Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-08-21

DENvER's GROWTH.

DENVER's GROWTH.
The Wonderful Strides of a
Progressive Western City in
the Way of Improvement
Brick and Mortar.
Correspondence of the Ledger.
DENVER. CeLo., Aug. 13.-Per-
haps the first query that comes to
an Fastener, on his grasping all
that Denver seems, is, "What sup.
ports it?" Perhaps, also, the ques-
ton has never been satisfactorily
answered. The great amount of
capital brought here by wealthy
invalifis, the vas. stretch of terri.
tory west, dependent on this city
for supplies, must largely account
for it. For years Colorado has
been the dumping place of Eastern
money, not from the capitalists
merely, but the thousands of
prospect holes perforating the
hills, show that the poor man has
also contributed his share to this
city's support Then, too, the
fact must not be overlooked that
the mining output of the State has
constantly been increasing and is
yet only partially developed.
Hence the poor and the rich, along
with the invalid, will continue to
come. The average Denver citi-
gen has a large belief in himself
and city and "goes in" The re-
cent census estimate is 125, 900,
but every improvement is made on
the basis of population of 3OO,-
600. There are said to be $500
new houses going up now, and
everywhere you are crowded into
midstreet by lumber piles, and the
creak of tackle block and puff of
hoist engine is abroad in the land.
This midstreet promenading is
especially dlsagreeable in wet
weather. A slight rainfall con-
verts this soil now with its much
travel into a slush, which the
writer saw actually flow last April;
and the pedestrian is at the mercy
of every splashing vehicle. How
ever, Denver is preparing..to asphalt
two of her principal streets, and to
furnish jobs perhaps to more men
than those who labor with pick and
shovel. This rapidity of improve
ment has spoiled much of Denver's
beauty as usually estimated. The
business portions have encroached
upon the residence regions and
dug up the old shade trees, and
the newer residence lots are so new
that their trees are quite unim-
pressive at present. Up town and
down town, it is a city OF bare
brick and mortar. Time will soon
remedy this, however. No city, to
my knowledge, has SO large a per
cent. of beautiful and unique de.
signed homes.
Real estate in Denver is still a
good investment, but the wildcat
chances are all gone. 1t takes
large margins now to operate.
Within the reasonable limits of the
city's prospective growth, values
will increase. Money is z and s
per cent, wages fair, rents moder-
ate and public health good. There
is very noticeable change in the
prices of necessities in the last ten
years, and in most things Eastern
prices prevail.
The water supply of the city is
excellent, especially in the Capital
Hill region, which is supplied
from the Cherry Creek reservoir.
Artesian water is also available. A
fine system OF sewers pervades the
city and the old cistern and cess
pool are things of the past. A de-
cade ago the writer can well re-
member how those, with low wells
in the late dry winter, would wait
patiently for the spring turning-on
of the ditch water, when they knew
by percolation their supply would
be increased. The artesian system
was short-lived hope OF outwit-
ting the water companies. The
first wells flowed copiously, but
soon SO many were sunk as 10
make pumping necessary. 1t is q
beautiful, pure water, patronized
mostly by the washwomen and the
fastidious.
To a stranger, Denver citizens
have confusing popularity of call
ing every little business building
block. "Sorry, We are just out, u
is the polite merchants reply.
"You will find 1t at Smiths in the
Jones Block" and masking your
ignorance you step out and ask the
| first officer where Jones' Block is,
and find you had often passed ii
without due appreciation. Every
fellow who has money enough to
build q store erects it as his
mausoleum. But Denver has some
magnificent blocks.
! This is not Enthusiastically q
| ralioious citv hut il has its alot0