The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-05-18
COLORADO.


occasion of the laying of the corner
stone of the National Mining Exposi-
ton building:
For more than twelve years the
struggle for supremacy in the contest
OF he'precious metals had been with
California and Nevada. Like we'll
matched athletes, now one seemed to
prevail and now the other. Colorado
seemed a pigmy beside these giants,
but in 1879 she took tip the gauntlet,
and from product Of s., ,ooo, 900 the
preceding year, she came to the front
with more than $4,000, 900. Cali
fornia gave to the world the same year
sI8, 900, 900. and Nevada contributed
nearly S22, 900. But the insig-
nifcant triumph OF that year was their
last. The infant grew into a man,
aye, it became giant, for in 1880,
Colorado, from its river beds and
mountains, made the world richer by
S2s, 900, while California and
Nevada followed in the rear-the one
with $40. 900, 900 and the other with
SIS, 900, 900 worth Of the precious
metals.
The world recognizes in Leadville
the most magical city Of the ages.
Oom its mines and smelters more sill
yer flows annually into the arteries of
the world 5 commerce than is supplied
by any entire State or foreign coun-
try. In Pueblo, with its vast steel
works and iron furnaces, its product
Of Bessemer and pig iron, its proxi-
nifty to vast beds of coal and iron, its
railroad facilities and geographical
position, we but anticipate The future
Birmingham or Pittspurg of the great
and growing West. In Denver we
behold the Queen City of the noun
tains and the plains. For five hun
dred miles north, south and west the
continent pays its constant tribute.
Twelve lines Of railway, which are
still stretching out their iron arms to
enclrcle new possessions, carry IN and
out the moving multitudes and distri-
butte the contents of her warehouses
and the products of her shops. She
is without rival, and envy has been
silcnced in her presence. The people
Of the State, in making her their capt.
tai, paid her tribute which was as
worthiIy bestowed as it was generous
ly given. All that we have, grand has
been the accomplishment, has been
secured under the gravest difficulties.
From causes which might not earlier
have been remedied every item re-
CURED for the creation of this moun-
tain empire has cost its builders double
what it should. With arabic lands
sufficient to feed two millions of peo-
pie, bread stuffs for one quarter of a
million have been annually imported
from neighboring States. With sixty
thousand square miles of public graz
ing grounds, Kansas pastures largely
supply our tables with beef. With
iron and coal unexcelled in quality
and in unlimited quantities, the very
tools with which they are mined, The
mills and engines and other machin-
ery,. have paid tribute to fifteen hun
dred miles of railroad before they
came to the hands of the toiler. i, is
estimated that fifty million pounds of
iron merchandise and fifty thousand
tons of farm products were last year
purchased abroad to meet the home
demand. With hides ard pelts more
than sufficient to make leather for the
State, shipped out over three millions
five hundred thousand pounds Of
leather, manufactured and ins!des are
annually supplied US by strangers.
With salt springs Of great capacity in
different sections. 1o,ooo,o 900 pounds
of salt were last year manufactured
east Of the Missouri river. With ma
terials for glass, earthware and cement
of great purity, and in great profusion
throughout the State, over 100000
pounds of these articles were last year
paid tor to Eastern manufactures. 1t
is Gifflcuit to estimate in dollars and
cents what this failure 10 utilize the
natural resources Of the State annually
costs It's people. The annual profits Of
manufacturing which We lose. and the
annual freight for transportation that
We nav, would more than settle our