The daily gazette., 1875-10-06
For the Gazette.
COLORADO As 1T Is.

PCcihAly OJ Luc newspapers lhClI
object being to induce emigration TO the
Territory, especially ask permiss-
lou through your col umns to make q
true statement of oil matters of interest,
pertaining to the country.
The cold weather extends from No
vember to June. and it is extremely cold
from January to April. At Denver,
January 9th, 1875, the Thermometer in
dicated forty-two degrees below zero,
January 18th. thirty-two degrees below
zero and the 14th, at noon, fourteen be-
low zero. Snow storms are very common
and last from November to the last Of
May.
In Summer some days are very hot.
At Denver the Mercury has been known
to rise to lie degrees in the shade and
100 degrees is not considered unusual
No country in the world possesses a
more changeable climate than Colorado.
In Winter there is often q change of
thirty or forty degrees in twenty -four
hours. Daring the Summer there are
cold, rainy or cloudy days. when a fire
Is as necessary as at any other time of
year.
Sand Storms" occur every few days
during the entire year, and being COM
posed of fine dust and alkali, it finds its
way into every house in spite of closed
uOOr5 ana WlnuOWS.
Only a very small portion of the Terri
tory is, or ever will be, under cultivation,
as nothing can be raised except by irri-
CATION. Wheat. oats and potatoes are
raised, the former Of an excellent quality,
but never yet any of these of sufficient
quantity for home consumption.
In July when potatoes could be obtain
ed in market they retailed at seven and
eight cents per pound, This year the
grasshoppers were so numerous very lit
tie attempt was made to raise any thing.
In some sections people even gave up the
idea of having a small garden. Most of
the country is q barren desert where not
a spec of vegetation, not even so much
as a spear of green grass can be seen :;
for about the time that it begins to grow
the scorching rays of an almost tropical
sun dry and wither it up.
In some portions of the country near
the mountains raising cattle and sheep
is considered profitable. No pretense is
made to growing fruits; it has been tried
by some of the ambitious farmers, but
without success, the winters being to se-
we're on the trees. A few Strawberries
are raised, and are retailed from seventy
five cents to emo dollar and q half per
quart. Fruits and vegetab blss are brought
from California and sold in Denver at
most exhorbitant prices. Canned fruits
and vegetables are principally used.
The mines of the country will for many
hundreds of years be source Of attrac-
ton, although at the present time only
few are paying.
This is owing to a lack Of capital which
is requisite for the full development Of
them.
Travelling is very expensive; railroad
fares being from eight to ten cents, and
stage from twelve to twenty cents per
mile. The scenery among the Rocky
Mountains probably cannot be surpassed
any where in the world.
The inhabitants may be considered
under three classes: First. the mer-
chants and spectators second, the
honest miners and mechanics, and third,
a rough, immoral set, who try 10 live
without labor. are supposed to be con-
victs from all parts OF the Union, who
no doubt left their homes to escape JUS
tice for some hidsous crime committed
there.
Poor whiskey, some very poor, Is sold
in dens all over tie Territory, and in
many cases without u government Ii
cense. All attempts to enforce the law
for violations of this act seem to be
fruitless, as the defendants can procure
witnesses to swear for them whatever
is desired, and often the Jury are opposed
to a revenue tax, no doubt they being
engaged in liquor traffic themselves.
Business of all kinds in Colorado is
dull, everything being over done.
Many of the merchants for the last
year or two have not made sufficient
10 meet their expenses.
Money is very scarce, on good
securities it brings from /! to per
cent. a month interest.
Greeley's advice to young men Ego
West" may have been sound once, but
will not apply there today. The
country is overrun with all profess
sions, clerks, mechanics and laborers,
one.half of whom declare they would
leave Immediately for the east if they
could get enough money to pay their
travelling expenses.
Hundreds of young men just from
the East walked the streets OF Denver,
Georgetown and other towns this
spring, unable to procure employment
of ang Kind sufficient to obtain bread
Denver the principal city, is sit
mated in the valley ofthe Platte River,
fourteen miles from the Foot Hills"
of the Rocky Mountains, and six hun
dred and forty miles by rail from
Kansas City. 1t coatains fourteen
thousand inhabitants, this includes
| three thousand invalids, few negroes,
Mexicans and Cinnamon. The latter
| class form a company, who wash
| clothes for living. This city like
many of the towns, is supported by
Iinvalids and tourists.
At least one-third of the dwellings
and boarding houses, to say nothing
| of the one hundred and fifty so called
hotels. Board at the hotels can be
obtained from eight to twenty-five
dollars per week. The city is sup
piled with water chiefly from the
Platte River. This water, like the eli
mate is boasted of by its citizens.
Strangers, particularly invalidr, how
| ever. soon discover that it produces
fever and diarrhea, and Often after a
short time, disease of the kidneys.
This is caused by the alkali in the
water, which many of the sensitive
| nanverites assert is false. that the