National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-01-28
A DENVER EDITOR
ON THE QUEEN CITY OF THE WEST.
Chat with ROthacker, Of tho "Tribupe ~
Growth, Mining, Society, Opportunities,
Politics, Government, aud Wash.
ingtonians There.

OF new buildings, uil0 the TONI Ossesheu
of the city Is s256jOOOO, an increase IN the past
year Of s9,i6OOOO The auditors record show the
assessed valuation of the entire state TO De
that of 1880 The lowest figures on the bullion
output of the State for the past year place
State @ Is $4,000 More than 100000 have been
spent in the State railway construction during |
the past year The Denver and New orleans ex.
New Orleans by next Christmas. The Chicago, |
Burlington and Quincy will have iis line com
ala Third rail to a" PuebIo I NJ The Xtchison, TO.
pcka and Santa Fe will run trains through 10
Denver next week.
"Much has been said and written regarding the
surprising growth Of the Queen City Of the West
The best posted people who had never visited II
were hardly prepared to believe the above Asso-
ciGted Press dispatch, which appeared in ma
ority OF the leading papers in the country on the
ID instant. The statistical statements which 1t
gmbodies are actually startling, even in
this country, whore prairies become farms in q
fortnight and cities grow in week.
With this dispatch rs my text called to see Mr..
o. II. Rothacker at the Ebbit House. He is the
chief editor Of the leading daily Of Denycr-the
Tttbune. A tall, handsome rather knghtly-look-
ing gentleman, apparently splitting the difference
between thirty and forty, intelligent generally,
we'll Informed on matters affecting his section,
and direct, with quainness in speech, is this
newsman from Denver. And the chat was as fol-
lows:
DENvERs REMARKABLE GROWTH.
How long have you resided in DenverT
Something over four years Pm quite an old
citizen for that section" responu "a Mr. Rothacker
smiingly. about six years ago Denver began its
new growth. Then 1t received big boom from
the Leadville excitement and retained ns citizens
several thousand who simply came out as pros
pectng visitors. Our first big advance came in
Quitting parties for the mountains"
Don't you think that great mining excitement
in some adjoining Territory will give set back to
the growth of the city, or is 1t possessed of ee-
ments of growth aside from mining interests to
| keep It in the highway of advancement in popu-
lauon and prosperity
| "Ohl we've had big mining booms all around
us, near and far. They help us rather than take
| from us. Last spring New Mexico had big boom,
but It didn't affect Denver, except favorably We
| have the advantage of geographical situation,
| great and increasing railroad facilities wonderful
| climatic attractons-Denver Is really sanitarlum
and, best of ALL big start and we mean to
keep ahead. Inever saw that dispatch until you
| showed II to me. 1t is very conservative state
ment am sure more than five instead Of four
IN illions were expended in new buildings last
\ year. and the most careful authorities place the
bullion output at s23,OOOOOO. SO you see surpris-
ing as the statements Of this dkpatch are, they f
| ofcorreCtness,'
Invested capital I suppose, principally comes
| from the East P'
principally from Eastern titles, quite naturally;
| but there has been considerable English capital
invested. English capital built the Windsor
| Hotel, and should estimate the amount invested
| by the company which constructed that building
| ut fully one million and half dollars in and
around Denver English capital is now build
ing the Highline DItch--.a work for rrlgating
vast area of country in the immediate vicinity of
Denver will be placed under cultivation. The
egon list oSHSe hoy DsHyer y rfS a n
tho governmental reports, shows the soil to be
wonderfully fertile, needing only water to make
it bountifuf. Agrieulturally Colorado you know,
doesn't raise enough to supply herself and as food
Is brought in, at high railroad tariff,
almost aim Se eSorbitant from man an Eastern Stand.
point. think farming is about as profitable a
pursuit as any for the reason that the high rail-
| road tariffs give the Colorado farmer the amplest
| protection lust as If a custom house our
border, But it is dependent ON irrigation, of
| course"
II suppose you regard your State as richer min
orally than its neighbors?
