The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-11-15

CoLosADo sPnIxos, COL, Nov. 10th, 1873.
Correspondence OF The True Nor therner.
The business OF this place, 40 I have said be-
fore, comes principally from health and pleasure
seekers, and the vast trade and freighting bus
mess from the Parks and mountain mining
regions 100 miles west, though agriculture adds
an important item to it.
Fest, north east and south east OF this place,
the country is nearly all given up to sheep and
stock raising. Even what can be seen from the
Peak, where the naked eye, in this highly rari-
fed atmosphere, has wonderful sweep, $50 or
200 miles IN extent over these great plains, inn
pressing the mind with an idea OF yastness
never felt before; an ocean Of rich grasses, the
very home OF the herdsmen, speckled with green
spots OF scrubby pine, where the sandstone
crops out on the plains or, as the Signal Ser
vice boys on the Peak say, shadows OF last
nights sunset
The valley OF the upper Arkansas, where the
water can be made available for lrrlgating pur-
poses, is very fine farming country, say, 100
miles east OF Pueblo, and then along the line OF
the Denver d Rio Grande Road. as far north
as Cheyenne, embracing territory from five to
thirty miles wide and then off on to the plains
as far as they can coax water to run, as we'll as
along the creek and river bottoms everywhere
The soil is rich, producing vegetables in album
dance, and very fine in size and quality, and
sell at prices that pay. All vegetables sell by
the pound; potatoes retail from three to five
cents per pound; cabbages, onions, turnips
&C., five to fifteen cents per pound, according
to season; Michigan apples retail for five
cents per pound. Very little corn is raised in
Colorado, though saw some far fields. Oats
wheat and millet flourish here. Men told me
they had sixty bushels ef wheat to the acre this
year. and the estimated average for the State
was 20 bushels per acre, which is much better
than Michigan can do. This year they raise
surplus, and it is selling at one dollar per hun
dred. Hayng is still gong on, and will be til
snow flies. Their water supply Is our laws for
drainage, and this makes more expense and
farmer here. But IN the dry season they have
the advantages. All this region / have men
toned IS well watered from the numberless
streams that come down from the rockies. and
farming is carried on IN the neighborhood of
Denver, Golden and Boulder on larger and
more profitable scale than farther south.
We anticipated much pleasure in visit to
the Greeley Colony, but the wind and dust
were on rampage, therefore, we could not
examine the country as we hoped to. They
claim to have the best arranged and most ex-
pensive system OF canals and irrigating bitches
to be found In the United States, if not IN the
world; and from what | saw. am inclined to
believe they are right. There are 5000 inhabi-
tants in the colony, with pleasant little village
rich and beautiful country, and they are gen.
orally contented and prosperous.
Colorado has no swamps, and their lakes are
few and high. Why not exchange lot Of our
swamps for range of,their granite MOUNTAINS
grand canyons and beautiful Valleys with their
clear, cold, dashing streams and luscious brook
trout, giving Us very desirable variety OF
scenery, and giving them-the ague Wicked
Not bit OF it. Their climate would tame the
malaria as quickly as bit of cold lead would
tame their mountain lions or wildcats. 60 in
for the exchange. Truly yours, A. ARMS.