Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-11-07

Is Politics, It's Mining, It's Cattle-Rais-
ing, &C., &c.

pecial Correspondence of The EVENING STAR.
DENVER, October 81, 1882.
One who may have visited Denver during the
iast two or three years will this season notice
ess of the outward appearances of business and
5rowth-less of rush and excitement upon the
streets and in the hotels-but yet the citizens
will tell you that Denver and Colorado were
never more substantially prosperous than to-day;
that the output from their mines was never
greater. and that while the crowd of visitors and
SPECTATORS has fallen off there is no decrease of
the men who come to stay and probably they
are right. There is less Of building here in
Denver than noticed on my visits during the
last and the previous year, but the buildings
this year are of much more substantial char
acter. A courthouse and a town hall, both of
stone, and of size and style superior to many of
our state capitol5, are approaching completion.
Several churches notice in progress of erection,
every way rv aling the most costly edfces for
that purpose in our Eastern Cities and school
houses-nOt great traps for the slaughter of the
children in case of alarm like some in Washing
ton, but sensible, tasty, solid. twC-story build
ings-are being erected in all quarters of the
city, so that the children while at school are near
home and within the observation and knowledge
of their parents. BY the number and quality of
the school buildings one may believe that Den
yer is doing her full duty in the line of free
schools; and the homes which are being erected
| notice that in their size and appointments they
are far ahead of former years. Denver claims
population of 10000.
THE REPUBLICAN KILKENNY CAT FIGHT
Just now the people of Colorado are in the
white heat of political excitement, and the
contest is of q violent personal character. Some
two months ago the primaries of the republican
nal tU hn for ho oil ptip If f<
the state nominating convention, at which time
the party divided into two hostile camps-on
the one side the friends of Secretary Teller, and
on the other the friends of Senator Hill. Sec
Rotary Teller appeared here to lead his forces in
person, and he is now here again directing the
fight. The result of this personal quarrel-and
to an outsider it seems very needless one-is
division among the republicans more bitter
than the hostility of either wing to the common
enemy. The two leading republican papers of
Denver, through supposed friendship to Sem
ator Hill are treating the republican ticket, not
with indifference merely, but with bitter scOrn;
and so, though the state is decidedly republic
can, there is on the part of republicans no little
anxiety as to the result of the election next
week.
The railroads are doing a great deal for Col
OradO. The Union Pacific and the Rio Grande
are pushing their tracks in every direction, and
the result Is mere 'mlnng camps" OF few
months ago are numerously springing into
thrifty towns in all sections of the state.
Two years ago this very month found it a hard
Journey of five days by wagon Irom the railroad
To the Indian agency on the Uncompahgre river.
The last week ! rode to that very spot in a COM
Portable - u!lman sleeper" And on the banks
OF that river, where Chief Curay's home stood
alone, only those two twelve-months ago, now
found
A PROSPEROUS TOWN,
with hotels, stores shops, banks, post office,
telegraph, telephone, newspaper, &c, &c.
Mining matters seem to be in q healthy cOndi-
ton in Colorado, but with much less OF the
speculation of former years. New heads and
''placers" are not infrequently being discovered,
and one often hears of sales for $50 600. $50 0OO
and even -1OO,O 600; and new mine at Lead
vile was sold this month for round million.
But these big sales have grown very rare
wAsHINGTONIANS IN LUCK.
In the southwestern part OF the state is just
opening mining district which promises we'll
1t is adjacent to, and, indeed, most Of it part
OF the section OF the state occupied by the Ute
Indians until within little more than year.
From these valleys and adjacent mountains until
! this season, through fear of the Indians, even
the miner prOspectOr has kept a safe distance.
! The San Miguel river runs through the principal
valley of his virgin region; and in the noun
tains, where this river and its tributaries head,
within a few weeks have been found remark
ably fine leads of both silver and gold, and the
bars" along the river seem to be rich placer
deposits. In company with several gentlemen
OF Colorado | recently crossed this valley, and
on the way visited a claim of six miles
on the river i'm which several Washington
people are interested. We washed pans of both
soil and gravel from several points on this
claim, aid found gold in every instance, and
generally in quite liberal quantity. We met an
old timer, who had made himself by months of
prospecting in that valley pretty well acquainted
with its resources, and he told US that there
were miles Of the valley in that section in which
We then were from whose bars Of gravel, as
well as from its top soil and likewise the river
bed, he had never washed a pan without finding
gold.
Cattle-raising, which for years has been large
and profitable business in Colorado, is now en-
| joying the boom" in that line Of enterprise
and many of the young men who are seeking
homes IN this state are turning their thoughts
in that direction, and 'cattle ranches" are being
| sold at liberal figures and new ones being
sought in all the distant and hitherto uneX-
plOred corners of the state. Colorado may in
deed be said to be in a prosperous condition,
and she is fast filling her broad domain with a
| superior class of citizens.