The Wilmingtonian., 1888-06-23

hopes of even the average enthusiast of the
early times. Like Benton with the trans
continental railroad he was simply so far in
advance of his age that he was pitied for his
harmless hallucinations; but to-day Denver
is vastly greater in the elements of enduring
commercial and industrial growth than even
the dresmer Gilpin ever saw In his widest
fancies. But he was not dreamer. He
came earlier, saw more, studied the situation
more carefully and understood it better than
did others. well remember how he told
me of his explorations here fnll fifty two
years ago when a young lieutenant just
from West Point, and cow he had fingered
here when there was hardly q white resi-
dent west of the Fathers of Water. He
ahen simply understood what the people of
since learned by the logical and irresistible
progress of events. He first saw the buffalo,
the one engineer that never blunders, made
his trails to where Denver now is; he saw
the Indian paths lead to the same centre as
all roads once led to Rome; he saw the COM
ing of the adventurous pioneer trapper make
his sinuous wanderings bring him to this
common centre; he saw the California ad-
vance guard of civilization halt in Denver
on its perilous mission to found in the Golden
State; he found the belligerent hordes of
Kansas turn from the bloody strife over
slavery to seek new adventure, and the van
qu ,led border-ruffian came up the Arkansas
only to meet on Cherry Creek, hard by Dem
vel the restless viotors of John Brown in
search Of new struggles and triumphs; he
saw the precious metals unearthed in the
mountains and, each new fountain of riches
pour out its food-tide to this God-made CEN
tire of Colorado wealth, and finally he raw
the railway come and go from every point of
the compass, bringing its countless trains of
progress, and now he sees Colorado the
tion of the precious metals, and Denver the
present and assured icommercial emporium
for the more than empire that nestles be-
tween Kansas and the Seara Nevadas, with
its commerce now wholly independent even
of the overland railway lines.
THE SOLID WEALTH OF DENVER.
But for the absolute commercial inde-
pendence of Denver and the matchless re-
sources which surroand her, would say
that initiation ruled and that it must bring
disastrous changes in the near future; but
Denver is to-day one of the most stable
cities of the Union with certainty and safety
in the swiftest advancement. 1t sounds
like the storits of inflated oil Or mining
towns, to hear my old and genial friend,
DR.. Cass tell how, some twenty years ago,
when he was buying for 81. 500 the lot on
which now stand his block of fine buildings
and the Opera House, the seller said: "Add
$500 and take the whole square," to which
Dr. Cass replied: 81 guess l have as much
cactus patch as | need," and then see the
shadow pass over his faco as he adds that
the land the additional $500 would have
bought is worth full million to-day; but
there is not single attribute of either
forced or accidental initiation in Denver. 1t
has the most solid foundation for its present
wealth and it stands single and alone Of the
Western commercial centres in its absolute
independence of rivals, present or prospec-
tive. 1t is so solid and substantial in its ro-
mantle growth that it can command any
! amount of needed capital from the money
centres of Europe. Its great water canal
for irrigating the valley is tho creation of
English capital; its hotels are largely the
product of foreign Investments; its mines,
now no longer thesplaythings of fraudulent
speculatinn, are commanding millions from
England, France and Germany; larger profits
| are realized in Colorado mining than iu any
of the other specie producing States; every
valley and plain that can be watered is set
| tied by the sturdy husbandmap; cattle and
sheep in countless thousands are swiftly
multiplying the wealth of the ranohman,
| and with all these boundless and inexhausti-
BILE sources Of trade irrevocably turned to
Denver as their emporium, the wonderfully
rapid and enduring prosperity of the city
may be intelIigently understood.
DENyER's ABSOLUTE INDEPENDENCE.
When it is remembered that a compara-
lively young and small commercial centre
like Denver has been able to assert its abso-
Lutte commercial Independence against the
overland railways which SO long dominated
the transcontinental trade, the impregnable
position of the city may be justly estimated
1t has long struggled in helpless subordina-
tion to Chicago, st. Louis and Kansas City:
but the young giant speedily grew to omnip.
otence and has turned southwark to reach
the Gull and thus open the whole coast from
Galveston to Boston to her direct commerce.
1t was a stubborn battle, but Elk Governor
Evans and his associates fought it with tire
less energy ard with her-ic effort until
they opened the railway from Denver to
Fort Worth, and they have thus reduced