The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-02-13

during the great Leadville mining excite
ment and has since grown steadily until 1t
has reached a population Of about 1000
souls. The town boasts two newspapers,
one daily aud one semi-weekly, two fine
business streets with many large and we'll
stocked stores OF merchandise common to
mining and agricultural countries. There
| are five church organizations with two
good church buildings, one Academy and
| one of the finest public school buildings in
the State The school population numbers
something over 400. The town is well
supplied with water by system OF water
works. Telephone and telegraph wires
stretch in all directions from the business
centres The climate Of this place Is un-
excelled in the West, being never excess
lively hot in the Summer time owing to its
high altitude, which is 200 feet above the
great Continental Divide or main range of
the Rocky Mountains upon which great
masses of snow can be seen all the year
round, and 1t is never very cold here on
account of the place being surrounded by
mountains which protect it from the cold
wintry storms. There Is also very little
snowfall here as the storms follow the
mountain chains around us. The scenery
is exceedingly grand, and no finer field for
an artist can be found anywhere. The
mountains near town are low and covered
with pine trees, and in the background
on the south and west rise the snow cap
ped mountains high into the heavens,
piercing the clouds as they pass by. The
writer has stood basking in the sunshine
on the submits of high peaks, while
prospecting for The precious metals, when
violent storm would be raging beneath
him. 1t is truly wonderful sight to look
down upon the dark clouds and see the
lightning flash and hear the thunder roll
beneath. A rainbow, when seen from
above the clouds, is perfectly round like
ring, and is a grand sight to behold.
Among the most prominent and highest
peaks in plain view from this place are
Mt. Shavano, Mt. Princeton, Mt. Actual,
Mt. Monumental, Cochetopa Dome, Buff
falo Peak and Mt. Ouray, which bears the
name of the great chief of the Ute tribe of
Indians, who but three years ago pitched
their tents under the shadow of this great
reak. The attitudes of these peaks do not
vary much from IA, 300 feet. Timber line,
or the height at which timber grows on the
sides of mountains, is 1850 feet above the
level of the sea. While climbing up the
mountain side the trees, which are prin-
cipally spruce and fir, become less tall un-
til timber line is reached, where they have
no trunks at all, the branches apparently
spring from the roots and crawl over the
ground like the dewberry vines in Penn
sylvania.
have already taken up more space than
intended to, but as the COLUMBIAN is
read by many farmers wish to tell them
something about farming in Colorado
Colorado now produces more wheat and
potatoes than she consumes, but imports
thousands Of dollars worth of butter, eggs,
cheese and corn every year. Corn cannot
be grown to any extent, as the nights are
too cold. Before blowing the ground it
must first be thoroughly wet by system
of irrigation, which is done by conveying
the water through open bitches from the
mountain streams through the farms. 1t
is common for companies to form and
build main bitches through the farming
countries and sell the water to the farmers
by guage at certain rate per inch, which
amounts to about $100 per acre per sea-
son. The water is turned over the fields
at intervals by cutting the bank and plac-
ing dam across the ditch, thus conduct
ing the water over the ground by the use
of hoes and shovels. Immense crops, and
of fine quality, are thus grown.
Regretting that have taken up so much
of your valuable space l will postpone
further account until some future time.
H. j. FoULK.