The Meeker herald., 1888-03-03
GARFIELD COUNTY.
The New Empire Opened Up
by the Building OF the
Midland Railway.
\ Country OF Vast Mineral wealth ana
Agricultural ItesOuT.s- iiiehn.ss
ofthe White SILVER NaiieS.


In the early part OF the past week Il
-uinor was current In Denver Ia the ei-
tect that the Midland officials We're not
working harmoniously together. Later
llylceS show these rumors to have been
,roundlcss and without any foundation
whatever other ihnn that Il couple OF
officials had resigned their
positions. The Midland iias peon tho
means. 10 - larger extent than amy other
sgency, of opening up Garfield COUNTY,
md on this ncesvpt we iinvr 4 mildly
feeling toward the splendid broad gauge
OF iho Rockies. As the Denver world
r.a.",iy observed, one OF the greatest
railroad projects Of the past year FOR
this section OF tile West, was the build
ing of the Pixies Peak Route, stand
ard gauge road, across the Rockies III
in Colorado, and although IL trnyerses a
territory but half the width OF the Cen
,onnial state, opens up portions Of the
Stat. heretofore without railroads,
which, taken IN an aggregate, will pre-
sent a greater area than the States OF
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Della
w.ifr combined. The resources uf the
inwlY opened territory ar. greater BY
far Than all the resources Of New
England, and In one county alone there
II material enough for building up and
sustaining an empire. Before the Colo
RADIO Midland surveyed its lines into
Garfield county, this portion Of the State
was as II bordering on thn frontier Of
the far West. There was not mile OF
railroad within her borders, and but u
few miles oi county road, and To reach
the domains OF this new county trip.
often irrllous. had 10 bc made across u
range OF mountains. In one short year
the railroad has changed the status II u
great country from frontier to ciyilizn.
;iun aud ,lir new year was begun by the
railroad hcTalliug 10 the world the
wonderful resources Oi new land
new because heretofore Car.
Held had not had the mcdcgn cummuni-
cations with the ouisld. world.
Tho real estate men have been talk
Ing up schemes for advertising Denver,
aud Colorado. They may take y few
lessons from the railroad companies
who. through their general passenger
agcu,s, have done more To advertise
Colorado than MI the other advertising
Colorado Midland, though a new Tlad
starts out early In the day TO advertise
the county. and among several pgblica-
tons which Genera! Passenger Agcut
Lee las NOW IN press Is one From
Plains to Pcais"-wnich contains "a
great deal OF Information aiuut the
Stale which has never been presented
even 10 the citizens Of Colorado. ono
Of the prominent chapters Of THIS little
work contains some interesting matter
about Garfield county.
Garfield county was organized FobFu-
afy I. issJ. Tic organization placed
within it, boundary lines about 7.fu1
square miles, an area much larger than
the States Of Connecticut aud Rhode
Island combined. At that time its
population. exclusive of Indians. WAS
about 20. and it, assessed valuation
about $1,000. There was scarcely a
nd ~ wagon road ia the county. and
the only means of transportation WAS
pack animals and burros. The prnspac-
tor and COW OF those DAYS trudging
w.arily over the rocky trails. uow scars
above the clouds or glidcs smoothly
through the valleys In luxurious palace
coaches over III. Pixies Peak Route.
To-day the assessed valuation Of the
county Is nearly SS,cno,uno., aud the
population ~ crowding closely iUnoI.
while the county has about Sp1 miles of
wagon road, and nearly third rs many
miles Of railroad. This is good progress
In five years without railroad. and cut
of from civilization by u great range Of
or the resources Of Garfield county
no adequate idea can bc given in short
article. Agriculture. min-
ing and stpck-raising are the principal
industries. On the ranges, which are
-. -, ,4-si....si io tho W,st orp thou
sands OF head OF cattle and Horses. s,.,.
nowhere ia the State does stock fare
better in summer and winter than in
the White river country.
The fertile valleys along the two great
streams and their numerous tributaries
produce abundantly Of crops of grain
and roots, and in many places without
irrigation.
Mining will always bc the greatest
source OF wealth to Garfield county
This new and immense territory is one
vast treasure house of coal, iron. mar
bic, gypsum, fire clay and building
stone. Precious minerals have also
been discovered here and there at
various points. At Carbonate, twenty
miles northwest of Glcnwood Springs,
Is carbonate deposit. On Rock. Ava. |
anche and Lime creeks are veins of
ver.bearing ores. 1t is estimated by !
Experts that the coal deposits of Gar
ield county alone exceed those of the |
whole State of Pennsylvania. y great |
belt Of coal extends across the county Z
rom southeast 10 northwest. It has |
Jeen traced for 100 miles. and for many .
niles the outcroppings are considerably .
,bove the surface. The ranchmen above .
\iceker go 10 these outcroppings and
,igk ont their conf and plfry H. homo