Decidedly / do. far richer than Arizona or
New Mexico. Would you believe that since 1913
gates only two million and half2 That's an ex-
sSEansry fact people Ga9 ssps5Rd od spansh SnGT
mines. If they'd only produce 81 per ton they
pay ior ore tmS fntShG nsgant SnS w N bcs
citizens than the lower class of Mexicans. worked
for very little, and were usually cheated out that
Upon questioning Mr.. Rothacker as to the extent
| MINING SWINDLES OF ALL KINDS
| in Denver and the adjacent cities. he said:
| "Of course, there are swindles. Human nature
runs much the same there as here or elsewhere.
But Coloradians and shrewd operators are bitten
as oflcn and as severely as people in other sec.
tions-right at home, too To illustrate with
something known in Colorado, but not generally
killed at the mouth Of his mine-the
| Tom Ewing and Wilson Waddingham, Pacific
slope operators. Ewing remained as superlntend-
ent of the mine, and the stock was quoted
at from seven to eight. Contracts for the delivery
of ore in large quantities were made with the Den
yer Argo Works. The stock began to go up
D Contracts for the richest ore we've being kept
right along, and the most profound hith
RADIO and among the most experienced. W
to that time the stories told about the product Of
= the mine were absolutely true, rs was proven by
the books of the smelters. The stock went up
A dozen experts examined the, mine, and
everything connected with 1t doomed along beau
timliy till the stock reached H. The Pacific Slope
= insders in New York began to part with unusual
0 blocks, and the market broke and commenced
: to tumble. Now, four-ffhs of the loss was borne
by Colorado people, and they bought, let me
say, at from Il to II Ut that that. lt was as a ieir
Q aud must say" with hearty langhh Colorado
/ was most beautifully mauled. When the mar,
ket broke Mr., Ewing TSSsigned The stock
the first break 1t went down to 5, and now it &
a little above 9 and the mine is believed to bt
= thoroughly gutted. The loss In California wa:
very heavy, because our people felt such sublime
confidence in the mine that they didn't sell Two
: ana n halt mlllOns IN al was tnKen out
n While it ran 1t made lieutenant. governor
. | Among us n good many political officers Rr,
4 dug out of the ground. Pacific slope operation
IS are the shrewdest, sleekest lot, aud they hay,
= given Colorado in their engineering of the Choy
IS saite Little Pittsburg and Others more black eye
"a than any other SCt.'
Q Speaking of mining in Colorado Mr.. Rothacke
l. made some interesting statements
"The difference" he said, between mining II
=, Colorado generally and that Mt Leadville is ver
" radical. and think it is not well understood
= The Leadville formation has been known 70
Is only three years, say three and half The or
:" there is in carbonate deposits, and is NOR
easily worked when gotten at. In the Othe
: portions of the State II is found in fissur
~ veins, The san Juan districts looming vp now II
l. drawbacks hitherto being lack Of railroad iacitie
and snielters. But now the railroads are gettin
~, there and the smelters rapidly being erected
- There is every indication that Rico Is going TO
IN a big mining centre. The older mining countie
no Gilpin Clear Creek and Boulder, holding the
j. own. Its all deep mining in these districts
~ the westward over in Middle Park, some vel
promising mines are being opened. In the GuI
~ nison district the properties are being opened al
at II Is developing with great rapdity. You see,
m takes about two years with capital rs matters no
no stand, to properly open district The Gunnst
~ region, may safely say, won't dlsappOint Il
Id sanguine expectations entertained oft There h
u been a IN cory that there was considerable ore
H. the Indian Reservation but the prospecting whit
N has been done so far shows the existence OF little
w. none. The southern portion of H. however, W
n develop richly agricultumlly."
las D, d. PLACE FOR CLERKS
es What most young men inclined TO follow 1
nd printer philosophers advice" go West you
man want TO know are the opportunities al
their character, therefore questioned 4
m. | gentleman under punishment with regard 10 the
matters in so far MS Denver was concerned.
,r "Clerks? No, we don't need clerks IN Denv'
ny We have enough, and TO sPa9Te And M III tell y
TOR come there to regain their health. As quickly
nd they begin TO improve they hid for clerkships