The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1881-03-31
LETTER FROM COLORADO.

Creek, is situated the new and enter
prising town of Durango. When
left here last October there were only
two shanties to be seen, while ut the
present there are over two hundred
houses, containing population of
over thousand or twelve hundred,
and many of the buildings would
compare favorably with some of the
best business houses i'm Mankato.
The natural advantages of Durango
are such rs to insure rapid and per.
manent growth in population and
commercial importance. No town in
the State of Colorado surpasses this
in point of location, climate, or min
eral wealth, because the altitude is
favorable, being only 700 feet higher
than Denver, and is over 1000 feet
lower than Leadville, both us regards
residence and agriculture, 4 feature
that commends it to hundreds who
are now coming here. Many of the
mines of Colorado are situated ut so
high an elevation that they are I'M
favorable to health and longevity,
but ut Durando this objection can
not be successfully alleged against
this place. The southern location of
the town and La Plata county assumes
Il mild and genial climate, particularly
adapted to the rapid and early growth
of vegetation and the prosecution of
out door work till late in the fall. In
fact, work of all kinds has been
going on I'LL winter. Being situated
in the Animas Valley, the town is
sheltered from the cold winds pecu.
liar to many portions of the West.
The high ranges of mountains on the
northwest and east, rising six thou.
sand feet above the surrounding
country, ward off the prevailing cold
currents that otherwise would sweep
the valley consequently Southwestern
ly winds are the only ones that pre-
vail, and these are tempered by the
warm climate through which they
pass. If the present winter is fair
sample rs winter, Camp Durango is
all that could be desired. While you
have been fdcOred with gales, biz
yards, and singing cold weather, we
have had for weeks the finest weather
| ever saw in my life, during the
months of January and February. !
have not worn an overcoat for seven
weeks, and yet the sold timers" al
lege that this has been Il severe
winter.
The mineral wealth tributary and
in the immediate vicinity of Durango
&c nd Ii oh hn
mountains are filled with mineral of
the true tissue veins, and is found in
unlimited and seemingly ineXhausti-
bic quantities.
Rico, SilvertOn. Animas Forks.
Eureka, Lake City, Ruby, and many
other rich camps of equal importance,
are tributary to Durango, and the
establishing of smelling works, NOW
in process of construction is only one
of 4 dozen that will doubtless have
to be erected within the next eight
cen months. The character of the
ore ut and near Durango is such us to
guarantee permanent and rapid
growth to the young city and large
return for the capital invested.
The gold and silver from the camps
above named, will naturally come to
Durango to be smelted, and as fields
of ineXhaustible beds of fine coal are
found in the immediate vicinity of
the town, that great item so essential
to smelters will be assured. The
quality of the coal is of the very best
for steam smelling and cooking pur.
poses. The vast supply can be realized
to a limited extent by knowledge of
the fact, that the seam of coal
stretching for miles, is from IS to 90
feet in thickness. From this it will
be seen that every requisite feature
necessary to smelling purposes is at
hand ready for use, including the
purest of water.
The timber supply seems to be suf-
iicient for Il number of years ut least.
The pine in this section is of good
quality, large in size and accessible.
Five saw mills have recently been
set up in these forests and more are
coming, and lively competition will
soon begin. between native, Chi
cago and Michigan lumber. The
pine in La Plata county and tributary
to Durango, is pronounced to be the
best west of the Missouri river.
Since the first of January there
have been three newspapers started,
one daily and two weeklies.
The railroad fare from Mankato to
Pueblo, Colorado, ga Denver or
Kansas City, is $S3l, and from Pueblo
to the Chama, the end of the Denver
and Rio Grande narrow gauge rail-
road, is 800, ten cents Il mile, and
there by stage to Durango, $40, and
ten cents pound for extra baggage.
No one should come to Colorado I'M
less he is supplied with good heavy
underwear and two pairs of Califor-
mia OF Mackinaw blankets, because
sleeping conveniences are very limit
ed, and in many instances very unin-
viting, hence everybody that can put
up a shanty to lodge and batch it,
does SO, which is Il great saving in
this country. Board without lodging
is from 81 to 50 per week; all pro.
duce brings tremendous prices; wages
of carpenters are SS4 per day; masons
get from "a to SIS per day, and tend.
ers SO. Lumber is at present 1856 per
thousand delivered, or $25 at the
mills.
1t is not likely that the railroad
will reach Durango before the first of
July or August. The grading is be-
ing done in all the heavy cuts from
Chama, the end of the track, to
Durango, and also from Durango to
Silverton. The distance from Chama
via Pagosa Springs to Durango is los
miles. Those who contemplate CON-
ing to Colorado for the purpose of
mining or prospecting for silver
mines, should not leave home before
the first of May, because the deep
snow will not disappear before the
month of May, and in some places
not before the month of June. / am
told that it is very difficult to get
mechanics during tho mining season,
because everybody rushes to the
mountains to hunt for silver or gold
mine, and when good luck favors
many of them, nine-tenths of them
will dispose of the prospects" for
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