Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-12-10
C0LORADO,s CAPITAL.

An Interesting Description of the
City ofDenver-Remarka Growth
since Is7O-In the Days Before
Railronds-NIany Fine Bufldings-
Delightful Clfmate-Grand Scenery
Suburban Pleasure Resorrs-Manf-
tou and Casa Blanca.
Tothe Editor of the Journal AND COURIER:
1t was about nine p. m. when the train
rolled into Denver, and l was glad to leave
it, for 1 was very tired. met a young
fellow on the train, and he said that he
would show me the way to the hotel, and
as it was close at hand we would walk.
AL the afternoon we had been watching
the clouds as We rolled over the plains,
and wondered if it would rain before We
reached Denver. OF course, just as We
left the train at Denver it began to rain,
but we started for the hotel on foot, and l
have been sorry for it ever since, for that
young man lost his way and took me on
the longest walk have taken in the rain
for many day. Finally We arrived all
right. but rather wet. The weather was
nice and clear in the morning. had a
letter of introduction to Stanley Wood,
editor of the "Great Divide" and author of
"Over the Range" ETC., and L soon found
him. He is very popular in the west and
is known by nearly everybody in Denver,
by reputation at least. He was very
pleasant and pointed out to me the various
points of interest in and around the city.
Denver is a fine city and there is no de-
L., a1t tr,Ia 0f
ty-two hundred feet and stands upon both
sides of the river Platte, but mostly upon
its southwestern bank, where the ground
slopes down from Capitol Hill. The view
from Capital Hill is fine. for the great
snowy range is only twelve miles away,
and is visible through a stretch of two
hundred miles from beyond Tong's Peak
| in the north to Pixies Peak seventy five
miles to the south. The great plains
| stretch out for hundreds of miles north,
east and south. Denver stands just out
| side the foot hills, at the entrance to one
| of its principal passes through the range
1t is surrounded by fertile fields, to which
| the water of the mountain can be easily
directed. Indeed better site couldn'i
have been picked out for a city. Denver
was once a mining camp, but one would
hardly believe it to see 1t now. In 1855
gold was discovered in Cherry creek. {
creek that runs into the Platte. In les
| than no time there was o settlement start
ed of miners who worked the "placers.
From little settlement of miners in 1856;
it has grown into city of one hundred
and thirty thousand inhabitants, as wa
shown by the last census. Most of he
leading business men came here at the be
ginning, but there were times when bust
ness was very dull, for before the railroad
came goods had to be hauled six hundret
miles across the plains by teams. So eve
~ once in a while it would happen that
merchant would sell everything he had il
his store, shut up his shop and go fishing
or hunting till the semi-yearly supplies ar
rived.
In 1S69-70 the Union Pacific lines from
Omaha and Kansas City entered the city
and few months later the Atchison, To
peka and Santa Fe, and then came tn
Burlington, the shortest route from Chica
go. Then Denver began to grow, and
did grow, for in 1870 it had less than fou
thousand inhabitants, and in years tim
| QoI WA5 AAtCch tAousnAo pcN
pie, and her tax valuation increased fror
three to ten millions of dollars. Tai
about rapid growing citiesl Think Q
thatl In 1878 Denver slowed up, bu
since then she has grown, and is CROWN
yet. A stranger going about the city car
not help but notice the whole blocks {
! handsome private residences and the mes
look of the homes of the working mel
} Surely it is a beautiful city of residences
, The hotels are very fine and there are q
grades of them. The climate of Denver
very fine, and the air is pure and invigor
ting. From the beginning to the end
: warm weather it rarely rains, except occ
/ sional thunder and hail storms in July ar
August. September has few storm
succeeded by cool, charming weather. II
coolest weather comes after the first
january, and lasts some times till Apr
After that in May they have storms OIL
: floods, but when these are gone very fl
T summer begins. One reason why peor
n are restored to health in Colorado is thi
], The days are warm, dry and clear, and
night the temperature falls and the G
% grows cool, thus allowing people to obta
d a refreshing nights sleep. In the east