The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-03-22
COLORADO.
From tie N. Y. Times.

From tie N. Y. Times.
To invalids the Winter in Colorado has
been remarkably mild and invigorating.
Since October the days have been, almost
without exception, clear and sunny, with
only two or three fiurrles of snow and an
occasional sand storm. Often, at midday,
during December and January, have seen
ladies out carrying parasols, consumptives
sitting with open doors, and hatless chill
dren enjoying games of marble and croquet.
Such is the Winter in Colorado. Yet old
settlers, the "59ers," tell us this is about
the average, and that last Winter, SO well
remembered for its SHOWS, wind and cold,
was new thing for the climate.
AS result of the mild Winter, immigra-
ton set in earlier and much stronger than
last year. Some of the hotels are already
comfortably full, although the hotel capac-
ity of Denver has about doubled since last
season. New colony enterprises are being
inaugurated, miners are returning to their
camps two months earlier than last year,
and in every respect the "outlook - seems
highly favorable for rapid growth and pro-
gress in city and country.
Denver has taken progressive strides
that surprise even those who are most
enthusiastic in her praise, and one cannot
be absent fortnight without finding some
marked and pleasant improvement on his
return. Building has been going head the
Winter through, the material entering into
construction being chiefly home commod-
ity. There are ten brick-yards in the SUI
burbs. The mills on the Divide, sixty
miles south of Denver, supply the lumber,
the kilns at Golden, Mt. Vernon, and
Larkspur the lime, and the quarres of
jefferson and Douglas counties the build
ing stone.
The Arkansas Valley, which is now the
theatre of important railway enterprises,
is the oldest-settled and richest farming
portion of Colorado. 1t lies at an altitude
of from 800 to 4. 800 feet, on much low
er plain than the valley af any other river
flowing from the Rocky Mountains on the
east. The Winters are mild and open, and
the Summers long and pleasant. All the
cereals flourish, and grazing is excellent.
Nearly fifty years ago, st. Vrain, Bent, and
others started trading post, near the
mouth of the Purgatoire, and called it
Bent's Fort. Routes were established to
Santa Fe and Chihuahua, and large bust
ness in furs, pelts, and other commodities
was carried on, both with the Mexicans
and Indians. Several auxiliary posts in
other parts of the Arkansas Valley were
started, and constituted then the only
American settlements in Colorado. These
posts were subsequently abandoned.
The Mexicans, in 1949, began to make
settlements south of the river, and several
fourishing colonies were formed. From
that time until 1860 they were the chief
population of Southern Colorado. The
past ten years has brought some changes
Now there is quite an American element;
but no great progress has been made, for
along the whole 500 miles of the Arkansas
in Colorado, there are only about dozen
towns and settlements, and total popula-
ton of scarcely 10000. But new erea is
dawning. Population is flowing in along
with, and in anticipation of, the railways.
At the present terminus of the Atchison,
Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, on the
eastern border of the Territory, new
town has started up, called Sargent. Fifty
houses have been put up there within
few weeks. At present it is chiefly base
of supplies and Quitting point for the
graders and track-layers, but it is likely to
be also stock-shippiug point of con-
siderable importance. Sixty-two miles
further up the valley is Las Animas, CAPT.
tai of Bent county, an old town, now gath
ering new life from the expectation of
being an important railway junction, as
well as the chief trading post of southeast
ern Colorado. 1t is located on the south
bank of the Arkansas river, one mile south.
west of Fort Lyon. There are now about
eighty buildings in the town, and work on
others is going ahead rapidly. There are
cor ya q of hot n1c
and plenty of saloons. Many prospectors
are on the ground, considering the chances.
The great expectations of the place are
based upon the probability that the Kan
sas Pacific Company, which has graded
line from Kit Carson to Fort Lyon, will
here form junction with the Atchison,
Topeka and Fanta Fe Line, and build "a
joint road up the valley to Pueblo, ninety
two miles. Surveys with this end in view
have been made, and force of 200 men is
now at work grading the line. Besides,
company called the Los Animus Valley
Railroad, under the auspices of the Atchi-
son, Topeka, and Santa Fe, has been form
ed to build from Les Animus up the Pur-
gatoire to Trinidad, the most important
place on the southern border Of Colorado,
where the New Mexican trade will con-
centrate, and a large wool, hide, stock, coal,
and grain traffic spring up. Thus Las Ami
mas expects to be the distributing point
for the Upper Arkansas and Purgatorie
Valleys, and as the surrounding country
has great productive and grazing capacity,
vast herds and numerous and multiplying
ranches, there is strong likelihood that the
claims of this ambitious place may be rea-
LIKED. The rumor that the supply depot
and department headquarters are to be
from Fort Leavenworth, to Fort
Lyon greatly strengthens this confidence
The promise of this section of Colorado is
certainly great, and it is probable that
large share of the immigration this year
will turn thlther. From Fort Lyon to the
sources of the Arkansas, on Mount Lin
coin, there is scarcely a waste acre. Be-
tween the fort and Pueblo are seen herds
of fat cattle, often numbering 1900 head
belonging to one man; and there are many
corn-telds that yield from 1000 to 5000
bushels every season. The numerous small
settlements are chiefly the head quarters of
stock men and farmers. Such are Bent's
Fort, Boggsville, Cramer's, Point of Rocks, |
Rock Ford, and Spring Bottom. Bent
county occupies the eastern portion of
this vast area, and Pueblo county the west
ern. Together they form an area larger
than Massachusetts,. An abstract of the last
for Bent county shows but co.
600 acres under cultivation, valued at 500
575; 32,63S head of cattle, valued at $751; /
121, and IA, 425 sheep, valued at $34, so; |
the total county valuation, s906,77s The |
population is about 900. The old Spanish
titles, or grants, have proved great him
drance to the permanent settlement of this
country. One of them, the st. Vrain, en-
braces 10000 acres of the very best farm
and grazing lands.
Pueblo county has much the largest de-
velopment and promise, and has during
the past two years received an enterp!is-
ing class of settlers. who have done much
to show up its great resources. Pueblo,
the county seat, is the second city in the
Territory, having population of $500
IL lies 1870 miles south of Denver, at the
present terminus of the Denver and Rio
Grande Railway, and has access, by a
branch of the same road, to the Upper
Arkansas Valley, as far as the Canon coal |
mines, which supply 100 tons per day of
the best fuel found in the Territory. Over
200 new buildings were erected in this !
place last year. Its trade exceeded SO, 00O,- |
900. 1t is the centre of great wool grow |
ing county, the adjacent counties reporting
last year over 500, 900 head of sheep and a !
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