New-York tribune., 1870-08-27
WESTERN INTERESTS.
uIDSIMMER DAYS.
MIDbN 1H3'H'
ON THE PRAIRIE.

,ntrx and nobody can blame then1' ihs'e"u VI -,
80 covering the surface, as is to be expected III a
grass ming has a dry and barren aspect; the grass
- ,,wn as in Winter and in so far as frst view Is
concerned IL does not make much dlnereh'o ""o
one comes in July or January. faint buish uhso IL
the grass may be by one who looks Closely nahe
II appcar as II Il might take start some day. pu' ,
all This is the Grama or bunch grass Nsa pccuh'h"y
nd necessity OF this dry and there Is no o'nc
grass which Is as good for keeping stock since is
as good I'm Winter Summer, for the reason una. '
are no Fall rains TO mosten aud rot II, as wouu Do VIC
case in the states and it becomes standing nay
whether II would flourish even live In moist ch"''
Coorado seems different from all other dry countries "
,vi,y no Fall rains such in California Whero
irrigation is not an absolute necessity, ana III ui''
where there are latter rains. lido not understand '"'
the grama grass extends TO California 30 l'r as Ca"
learn II grows from the mountains to the western he oi
Nebraska and from Texas to Brltish America d" 10 "
The central mart OF this region that our coonyis located
60 ~ ,ro had made the location we took out a char
60, ,,dor the Territorial Law for series Of rrigating
di,cbes which gives control of the water
needed for this whole valley, an area ~
miles long and 90 miles wide, or 500 square miles We
intend TO maintain rights under the charter referred
TO- and we expect TO settle all this land under colony
auspices to the end that large fund may be derived or
school purposes and public improvements, and that We
and our heirs administrators and assigns may forever
Danish the demon Of alcohol from this dlstrlct lno
preliminary move in this direction forfeiture clause
in all deeds on premises where alcoholic drinks arc
manufactured. sold given away Some Trouble Is III
prospect with landsharks, who may enter upon 'no
alternate sections Of Government land before our people
can come on; but II To- understood that II any one
proposes to avail himself Of our improvements without
contributing thereto he will be obliged TO pay as water
rent all that the law and conscience Will alO" us W
charee-that is from s. to IS an acre per annum
The ditch dug is nine miles long and water came
into the town about the 1st Of June but nearly month
more was required construct lateral dtches and the
time ELAPSED not been long enough to enable us to
bring much than garden plots into cultivation.
know well enough how 1t is with passengers from the
East on coming Mher. Gradually one enters the name
less region Eastern Nebraska and at last the grass Is
nowhere green except along the banks Of streams The
line OF apparent desolation begins at Julesburg and
thence into Cheyenne, not green blade Is TO be
seen and the short bunch grass the ground In pa
ces the cactus prcky pear grows large BEDS andn
few entirely bare spots alka is indicated Leaving the
Union Pacific Cheyenne the journey is pursued south
ward by the Denver Pacific the White Hills. With
longing eyes the weary passenger looks forward through
the car windows to catch glimpse Of green valley
and in the search the bold front Of the Rocky Mountains
Is almost disregarded, great is the anxiety and the
hone and the fear in regard to the newand the now
near home After descending from the White Hills 10
Pierce Station which is only station, may be said to
be I'm the valley the Cache la POudre, and as far as
the eye can see, lies the level prairie, all OF which
grand ditch from the canon Of the mountains VIII water
A
woods discovered the word passes that Greeley III
sight and several hundred houses stand out in the midst
Of the wilderness. Down around steep grade the
train descends, and crossing the long bridge,
the river, a bold mountain stream. is seen below
running through the meadows, something like those on
the Connecticut River but not 80 wide and where many
cattle are feeding All along the southern banks tents
are seen, where young camping this Summer
Young men who have been clerks in banks and in whole
sale houses and who first became acquainted WIN
each other they crossed Fulton Ferry on SUNDAY
morning on their way TO Plymouth Church But the eye
turns duokyto the town which noticeable from the
many buildings in the process OF erection ana When
the weary one gets the rough platform among the
crowd, and sees, one hand, a wide street, parity
lined with houses, with long gray blum OF rdSe IN the
distance on the slope of which Is the dark line OF the
ditch and on the other hand the Delta and the cotton
wood line OF the Platte five miles distant, with not
house between and while all around is the wild prairie
crOwding up into the town, of grayish brown MS lear
are half realized, and the question naturally arises
whether bin the whole land no place could be FOUND eH
cept in this desert.
have seen women, when conducted to the quarters
assigned 10 newcomers, sit down and cry as If thel
hearts would break for being without home, the pros
pect securing amid the apparent desolaton looks
very dark The men bear up better, but have yet 70
see one no matter how well prepared who did not LOOK
around in silence several hours. Going out on the
prairie the first object is the cactus toeraby well
spread and its prckers sharp the keenest cam
brio needle They must have had wild times early IN
MAY when 20, 40, and 50 arrived each day. The
wind blew hercely, the dust came In whirs there were
halstorms only two houses the ground, fue
was scarce and on some occasions there was no meal
and neither bread nor flour. Then were men weighed
There was quite large per cent Of that class OF men who
for years had been the lookout for some easy way to
get rich and having faiRd-even failed to get gold
watch for a dOllaT-as last chance had joined the
Colony They first attempted TO break up the organza
he Colo A certain
led the crowd and evening they had consultation
when he sat down the ground, and II so happened
he sat on bed Of cactus, and in trying TO relieve
himself he stretched out his hand on another bed and
then his other hand another bed STILL short time
aferward he counted his money, and finding he could
reach the States he bid the Colony afectonae fare
well
Things have changed since then. In passing up Main
st. the newcomer several welfed stores, machine
shops and hardware and furniture stores and butch
er and bakers establishments Then he comes 10 park
OF 10 rise Of ground planted with young
shade trees in full leaf and front OF them is magnih-
cent mountain view II 10 be remarked that we have
planted hardwood trees this Spring than can be
found in the whole Of Colorado In this park two
handsome artificial lakes with winding devious shores,
and into falls cascade. From this point diverge
streets half mile long, planted each side with trees
Getting out among gardens and seeing how broad
the leaves OF vines how darky is the and how
abundant are the rvuets Of water the idea Of desoaton
begns TO disappear and ideas Of another class gradually
take their place until IT is easy to imagine that here are
the for making city such Babec and such
ss Damascus is.
Not much is TO be expected where prairie soil If
turned after the middle Of June; but having finally got
my garden leveed down. that water will follow one
almost like dog my potatoes have come into full bios
SON. cucumbers out and all other vegetables doing
finely. To help them much possible appropriated
large quantity OF old manure found in Oldl corral
and which without the least admixtme Of hay or