufacture the raw material exists in an abundance beyond 
 the possibility of computation, while the State occupies a position 
 that will make it the manufacturing center of the great west. 
 
 It possesses rare advantages for the live stock industry in all de- 
 partments, and especially is it adapted to the breeding of blooded 
 horses and fine cattle. 
 
 Fruits of all kinds indigenous to the temperate zone grow in many 
 parts of the State, most prolific, luscious and beautiful. This will 
 hecome one of the greatest industries of the State. 
 
192 I'H'S INDUSTRIES AND 
 
 The climate is uniformly mild and healthful, and has a world- 
 wide fame for its curative virtues in lung diseases and many other 
 human ills. 
 
 Colorado has many delightful health and pleasure resorts located 
 in portions of the State where hot and cold mineral springs abound. 
 
 Under the system of irrigation there are no crop failures in Colo- 
 rado, and the long dry spells which in the East become destructive 
 drouths pass by unnoticed. 
 
 The storms are seldom of a destructive eharacter and cyclones are 
 unknown in this country. 
 
 In summer and winter we have immunity from the extremes of 
 heat and cold, while cool nights prevail throughout the warmest 
 season. 
 
 To all these natural advantages must be added the excellence and 
 high standard of social life in Colorado. Scarcely a relic of pioneer 
 or border methods remain, while an order of civilization, which is. 
 more than all else conspicuous for its intelligence, refinement and 
 progressive achievements prevails. The State is abundantly supplied 
 with schools, churches and all institutions for the preservation of 
 good government. No State in the Union can claim more splendid 
 school buildings or a greater number of them in proportion to popu- 
 lation, while the church edifices are no where in the Nation excelled 
 for their magnificence. Nowhere in the world can be found a greater 
 degree of intelligence among the poor, while the higher classes are 
 drawn from all parts of the civilized world, bringing with them their 
 education, their refinements and their accomplishments. Taking the 
 State all in all, there is a greater proportion of educated poor and a 
 less percentage of dependent ones among them than in any State of 
 the Union. As an aggregation, whether rich or poor, the number 
 of proportionately bright men and women, of broad intelligence and 
 high attainments in the intellectual world is not exceeded in the 
 scholarly cities of fame in America, 
 
 Thus one of the editorial writers on a leading Denver daily paper 
 draws a pen picture of Colorado, present and prospective: "We 
 stand almost on the threshold of a new century. The work of nearly 
 four decades looms up against the background of the past, clear and 
 distinct, even as you have seen the mountain peaks outlined against 
 the amber light of evening. Soon a new century will dawn. Beyond 
 the veil which hides the future I see a great State rising into promi- 
 nence — far famed for her wealth of natural resources, for her indus- 
 tries as varied as human skill, for her commerce penetrating all por- 
 tions of the continent, for her laws in which are reflected the intelli- 
 gence, the justice, the humanity of her people. Firm as the granite 
 bases of her mountains are the foundations of her social and indus- 
 trial systems. Down deep beneath peak and mountain range sturdy 
 men are mining for precious ore, for iron and for coal ; at heated 
 furnaces they stand, pouring out the molten streams of metal; at loom 
 and spindle and forge they are fashioning the crude material into 
 
RESOURCES OF COLORADO. ^93 
 
 articles of use and commerce. Across the plain, through the valleys, 
 threading narrow canons, clinging to precipitous cliflFs, surmounting 
 dangerous mountain passes are shining rails of steel which carry the 
 travel and traflSc of an enterprising, prosperous and industrious 
 people. Highly cultivated and prefductive farms and gardens and 
 orchards lend to the landscape an air of thrift and beauty, and illus- 
 trate the beneficent results of an intelligent system of irrigation. 
 Everywhere within her broad domain exist the evidences of a refined, 
 cultured, progressive civilization. This is the Colorado of the future, 
 which shall be peerless among commonwealths, the renown of whose 
 prosperity shall fill the whole earth, and whose proud people shall 
 sway the destinies of the republic even to the remotest generation." 
 
