Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-08-25
Letter from Colo ,ado

Doubtful Undertaking, Especially II yo"
RIM I'm Debt-BIack Hills Excitement sun
/ siding-The Rocky Mountains Boulder
City.
Mr.. EDITOR Two years ago last
April, considerations of health induced
me to leave my New England home and
try soioum in this far off land. Dur
ing this time ] have tried to be a careful
observer of Colorado and her interests,
to ascertain her advantages and disad-
vantages; aud of some Of her attractions
| am an enthusiastic admirer. You are
aware that we are no longer territory,
but at length have taken our place IN
the sisterhood of States. Ours is the
Centennial State young, bright and
glorious We take pride in our constl-
tuition, especially those provisions whicn
forbid the lending of public credit, linn
it taxation, put railroads under surveil-
lance and make sectarian schools and
appropriations impossible.
|
Now we are to have the honor of cast
ing our vote in, and who knows but of
deciding the next presidential election
The political ealdron has commenced to
boil, and while we blush for shame over
some of the acts of our President and
fear that his course will enhance the
success Of the opposite party, yet you
may count upon us for honest Hayes
and Wheeler. Tilden's record of late,
no doubt, has been good but what of it
previous? Is the country ready to trust
the party that opposed the war, and pro-
nounced it failure? God knows the
republican party is bad enough, that we
need reform, but out of the two evils
let us choose the least.
The prospects of this new state were
never brighter than at present. The
season opened with anything but cheer
for the farmers. The hoppers which
came in last autumn and destroyed most
of the crops, deposited their eggs, which
hatched out just as the early sown grain
commenced to appear. There were
dark forebodings for the future. 1t was
evident, if they destroyed the crops this
year, many of the farmers would be
obliged to give up their farms, most Of
which are incumbered at II or per
cent. monthly interest. All felt that it
was now or never. A desperate fight
was made. Some constructed bitches
around their fields and poured kerosene
upon the water The instant the young
hoppers attempted to cross and touched
the oil they were dead. Some spread
coal tar upon canvas and dragged it over
the fields. Others had a machine called
a cremator, in which was kept hot fire,
the machine being drawn by horses, and
as it passed along the current caused by
the heat drew the rising hoppers into
the fire. This fight in some cases was
kept up for weeks, but victory was the
result We had heavy spring rains for
Colorado and during the season frequent
showers. The husbandman has occasion
to rejoice and all rejoice with him. Har-
vesting has commenced. The yield will
be greater than any season in the history
of the territory. Just now cloud of
grass hoppers have passed over us to
devastate the gardens and late crops in
the valley. The wheat. which is the
principal crop, is already too dry fodder
for them. If Indians and grass hoppers
have rights that white men are bound to
respect, l do not know but we have tres
passed upon their rights in settling here.
The mines, without which it is proba-
BILE this country would never have been
settled, are opening up wonderfully rich.
New discoveries are constantly being
made, and of course there is more or less
excitement, but the eOiM excitement OF
earlier days has passed away, and min
ing has settled down to a legitimate bus
mess. All, however, do not get rich. Ii
is safe to say that not over one in fifty
make anything but, on the other hand
lose. Mining is an exciting, infatuating
business. People are carried away with
it, and in some cases will risk every dol
lar they have. / have known few per
sons, with scarcely any experience il
mining, in few days to make strike
that would bring them ten, twenty Oh
thirty thousand dollars. But most o.
the old miners, who have lived and pros
pected here from ten to fifteen years
J are living from hand to mouth, hoping
sometime they will strike it rich. Would
we do without them? No. They are o.
value to our country. Without them
many mine, now yielding to the world
J thousands and hundreds of thousands Of
dollars, would not have beer discovered
Mines are something upon which there
is no standard value, like real estate
stock and merchandise. Very few pay
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