The Columbus journal., 1882-06-14
THE SAN JUAN
A Young Nan from CslnAb1s las .
Wsrd To Say about Its Frinci-
pal City. Durango.


pal City, Durango
DURANGO, Col, May 9, 1852
EDTroa JoURNAL:-A tew lines IN
reference to this part of Colorado may
De of interest to your numerous
readers.
Durango is situated in the south
western part OF the state, . distance
of four hundred and fifty miles from
Denver, in Whist Is known as the San
Juan country. in La Plata county.
When the Denver 4 Rio Grande R'y
Vas located across the mountains into
the San Juan country il became nee
essary TO select q temporary terminus
at 3 point which would best accom-
modare the various mining districts
of these extensive regions. This loca-
ton WAS found on the Animas river,
in the Animss valley, three miles be-
low the old town OF Auimss City In
September, 1880, the town plat was
surveyed, and now, in this once bar
rem valley, lies the famous town OF
Durango, already the metropolis of
the south western Colorado, with q
population of about 1000. Durango
has good schools, churches and law
aud order prevails. She also has an
excellent fire department which con-
sists of q Silsby steamer, hook and
ladder company and two hose cOmpa-
MES. There are two daily papers,
the Herald and Republican,. They
are erecting some fine brick business
blocks and a number have been COM
pleted. The most of the business
houses are built of rough lumber
without being ceiled or plastered.
Whenever there is a shooting going
on in any of these buildings it is best
to lay down fiat on the floor, as the
walls afford no protection against the
kind of guns they use in this country.
l had q little experience OF it myself
last Thursday morning They got TO
shooting in the next building TO that
which / wss in the first shot fired,
the occupants al fell fat on the floor
and | followed suit. After the fusi-
lsde WAS over We all got up to hear
the result of the shooting, and the
report was that = nan had been killed
which turned out to be q fact The
men had q triple misunderstanding
about q girl. The shooting man shot
his victim five times without warning
him or speaking to him. That night
there would have been 8 "neck-tie
party" had the prisoner not been well
guarded BY the sheriff and 8 posse OF
men armed with rifles.
The mines of the San Juan, the
Silver San Juan" as i. has been sp-
propriately called, are tissure veins
easily found and readily traced, but
ike all assure veins, requiring CAPT.
tai, machinery and time tor their de-
VeIopment- Gray copper and black
sulphurstes are found in all the prin-
cipaI lodes and frequently rich streaks
of ruby silver, tellurium, ~sylvsuite,
calvsrita AND chloride OF silver. Most
of these are smelling ores.
Daily lines of stages are run be-
tween Durango and Silvertou, Cas-
cade, Rico, Fort Lewis snd PARROT
City, and q semi-weekly To Farming
ton, New Mexico.
l saw Mr.. Chas. Angel, who was
the first passenger conductor on the
A. & y. Ry from Columbus to Lin
colin. he has nov q like position on
the d. & 2. G.. R'Y. His family are
living at Antonits- He is look
ing hale and hearty; the climate
of Colorado seems to agree with him.
| also became acquainted with Il gen.
tleman by the name of Newton More
land who used to live in Columbus.
His father was 1T one time the Indian
trader at Genoa. He also said that
his father surveyed the town plat of
Columbus. He seemed TO be very
well acquainted with all the old set
tiers and made enquiries about many
of them He was the city marshal at
one time but left II for 4 position Is
conductor on the D. & 2 G.. R'y.
Respectfully yours, /
J. H. West.