Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-08-12
THE CENTENNIAL STATE.
Colorado as a Mining, Farming and
Grazing State-lts Railroads, HO.
tells, IHOUt, &c.
Correspondence Of The .Star.l

Correspondence Of The Star.l
DENVER, August 1, 1879.
This is my birthday: have scored A years,
and don't care who knows 1t. Since l wrote
you lastI have traversed several hundred miles
from Dodge City, In southwest Kansas, and have
seen much more of this western country than
ever have before. From Dodge City to Pueblo
is almost an unbroken area Of sandy plains,
covered with buffalo grass and fit for nothing
but the grazing OF stock. When 1 said this to
some OF my enthusiastic Colorado friends, they
said the lands by irrigation would be most pro-
ductive; ali they wanted was water. Well,
since 1t has been demonstrated that man can
whisper his wishes along q wire for miles with a
certainty that sucn wish will be understood and
responded to, don't see why water can't be
sent from attitudes several hundred feet below,
to vivify and inspirit the dead sands OF south
west Kansas and eastern Colorado. In saying
decry the well-earned reputation OF Colorado.
This is wonderful state; in my opinion the
Centennial State" in all that concerns
mineral resources and health is unrivalled.
MINING THE STRONGHOLD OF COLORADO.
/ do not believe Colorado can ever compete
with Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Arkansas or the
Indian territory as an agricultural state. The
Kansas Pacific and the Atchison. Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad run through the most produc-
tive wheat belts Of Kansas, (Which claims to be
this year the banner wheat state OF the Union.)
Colorado has millions OF acres which by irriga-
tlon at great expense can be made to produce
the cereals in great abundance; but after the
construction of railroads, through the "Passes'
and PARKS OF this silver state, it will be seen
that all the neceSSarieS OF life can be trans
ported from eastern Kansas southwest MiSsOu-
ri, west Texas and the Indian territory to sat
isfy the wants" OF the hundreds OF thousands
Oh nardy miners who VIII soon swarm the
gulches. ranges and valleys OF Colorado, much
cheaper than they can be raised On the fertile
irrigated plains OF Colorado.
wish to tell you and your readers, before
60 further, that the eating houses on the Atchi-
son, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad are first
class IN every respect: / was perfectly amazed
(and as l was not "dead head" you will un-
derstand that mean what say that the eat
ing houses of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa
Fe RAILROAD are not surpassed in excellence
States and far surpass In this respect most OF
the railroad houses east OF the Mississippi
river Take Lakin, for instance, four hundred
and odd miles from Kansas City and nearly two
hundred miles from where vegetable would
grow, there / satisfied ravenOus appetite on
the freshest OF vegetables brought to the table,
hundreds Of miles from the east.
RIDE THROUGH BARREN COUNTRY
From Dodge city, Kansas, from which place
wrote you last, to Pueblo, a distance of more
than 25O miles, Q'm too lazy to hunt up
the statisties) the country Is nt for nothing but
grazing. The road runs up the Arkansas river
as far as Pueblo, and then branches OF In all
objections. This wonderful enterprise (the
A., T. & Santa Fe r. R.,) will shortly waken to
(Which have slept from the dawn Of human lie
TO the presently and cause them to pour their
silver and golden streams into the treasury OF
this great country.
DRY PLACE.
don't think would like Pueblo as Derma-
nent residence; the hills and streets are too dry
"They" told me that 1t had not rained there
for 140 days, though 1t had rafned all around
and the falling waters had washed out the
roads fearfully in spots; but there had been,
and seldom is, any rain at Pueblo. At Pueblo
we change cars for Denver, taking the Denver
and Rio Grande narrow-gauge railroad Owing
10 "WaSn-O outs, our train was five or six hours
behind time. At Colorado Springs came in
contact" (as the miners say with Judge B. J.
Brown, prominent lawyer and politician Of
van Buren, Ark, and upon the suggestion of
Major Reynolds, OF the Sergeant-at arms office
OF the Q. S. Senate, we took rooms, upon arriv-
Ing at Denver, at the Linden hotel, kept by Mr..
keene, an old friend of the Majors. We have
had 70 reason to regret It, FOR better and cleaner
Kept rooms and more luxurious table / have
not seen anywhere.
FISH STORY.
Brown and / were late to breakfast one
morning; Reynolds was impatient and unreas.
onaOle, and visited our rooms with loud and
unwelcome knocks. He declared that he had
arisen with the lark, Il found out afterwards
there are no larkS In COlOradO), and had walked
to the mountains and caught string of speckIed
trout for breakfast. Sure enough we found a
half dozen trout on the table, which were de-
nclous; but have always doubted whether the
Major really caught the trout, for though the
mountains look to be short morning walk
they are In reality Is or 16 miles distant OF
course while am here in Colorado. must visit
the notorious places of interest: but cannot
crowd an account OF them into this letter More
at another time. IS. CIR