Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-09-16

Misery wrought I'm Colorado By the
UNPRECEDENTED Summer Drought.

MISERY Wrou8ut In Colorooo ~ tno
Unprecedented Summer Drought.
Tho great plains arc hot and parchsd, and
daily they are becoming more like the verita-
bic desert Of pioneer days. Not for many
years has there been such q scarcity Of water
In Colorado, and especially In the region OF
the Platte. Vegetation IL becoming brown
and crisp. The grass Is withered, wells are
drying up, irrigation bitches are dry crops
are burned up by the intense heat. Cattle are
dying, and at some points on the plains the
people arc almost perishlng for water.
Pitiful are the tales told by ranchmen Of
crops destroyed, cattle perishing and their
families In great danger Of suffering Reports
from the eastern parts OF Arapahoc and Weed
counties, near the Colorado and Kansas line,
represent terrible state OF affairs. This Sec
ton seems fated to disaster and misfortune.
Last wiuter It Is estimated that one hundred
people lost their lives near the State line In
snow blockadcs and terrible storms that pro-
vailed. Now they are scourged with an In
tense heat that Is bringing ruin and disaster.
No emigrants for many years have suffered
such extremes OF heat and cold ~ they In
duced by the favorable reports Of the rainfall
OF the two previous years, and Influenced by
the commonly accepted theory that the rain
fall Is each year increasing, and the rain CEN
ter moving westward, hundreds OF new set
tiers have attempted raising crops without ir-
rigation, but the present season has been
very unfortunate one not only the crops total
ly destroyed and their stock dying, but the
unfortunate ranchmen and their families are
In some places suffering for water TO drink.
Nothing but misery Is ahead OF them, and I'M
less relief OF some kind Is soon obtained II IL
that
perish. Cattle are choking with thirst, and
often the poor brutes are seen standing At the
dredup watering places with tongues lolling
out OF Their mouths.
In some places the wild animals are becom-
ing tame even the antelope the neetest and
most active animals on the plains In some iu-
stances have become so exhausted from thirst
that they have been easily captured by boys
from the ranches. The reports from all the
ranchmen coniirm the statement that unless
water is procured the suffering among cattle
will result most fatally, and that the loss
to rancbmen will be immense, as these little
punches are In many cases sll the rancbmen
possess, TO lose them would be most disastrous.
In fact, as one ranchman expressed II, 1t 10
matter of life and death to them. The great
stock ranges, which 1t had been hoped would
escape, arc now becoming brown, and the
leading stockmen are beginning TO feel appre-
hensive. The cattle have suffered more In the
Southern sections, and many have persisted.
About one hundred thousand head have
been rushed through the State from the dry
regions to the ranges OF the Northwest The
Rio Grande river has a good volume but the
Arkansas aud Platte rivers are low, and at
some points the Platte is but ankle deep, be-
low the great irrigation bitches, and many
troublesome questions have arisen over the
irrigation problem. In many places along the
Platte the ranchmen are armed, and will fight
unless they obtain their rights. The big
dii ch companies are monopolIzing what little
water there is; and the feeling IL very bitter.
There have been several encounters, but no
loss OF life has resulted. Representative
ranchmen from the plains have held conven-
tion in Denver and say II they can not have
water by peaceful means they will take II by
force. water. water; give US water" IL the
cry that comes from the plains
Denver is feeling the result OF the drought
The city's water eupply comes from the Platte,
and the water works company has issued re-
quest TO all citizens 10 be as economical a.
possible in the use Of water, especially for
lawn purposes. Some OF the small towns to
the east OF Denver are supplied with water
from this city, and were 1t not for the water
shipped to them on the railroads the nhabit-
ants would soon perish Of thrst-Dsnver
(IaI