The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1882-10-19
MSseeuaira0ns.
- : = = = = For THE HERALD.
LETTER iFR0M COLORADO.
Special Correspond dence,

.,.s.., Z EBho' CoL ~.oepI, 20 1909.
,~.:,NeaxiY .. every uneswho visits
ethis portoof Goiuradofor: the first
uhle, even III partially iarf formed
+ about It 5eforef6anDd, is grieviously
disaapppooinnted apPont a9 liz tb0o R75 ara aspect of
the plsHss pllssjHpsss, and M f9 64ds' 'i!t. i bard 10 be,
lieVeI Il thai a. the B application Of that
| 'bsnefeent agent. water can make
every inch 81 these barren.Iooking
liable Ia ads: literally blossom like
the rose. One can, hardly mag
inc a more dreary. looking couu-
ttry> than that lying about here.
If we except the spots here and
there that have been developed
by irrigation, there is nothing TO
be seen but sand, dry buffalo
grass, sage brush: and prairie
dogs. But it is wonderful what u
transformation irrigation produces
in this comparatively raiuless
area-upon this barren and dry
land where no water is of the
The Psalmist. A stream of water
here is worth more than dozen
silver mines. They say irrigs-
| tion is simply scientific farming.
The ti!ler of the soil here is u chem.
, 1t whose laboratory is certain
area of land everything but tho
water is at kand-the bright sun,
the potash, and other mineral in.
gradients, not washed out of the
soil by centuries of rain. The
climate secures him always from
an excess Of moisture, and what
nature fails to yield, greater or
less, according to the season, he
supplies from his irrigating canal,
and with it be introduces, with
ont labor, the most valuable fer
tiIiziug ingredients, with which
the water in it's course through the
4 mor tains has become. charged.
After what | have seen OF it's re-
suits I am thoroughly satis6 ed of
the beauties of irrigation. and if
these whole pialne cuuld 10 sub
| jected to the process what an
Eden this would be. But there is
where the trouble comes in. 1t
is just as difficult t. irrigate
without the necessary conditions
of situation as 10 water, etcs, as 1t
would be to invoke rain from the
clouds. Hence these barren plains
in this year A. D. 1882
The country about here as we'll
as about Canon City and Colorado
Springs. and further. south in
New Mexico, islargoly devoted to
grazing-both cattle and sheep
being included in the industry.
Although in many respects the
sheep business is less attractive
than cattle raising, it deserves at
tention as an important and
growing industry, which is doing
much for the prosperity Of this
region. There is, to be sure,
something exciting, and in sense
romantic, about the steer and his
breeding, while the sheep is a
quiet and modest animal. One can
fancy the ad.batted cowboy
on his feet horse and throwing
his lasso at full galIop, rs feeling
himself sort of Spanish toreador,
and perhaps impartiug a spice of
danger to the chase by Haunting a
red scarf in the eyes of the lordly
bull. But the Mexican sheep her,
der, on the other hand, plods mo.
notonously after his flock, and all
the chasing is done by his sbep'
herd dog. Only one man that ]
have beard of was ever able to
find anything alarming in the
nature Of this simple animal. De
string a supply of mutton for his
table, be shot oDe of his neigh
boris sheep, and was overtaken by
the owner while carrying it away
on bis shoulder. Now I've caught
you, you rascal said he what
do you mean by shooting mJ
sbeep?' Sternly and grimly re
piled the accused 1'Il shoot any
mans sheep that tries to bit'
me-