The Elk Mountain pilot., 1881-10-27
THE CAPITAL QUESTION.


permanently. and to say the least it is
a good argument. We know the capt
tai of most Of the states is not, geogra-
phically, in the center Of the states,
and one thing we know that where the
capital is not located in the principal
city, the state officers never fail to
visit the cities during the sessions of
legislatures. Therefore, Denver be-
ing the principal city Of Colorado, it
certainly looks nothing more than
proper that the capital should remain
there:
The geographical centre of state is
not: necessarily sought for the estab-
lishment of its capital. The capital
of Louisiana has alternated between
New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Meth
cr Of which approximates to the centre
of that state. Nor is Albany, New
York, within one hundred miles of
the centre of the Empire state. Col
umbus, the capital of Ohio, approx
mates as near the southern line of Ohio
as does Denver the northern of Col
orado. The capital Of Kansas lies on
the extreme eastern border, and Ken
lucky on the extreme northeastern.
The capital of Georgia is over two
hundred miles removed from the sea
board and within less than fifty OF the
Alabama line. These examples are
sufficient to show the verify of the pro-
position first made. The advantages
offered by Denver for the permanent
seat of government aresas obvious as
manifold. She constitutes grand
land mark in trans-continental COM
munication between the Atlantic and
Pacific, and is to the states and terri
tories hugging the Rockies what San
Francisco is to thf Pacif6 and St.
Louis to the head q Fl ths great at BASIN r
soon to number its hundred million
inhabitants. In point of magnificent
location as a center of trade and com
merce, she can have no rivalin the
expanse of territory reaching from Ell
Paso, Texas, to northern Montana.
Denver is as much the natural feeder
cf Wyoming and New Mexico as of
Colorado. Her charmed rail will ere
long be extended into the rich valleys
of Wyoming and Utah, as we'll as
north western Colorado, and with
their progress empire will be built up
as the crowning glory of our city. No
such expenditure of capital and enter
prise has been shown in the reclama-
ton of arabic lands by irrigation; as
in the surroundings Of this magnlfl-
cent city. The great English COM
pany of capitalists Of which James
Duff is manager, have invested fully
four millions of dollars in their opera
tions in this city and state. 1t Is en-
gagged with inexhaustible means in an
enterprise, which the state felt unable
to undertake. and is now reclalmlng
by system of irrigation, eight hun
dred thousand acres of domain, cap
able of producing double the amount
of cereals of the entire State Of Cali
fornia! The system devised is of the
highest order of civil engineering, and
built without regard to cost, for per
manence. Artificial reservoirs, built
of rock and cement, are construed,
for retention of water and to use when
the natural supply is deficient. These
stupendous works environ the capital
city, and the day is not far distant
when artificial lakes will be construct
ed in this vicinage, and thousands of
acres of land reclaimed snd ornament
ed for parks and villas. Millions of
dollars will be used by Colorado S
wealthy sons in the construction and
ornamentation of properties such as
surround metropolitan cities of Eu-
rope and America. Nothing short OF
ten acres will then suffice for palatlal
estates. The man Of moderate means
as we'll as the laboring man will reap
a rich harvest in this grand improve
ment of the beautiful city. The great
agricultural interest will advance pan
Aassx, with the commercial, and par
adise of wealth and floral and ever
green ornamentation follow. Denver