The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-12-08
COLORADO LETTER.
Special Correspondence.

before hand, is grie 'ously disappoint
ed at the arid aspect of the plains
and finds it hard TO believe that the
application of that beniGcent agent,
water, can make every inch of these
barren looking table lands literally
"blossom like the. rose" One can
hardly imagine more dreary looking
country than that lying about here.
If we except the spots here and there
that have been developed by irriga-
ton, there is nothing to be seen but
sand, dry buhalo-grass, sage brush
and prairie dogs. But it is wonder
full what Transformation irrigation
produces in this comparatively rain
less area-upon this "barren and dry
land where no water is Of the
Psalmist. A stream of water here is
worth more than a dozen silver mines.
They say irrigation is simply scientific
farming. The tiler of the soil here
is a chemist whose laboratory is
certain area of land everything but
the water is at hand-the bright sun,
the potash, and other mineral ingre-
dients, not washed out of he soil by
centuries of rain. The climate Sc
cures him always from an excess Of
moisture and what nature fails to
yield, greater or less, according to
the season, he supplies from his irri
eating canal and with it he intro
duces, without labor, the most valua
BILE ferlilizing ingredients, with which
the water in its course through the
mountains has become charged. AT
ter what / have seen of its results
am thoroughly satisfied of the beau
ties Of irrigation and if the these
whole plains could be subjected to
the process, what an Eden this would
be. But there is where the trouble
comes in. 1t is lust as difficult to lr
rigate without the necessary condi-
tions of situation as to water, etc., as
it would be to invoke rain from the
clouds. Hence these barren plains
in this year A. d., 1882.
The country about here as well as
about Canon City and Colorado
prings and further south in New
Mexico, is largely devoted to grazing
both cattle and sheep being in
cluded in the industry. Although in
many respects the sheep business is
less attractive than cattle raising, it
deserves attention as an important
and growing industry, which is doing
much for the prosperity of this region.
There is, TO be sure, something ex-
citing and in sense romantic, about
the steer and his breeding, while the
sheep is quiet and modest animal.
One can fancy the broad hated
"cow boy" on his fleet horse and
throwing his lasso at full gallop, as
feeling himself sort of Spanish
hOreador, and perhaps imparting a
spice of danger to the chase by
Haunting a red scarf in the eyes of
the lordly bull. But the Mexican
sheep herder, on the other hand, plods
monotonously after his flock and all
the chasing is done by his shepherd
dog. Only one man that | have
heard of was ever able to find any
thing alarming in the nature of this
simple animal. Desiring supply of
mutton for his table, he shot one of
his neighbours sheep, and was over
taken by the owner while carrying
it away on his shoulder. "Now I've
caught you, you rascal" said he;
"what do you mean by shooting my
sheep3" Sternly and grimly replied
the accused 'I'll shoot any mans
sheep that tries to bite me-"
However il is not for the excite
ment or amusement there may be in
it that men pursue the occupation of
herding either sheep or cattle. 1t is
the almighty dollar" they are after,
like all the rest of us, and, as related
in my last letter, there is enough in
it hereabouts to make it interesting.
This is no less true of sheep raising
than of cattle herding. 1t may be
here stated that between the flock