The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-02-21
THE CENTENNIAL STATE"
And Her Resources and Pos
sibilities.
Her Rapid Advancement In the
Past Few Years.
Pueblo's Real Estate and Building
Booms = Weather Report
Former Highlanders--
A Big Deal.

letters have been mostly confined to
Pueblo and her numerous natural ad-
vantages and facilities and her bright
prospect for the future. In this letter
I will spread over larger field and at.
tempt to give some items of interest con-
cerning the resources and productions
of the State OF Colorado. Eastern poo.
pie have no idea of the vastness OF "the
West until they get into the midst oft.
I regard myself as very far away from
dear old Highland, yet am not half
way to the Pacific coast. The area OF
Colorado is 1885 square miles, almost
twice as large as the largest State east OF
the Mississippi, Georgia, which has
59,475 square miles. Another interesting
comparison is that the combined area
of all the New England States-New
York, New Jersey and Maryland-is only
1,735 square miles more than the area
of the Centennial State. Still another
comparison, and one nearer home, is
that Colorado would cover Ohio, Indiana
and half Of Illinois.
AS regards mineral wealth Colorado is
the richest State in the Union. In the
production of silverbearing ore she
ranks first, and fourth in gold. Besides
these two minerals her mountains and
plains contain immense quantities of
led, iron, copper, coal, oil, marble, gran
ite, slate, sandstone, gritstone, mica,
asbestos, garnets, agate, ETC., etc.
Although little has been done as yet
in the agricultural development of the
State, still the estimated acreage of her
crop for 1888 was an increase OF about
40 per cent. over that of the year pre-
vious, and when we consider the many
millions of arid acres being changed into
fertility by the process of irrigation, we
can offer no other prediction than that
it will take in few years high rank
among the agricultural States of the
country. The acreage of last years crop
was as follows: Acres of wheat, 554, 900;
alfalfa, 2s5,OOO; corn, 224 1000; rye, bar
ley and millet, 10000; oats, 3O5,000;
potatoes, 196,5OO; native hay, 10000
tons. For desirable qualities or abund.
ance of yield per acre the cereal crops of
the State are nowhere to be equaled.
The highest yield OF wheat per acre as
given by the department of agriculture
to Colorado is s6.6 bushels, and the low.
est 2l3 bushels, weighing 6s6 pounds.
Oats produce from go, even to 100, bushels
per acre, 40 pounds to the bushel. On
potatoes Colorado leads the world, the
average yield running from 450 to 500
bushels. At the State Fair held in
Pueblo last October specimens were ex-
hibited weighing from three to five
pounds each. The vegetables of Colorado
will compare, both in size and quality,
with those of any State.
According to Forshee & McMakin's
"Pocket Atlas of the World" not mile
OF railroad was in use in the State OF
Colorado in 1870. Now thousands of
miles span it in every direction, travers.
ing the plains and valleys in all direct.
ions and running over, through and
around the mountains, forming perfect
net. work OF tracks, and bringing every
important mining and trading pointinto
close connection with the commercial
world. Many miles of track are now
under process of construction.
Although Pueblo is the city which
Just now is receiving more attention and
notoriety throughout the United States
than any other point in the. State, still
there are other large and just as i'm.
portant cities scattered here and there.
Denver, the capital, is the largest city
in the State, and has, perhaps, popu.
lation of at least l25, 900. 1t is also one
OF the handsomest cities in the West
Then there is Leadville, the greatest
mining city of the Rockies; Aspen. who
is trying to rob Leadville of her laurels;
Colorado Springs, the famous and beau.
tiful health resort; Florence, the oil
city; Trinidad, the "Mother and Pro.
ducer of Coal" and numerous other
rapidly growing points OF Importance.
do not know the population OF the
State and have been unable to find any
statistics by which could ascertain the
aggregate number OF inhabitants, but
there is not State or territory in the
West which is gaining in population
faster than Colorado. Professional men,
school teachers, clerks, mechanics, farm.
ers and day.laborers by the hundreds
are arriving daily in the State, and all
those possessed with energy, ability and
"rustling" qualities are bound to make
their mark. Undoubtedly the West is
far superior in great many respects to
the East, but for all that it will not suit |
large number OF people, and my advice
would be for no one to come to Colorado,
or any other Western State or Terri.
tory, with the intention OF making it
his future home, without first making,