EXPLANATORY. 
 
 Under the head "True Development of Agriculture," on page lo^ 
 the available cultivable areaS are stated as follows: Acres of highly- 
 productive lands accessible to water, 4,082,738; acres irrigated and 
 under cultivation, 1,844,500. In the manner of presenting these fig- 
 ures (not in the figures themselves) there is an apparent exaggera- 
 tion. By official measurements the water supply and the canals 
 •^constructed are sufficient for the irrigation of 4,082,738 acres of culti- 
 vable land. Of this vast area i , 844, 500 acres are at present under ditch, 
 and immediately available for tillage, while there are approximately 
 1,000,000 acres under cultivation by irrigation, leaving another approx- 
 imate million acres under ditch open to settlement and at once avail- 
 able for agriculture. Added to this are many scattered areas aggre- 
 gating unknown millions of acres where the land can be successfully 
 tilled without artificial irrigation. Hundreds of thousands of these 
 acres are under cultivation in field and meadow, and thus the total 
 area of irrigated and non-irrigated lands under cultivation is unoffi- 
 cially estimated at more than 1,500,000 acres. 
 
/ 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Agriculture 6-24 
 
 The first crops 8 
 
 True Development of Agriculture 10 
 
 Distribution of Agricultural areas 11 
 
 Northern Colorado 12 
 
 The Arkansas Valley 14 
 
 Division of the Rio Grande 14 
 
 The Western Slope 15 
 
 Green River Division 18 
 
 The San Juan Division 19 
 
 In Southern Colorado 20 
 
 Eastern Colorado 21 
 
 "The Divide" .» 22 
 
 Isolated Areas 22 
 
 Prices of Land 23 
 
 Average yield per acre 23 
 
 Colorado's Agricultural Exhibit at the World's Fair ... 23 
 
 A Great Raii^way Center 59 
 
 Apiary 184 
 
 Al,FAI.FA 65 
 
 City oe Denver ' .' . 69-86 
 
 Advantages of location 69 
 
 Past and Present 70 
 
 Population and Industrial Growth 72 
 
 Real Estate 74 
 
 Buildings 76 
 
 Assessed Valuation 77 
 
 The Banks of Denver 78 
 
 Commercial 78 
 
 Live-Stock Center 79 
 
 CoaV and Iron 79 
 
 Public Improvement . 79 
 
 As a Convention City 80 
 
 Street Railways 80 
 
 The Churches 80 
 
 Schools of Denver 81 
 
 Charitable Institutions 8r 
 
 Climate and Health 82 
 
 ,The Newspapers 83 
 
 Commercial Organization 84 
 
 Its Social Life 85 
 
196 INDEX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Climate and Health 49-53 
 
 Weather Statistics , 52 
 
 Health and Pleasure Resorts 52 
 
 Colorado Soil 27 
 
 Colorado's Great Coal Fields 45 
 
 Commercial and Manueacturai, Minerals 184 
 
 Cost oe Living 56 
 
 Educational Advantages 54 
 
 Forestry 182 
 
 Fruit Growing 29 
 
 Gems of Colorado 183 
 
 Hunting and Fishing 68 
 
 Industries oe Colorado 4 
 
 Irrigation 24 
 
 Iron Resources of Colorado 57 
 
 Manufacturing in Colorado 35 
 
 One Advantage of a Dry Country 185 
 
 Petroleum 66 
 
 Poultry 67 
 
 Rate of Wages 190 
 
 Sources of Revenue 188 
 
 State School Lands 28 
 
 Stone and Marble 46 
 
 Summary of Advantages 191 
 
 The Counties 87-181 
 
 The Dairy 64 
 
 The Legal Distribution of Water 187 
 
 The Live Stock Industry 46 
 
 The Mining Industry 31 
 
 The Water Supply 186 
 
 Trips for the Tourist 66 
 
 Explanatory 190 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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