The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1881-09-15
OUR WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE
DENVER, Coz, Sept. 8, 1881.

Colorado, the Centennial State, al-
though youngest of her sisters, has the
natural advantages necessary 10 make
1t one of the most populous, as well as
wealthiest In the galaxy of States. 1t
has an area of 163,912 square miles;
one-third prairie, lying east of the
Rockies, and the otherrtwo-thirds being
mountainous, with intervening capons,
parks, valleys, and plains full of mex
haustIble mines of gold, silver, iron,
copper, lead, coal, etc, Over the plains,
millions of cattle, horses, sheep, and
goats craze through summer and fatten
unhoased in winter upon succalent ma
tive grasses. Wherever the soil is
brokenby the plow, and irrigated, the
husbandman receives the most unstint-
ed return for his labor, and with irri-
cation, all kinds Of cereals, vegetables
and fruits can be grown as proftably
as in the older States. In 1880 the State
produced 775,Oo0 bushels Of wheat,
350, 900 bushels of oats, zoe, 900 bushels
of corn, $4,000 tons of hay, and other
products; a grand total of Sc, ,231 900 in
value.
By turning the many mountain
streams into irrigating channels, and
sinking artesian and ordinary wells,
the agricultural products of the State
will be increased four-fold in the next
five years, The population of the State
in 1870 was only 80 ,s6s. while in 1880
it had increased to nearly 200, 1000. The
inhabitants are not drones, but have
all the push and energy, the grit and
backbone necessary TO keep pace with
the most stalwart accomplishments of
this wide-awake age
Early pioneers, with q keen outlook
into the future, laid the foundation for
the system of railways that now thread
her tortuous valleys, creep over her
mountain passes, opening up every sec
ton to occupancy by the sturdy pioneer.
The Denver and Rio Grande has about
| 1000 miles of railway in operation, and
over 1000 miles more under contract,
the work being pushed forward to COM
pletion with the greatest possible ener-
qy. The value of cattle, horses, sheep,
and mules in 1880 was S14, III l6S: Inc
sales for the same year reached over
81. 900, ,OO0., and sales of wool amounted
to 81, 500, 900. The assessed value OF
property in 1880 was $73,776, ,109.
The wealth of Colorado is not alone
In her agricultural and grazing re-
sources. In her gold and silver-ribbed
mountains, her veins Of coal, and IRON
ores. she has a wealth untold, that will
be unfailing for centuries to come. Al
Durango, near the Mexican line in
Southwestern Colorado, the writer Wis
tied q mine of bituminous coal with &
vein 70 feet in thickness; purer, better
and cleaner than any coal ever found
in Pennsylvania. Coking coal OF extra
quality is found near the city in great
Quantities, which will be used by the
New York and San Juan smelling
!, works lust finished. Anthracite Goa
of excellent quality Is found near Dur
ango and in the vicinity of Gunnisor
CITY; while soft coal, first class in quail
, ity is found all through the State
Durango Is the most promising
of ali new mining sections. Tit
writer. made a careful inspection
, of ores from the adjacent mining
: camps, including Needle mountain
, Parrot, Ruby, Rico, Silverton, Puzzle
Lode. Middle mountain, and many 9th
ers, and he sets down Durango a
: standing in the front rank among tn
+ possibilities of the mining future. Th'
ore on the dump will, now that the ID
q r. G.. r. r. is open to Durango, flint
a ready sale to the smelling companies
enabling miners to realize from thei
: labors and thus increase their facilitie
5 for future development. The riches
! mine in the world Is valueless unless tn
out put can be sent to market. Dur
ango, heretofore shut out from tn
world, now has all needed facilities t
fha vocf raa0nr0aa Of wealth tha
2 Law hidden in the adjacent mountain
] ranges. There are other sections
the State waiting development, and al
: that is needed Is railroads, chea
| freights, stamp mills machinery ant
smelling.
Central City and Black Hawk are nc
ted as being the leading, as well as old
est gold mining districts in the state
Your correspondent visited the stam
mills, which outnumber those of an
other section; one running 125 stamps
The yeild of Bullion in 1879 was owe
"a 900, 600. Perhaps your readers wi
accompany your correspondent into th
Bobtail mine at Black Hawk. Perm
in hand, our oilcloth coats on, let I
step into the ore car with mule as
locomotive. Into the darkness we q
i 200 feet, with 600 feet of over-hang
ing mountain above us. Strong nerve
are paralized and chillness creeps u
and down the vertebra. Timid ladie
cry for fear and beg to be toted back
earth again. But listenI What is tn
Kissing and putting here in the bowe
of the earth? The guide assures us the'
are not the fires of Inferno, but thoi
of a6O horsepower engine, used to purif
the air through its great roaring chin
ney, running 600 feet to the top
the mountain, and to pump out watt
= and raise the ore from a chamber 6(
en- feet below US, reached by a shaft CT
Is out of solid rock. An offer was made
SyT SeT elevate your correspondent downwaI
ch into these internal depths, which
m \; promptly declined to accept, and as
E. holds a season ticket, he will be please
TO to transfer IL to any of your reade
,iss who NAV have an investigating turn
IS mind. Daylight looked better thf
ever as we bid good bye to the gentl
: manly foreman of the Bobtail min
=. - The mining camps of this region a
q reached by the Colorado Central raj
Ss road which runs up the beautiful cant
:, of Clear Creek. No tourist should ia
a to pass through this beautiful cano
..ss visiting Central City, Black Hawk al
g thence by stage to Idaho springs, mo
: charming resort for invalids.
= The Leadville District has yielded,
= to Jan. LIST. 1881, a product from
n placer and ore mining, OF s35, ,6s1 ,6s1 Il
yield of 1880 reaching the sum $lo,O
us. The total mineral productions
e. the tweve Irans-Mississippi States, al
- Territories, not including old MexiC
lao for the year 1880, reached the sum
e: s77, ,093, 1892, of which the State of Col
W RADIO alone yielded $22 800 900, bell
Pa 81, ,023, 1884 more than California a.
u more than $40, ,000. 900 in excess OF 6
for west coast of old Mexico.
bat bat Iron ore is found in great quantities
m: near proximity to coal deposits.
eat Iarc,, 60 haJ has haan discovered
en-. Costilla County bearing 30 per cent
sie sdie iron. Eastern Capitalists after testil
Tho the metal purchased the mine, built