New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-12-07

Il
yer for settlement.
There are three more colonies near Denver
Greeley, ST. Louis, and Chicago colonies. All
| these colonies are doing as we'll a. could be
| expected of new settlers Each member has
secured QUE hundred and sixty acres Of land,
besides town property, building lot to each
member, as each colony has town site in their
midst The town Of Greeley is one of the
neatest, prettisst, and best laid ont towns
ever saw, is only q year and a half old, and
has some splendid brick stores several good
hotels, two 6ne churches, . number of elegant
private residences, and large Touring mill
1t is situated on the Denver Pacific railroad,
fifty one miles north from Denver, and has q
population Of fifteen hundred inhabitants This
is the most Aourishing colony in Colorado.
As Denver lie now the railroad center OF the
western territories, We may reasonably expect
to see Colorado speedily and thickly populated,
and her great resources fully developed. A
company will begin the construction Of mar
row gsoss rsiiroad from Denver to Salt Lake
early next spring, which they calculate to
complete in two years. 1t will open up the
great timber district lying between the South
Park and the plains, and will add greatly to
the lumber trade Of Denver. In the South Park
it will pass over mining district fifty miles in
extent, which is richer in gold and silver than
any other in the Territory, and by the cheap
ness of transportation and labor will contribute
millions of dollars to the product of Colorado.
1t will opea up to settlement and commerce
the great valley Of northwestern Colorado, in
which are the Green, Grand, White, Snake, and
Bear rivers, bordered by millions of acres Of
the best agricultural and pastoral lands on this
continent. passed through Bear river valley
many years ago en- route to California, and /
can truly say that it is one of the finest coun-
tries / ever saw. 1t is surrounded by the
grandest OF mountain scenery. Bear river
is as clear as crystal, and is full of mountain
trout, as we'll as all the mountain streams The
tall green grass, covering hundreds Of thous.
ands of acres, looked like vast ocean of green
nesting at the base of the lofty, snow crested
mountains. The country abounds with all kinds
of game and wild beasts. In the mountains are
the lion, grizsly, black, and cinnamon bears, and
mountain sheep. In the valleys buffalo, elk,
antelope, deer, sage hens, prairie chickens,
quails, ducks, wild geese, and turkeys. When
this road is completed that portion of Colorado
will offer greater inducements to emigrants
than any portion of the great West and /
would really love to see thousands Of coIored
people settled on the Government lands in
those lovely and fertile valleys. Soon they
will be occupied and owned by the ever rest
less and grasping white man, who will trans
port himself, wife, and children across the con.
tinent in an OK wagon, in order to secure a
homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of
land. But it takes money to plant colonies,
and they must be composed of the right mate
rial. The man who has the will and the brain
to devise the way and the means of colonizing
Thousands Of colored people in the western
Territories. on tho public lands of the same,
will, indeed, become q great benefactor to the
oppressed colored people of the South Who
will that man be2
As spoke of the difficulties of farming in
Colorado in the beginning of this article, it is
proper that should show the advantages and
profits of the same. The soil of Colorado is
wonderfully rich and productive, aud when the
farmer makes good crop he is sure of selling
bis produce at the highest market price, and
converting it at once into money. have
known some farmers near Denver to make from
three to five thousand dollars from one crop. /
have seen gardeners here who have sold from
two to three thousand dollars worth of vege.
tables in one season in the streets of Denver,
the product of two or three acres.
All vegetables and grains are sold here by
the pound. As an evidence of the productive.
ness of the soil of Colorado, insert the follow
ing: Jonas Wannemaker, upon his place on
Clear Creek Bottom, fourteen miles west of
Denver, planted last spring 80 lbs. of early
rose potatoes, occupying about q quarter of an
acre. He sold from this patch alone 5000 lbs.
of potatoes, and had 500 lbs left for his own
use, and for seed next year. They ripened
very early, and the whole 5000 lbs were sold
at an average of eight cents per Id. AS he
paid but three cents per ID. for the seed, any
one SO disposed can figure up his profits 1
have seen single cabbage head hero weigh so
lbs. pumpkins and squash $50 los each
turnips ten lbs. each, yielding to the acre 800
bushels onions, SO of them filling a bushel,
worth from three to five cents per Id.
The dairy business is very lucrative; milk
in Denver sells from 40 to so cents per gallon
the year round butter from Sc to so and 60
cents per ID. These are paying figures where
the range for cattle is 80 good summer and
winter. The poultry business is exceedingly
profitable; poultry of oil kinds is in good and
constant demand at high figures.
Young or spring chickens sell readily at So
per dozen, grown ones from 80 to $l2 per
dozen +; eggs from IS. 40, so, and 60 cents per
dozen. Eggs shipped here from the States
are now selling at 40 cents per dozen, while
fresh Colorado eggs bring 60 cents per dozen.
Dressed poultry from the States, in good con-
dition, sells readily at 80 cents per pound
Turkeys sell from 81 SO to 50 each.
Very little attention has heretofore been
paid TO the cultivation of fruit, but it is the
opinion OF many old and new settlers that it
can be successfully cultivated in Colorado.
Grapes and strawberries have been tried with
satisfactory results. Apples, pears, and peaches
have yet to be tested. This kind of fruit is in
great demand here, and sells at high figures
apples, 10 cents per pound peaches, 20 and
80, and pears 20 cents per pound aud old
settlers call this cheap, and we'll they may,
when they used to pay from IS cents to 81 per