Bent County register., 1886-09-04

that It's advantages to the settler
must be apparent To even the most
obtuse. Bent county has now 100
miles of railroads within her limits
from which the county derives an an
nual income III taxes, and yet the
road was built without bonding the
county for any sum or amount what
ever. Here is county possessing
all the railroad facilities convenlen-
ces and advantages acquired by the
people OF the older states. yet with
out encumberance or other indebted-
ness whatever by reason of having
such road. The curse of the people
of the more Eastern states is bonded
Indebtedness for the building of
railroads and other improvements of
public character; enormous rates
OF taxation TO meet accruIug pay
ments upon the same and the exoru-
liant Rates of Interest paid In order
to raise money to pay said taxes be-
SininS at nrst with borrowing few
dollars upon collateral security and
ending at last III being driven from
morlgaged home. These are the
things THAT are driving the people
OF the more Eastern states Jp the
westward; this is why the tide of
Immigration Is constantly swelling
this Is the rushing current tina.
drives the ship of empire toward the
setting sun. Here the home hunter
tinds all the accessories and auxIlla-
ries OF more eastern civilization,
but hnds u country Tree from the de-
grading entanylencnts of bonded
Indebtedness, high rates OF taxation
and interest, aud farms plsslered
over with those thrice accursed to-
kens OF misery-mortgages Did
ever newly opened country possess
SO many advantages? Was ever
such aconntry thrown open to settle
nent before! Now let me say
something of this town: this city,
torsooth. ION the 24th day of m.y
last, scarce three months ago, the
town OF Lamar was surveyed and
plated. At that time there was not
yet Il building III the town, and bu.
Two Or three settlers i'll the surround
ing country. A party of capitalists
and tourists mad been here, and fully
appreaciating the many advantages
pa resented by this beautiful country
aud the pleasant Surroundings near
this place, one of the party MIR. j. K
Goddlng, formerly of Colorado, but
at that time well known newspa-
per man vi Kansas and recognized
ability conceived the idea of build
ing up u town Ill the midst of This
grand and imposing cyclorarna.
Colonel A. 5. johnson, Ian commits
sioner of the Atchison, Topeka and
Santa Fe railroad, saw ut once the
vast and lasting benefits which
would accrue 10 his company by the
settlement of the country and the
establishment of the town, 1T once
gave the enterprise his warnest APP
eroval and hearty assistance.
Mr.. l. X. Holues, the well Known
real estate king of the Southwest,
also took hold OF the undertaking,
and thus, with such three such ex-
perienced gentlemen Ut the head of
the enterprise, success was an assur
ed fact. Mr.. Goddlng, As soon as
the town project WAS well under way,
conceived and iiiaugurated IL move
ment, the object OF which WAS to
create a new land district i'll The
eastern portion of Colorado aud 10
cate the office ut Lamar. In this
matter Mr.. Godding has accomplish.
ed what believed by many well
posted persons to be an inposibility.
lie has been interchangeable in the
work, not only liz laying the plans,
but in "a great measure attending to
the details in person, and to him be-
longs full! need of praise and the
credit of bringing the measure to a
successful consummation. He has
been ably assisted throughout by
Colonel johnson and Mr. Holmes
and their friends. A bill was intro
duced in the lower house of congress
during the month of June by Judge
Symes creating a land district and
designating Lamar as the loca-
ton of the land office, which passed
both the house and senate the latter
part of July and receivee the APP
proval and signature of President
Cleveland on Aug. 2. Since then
the country has been rapidly settled,
and the town has been making a