Helena weekly herald., 1875-05-06
WHAT RAILROADS HAVE DONE AND
ARE DOING FOR COLORADO.


In letter to the New York Eyaagaist. a
Colorado correspondent gives an interesting
account of what railroads have done and arc
doing for the growth and development of that
embryo State. Montana is vastly ahead OF
Colorado in mineral and agricultural wealth
latent to great extent though this wealth
is-and we can confidently count upon simil-
ar experiences of wonderful progress, increase
of people and property, when once the magic
influences of railroad building and operation
are felt within our borders. We quote from
the correspondent named:
Although the first railroad crossed the des-
ert and reached Colorado but q little over
three years ago, it is possible to point already
! to demonstrated results, which 60 far to con
! firm all our theories about the inevitable and
| rapid growth Of this section.
The expected emigration at once set in. At
the beginning of 1871 the population of Col
| orado did not exceed 10000. Before the
| close of 1873 it had reached 100000. The
| population of its capital, Denver, has increas-
ed in the same time from 5000 to 2O, 600.
That town has become the point of arrival
and departure for the trains of six rail-
| ways.
Along the 1856 completed miles of one of
these lines, the Denver & Rio Grandc Rail-
way, extending from Denver toward New
Mexico, the five counties traversed by it have
trebled or quadrupled their wealth and popu-
lation, and the taxable appraisement of the
whole Territory, which (as it does not include
the mines and cattle) is perhaps less than half
the real wealth, has increased from 16,015,-
SCI in 1870, to 1886, ,669. .030 in 1878.
The town of Colorado Springs, of which the
site was only selected just before the Denver
and Rio Grande Railway was finished TO it.
in the autumn Of 1871, has become in two
years thriving place of over 1900 souls, ,and
promises to double in another year.
At the commencement of the Denver and
Rio Grandc Railway, in 1871, Pueblo con-
tanned about 500 people; it now counts over
1000
The farming population, miners and other
classes, have increased proportionately IN
Colorado.
The effect of the completion Of 11S miles
of the main line of this road has been in an
average of less than two years to add 10000
people to the population along and supplied
by it.
The effect has extended for 1O0miles south
of the present terminus Of this railway, so that
we find the town of Trinidad, on the border
of New Mexico which before had but few
hundred people, now numbering over l,20O,
while 140 miles southwest of Pueblo, on the
Rio Grande (where the writer forded the riy-
er in the autumn of 1871, without seeing q
soul or house, there is now town popula-
ton on the opposite sides Of that stream Del
Norte and Lena) of nearly 1900.
1t must be remembered that all OF these
places, which are simply indices to the rapid
colonization which is going on throughout
Colorado, are continuing to increase very
rapidly. -
Such facts as these, derived from the sur
vey of an absolutely vast: bpt relatlyel! in7 A.
that progress which is going forward over
hundreds of thousands of square miles along
the western border of our American civiliZa-
ton. They are facts which appeal not SO
much to pride over national growth as to
Christian philanthropy, eager to plant social
and civil institutions on the basis OF sound
morals and pure religion. IF the energies
and resources of the Church were taxed to
their utmost, they would be scarcely adequate
to meet the demand imperatiyely urgent Tor
missionary labor. OF these Western States
and Territories we may say that they are al
ready nations in embryo, and their rapid
growth, romantic and marvellous rs It ap-
pears, does not admit OF question. Illinois
has to-day population nearly equal to that
of the nation when thirteen colonies unitedto
throw off the British yoke. Yet there is a
score of States and Territories lying beyond
it that already average each larger popula-
ton than she had generation since. From
all these comes the appeal for Christian SYM
pathy and help, an appeal which we must
meet, and meet generously and promptly, II
we would do our duty at once to ourselves,
our brethren, and the Church of Christ.