Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-05-22
COLORADO SMALL TALK-Iv.
GRxrLrY. Coo. ;. March, 1888.

ment, the landscape often reminded me OF
Oxford County, and still 1t was very dif'
ferent. The pinion covered hills and the
dark mountains are q JOY forever. Lum-
Der is so plenty that the almost universal
barbed wire fence cannot come here.
Slab and board fences are about the pas
lures everywhere. The geological forma-
lions are unlike anything one sees In
Maine, and the rainfall is also much less.
Only the hardest vegetation can exist
here, while II the same landscape could be
moved to Maine It's greater rainfall
would foster the growth OF scores OF trees
unknown here. Yes, with Names mois-
ture, this country. would be as we'll
wooded. The valleys round about Monu-
ment station grow more or less potatoes,
according to the season. Last year the
conditions were favorable, and this local.
ity became the competitor Of Greeley In
the potato trade. The rainfall on these
mountain farms was sufficient TO make q
crop, while Greeley always employs irri-
gation-a thing mostly impossible at Mon
ument. Two years ago, potatoes sold
readily for about two cents pound, hut
but this year for only about half that
amount.
have often heard people laugh and
joke about Yankee inqulsitiveness. / never
realized the value TO the human family OF
the habit Of knowing about everything,
until ! went South-say 20 Virginia or
North Carolina, where slavery had made
1t for the interest Of people not to know
things or not to ask questions. There
the people know nothing about matters
that in New England community would
be known as a matter OF course. II was
the safest way not to seem TO know, at all
events.
Seeing an elderly man mending fence
near farm house, the other day, halted
to see II could gain some further inform
alton about the country. The man WAS
bound 10 squeeze me as often as l did
him. warrant he was Yankee as well
as myself.
GLOW do you do, sir? 1t is beautiful
day"
"Yes, it Is q fine day. You drive fine
horsel"
ave have had him in our family q long
time. understand you raise good
many potatoes in this vicinity"
"Yes-we raised about three million
pounds last season been south, l take
| it?"
Eyes, have been as far south as Pueblo
and up the Arkansas Valley; suppose you
do not irrigate as we do in Greeley"
"No, not all-lived long in Greeleyy'
Twelve years. How do you plant your
potatoesg" l asked.
"Plow them in-throw up furrow each
slde-that's all we do to them; where Is
Greeley, anyway
"Fifty-two miles north OF Denver, on
the Poudre River. Is 1t difficult TO mature
q cropf asked again.
az We get two good showers they are
safe. How far have you come today"
Twenty three miles is your yield
good?"
eyes" said he, "yield good and quality
fine. Where the vines grow rank we have
no potatoes. Where the stalks are no
longer than your finger we get the best
potatoes. Stayed at the Springs, last
nlght?"
"Yes. am greatly obliged 10 you for
your nformation-must make Castle Rock
tonight-good-day, sir :" and away went,
the old gentleman standing in the road
aud looking after me, doubtless repentlng
that he did not ask me the one question
that harried him so-namely, what the
deuce was driving up the Valley for, in
these days OF railroads, etc. might have
told him l was the original Arkansas
Traveller; but, like Mark Twain, / am I'M
like George Washington, can lie-but
won't.
My long drive OF forty-ave miles from
Colorado Springs to Pueblo was desc
late, disheartening one to me. The dirty
river in its sandy bed, with 4 light fringe
OF bushes and cottonwood trees; the In
terminable dry rolling Notwithstanding
away TO right and left; the road dusty and
lonely, with few farm houses in sight, and
few cattle, but plenty OF the tall branching
cactus that grows abundantly as We go
south, and, worst OF all, the abandoned
ranches, where once good crops were
raised and sold at high prices-abandoned,
some say, because the farmers higher up
the stream have appropriated most OF the
water, and according to others, because
the railroads have brought the products Of
Kansas here much cheaper than they could
be raised by irrigation. The first is the
true reason.
Once as 1 rode over this road, tall,
handsome rancheman overlook me, and
we talked as we journeyed for some miles.
He sought my company he said, because
he hated to ride alone over that road. He
referred to the enmity between the cattle
men and the sheep men. One soil and
diversity or interests makes them hate
each other. Once the sheep man came
for him to send for doctor for his sick
wife-eighteen miIes-he sent, but had
never seen the neighbor since, and that
was months ago. He referred to the dry
summer OF 1880, when the grass never
started, and his herd or $50 cattle starved
I'LL he had only one-third Of that number.
o. II.