Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-08-01
Letter from Colorado.

To the E6Stor of the ENPosIToR:
For the benefit of my friends and the
readers in general of the EXPoSIToR it
will be a great pleasure to me to write
you letter-comment on what | have
observed in this locality and the i'm
pressionS made upon me.
Colorado is one of the richest states
in the union. Upon its extensive eX-
panses of grazing land large herds of
cattle and numerous flocks of sheep
roam, which contribute yearly to supply
the enormous demands of our great
markets. However, these large tracts
of prairie land are being rapidly trans
formed into smaller ranches or farms
as the irrigating industry advances,
offering its welcome draught to Guench
the thirst of the burning planes.
These reservoirs are controlled by
corporations, of course requiring a large
capital, the farmer paying a"water fee"
This seems to be the only efficient way
OF operating them under existing cir
cumstances. Nevertheless | think the
system could be greatly improved if in
the hands of the government. For to
speak more plainly the people of the
arid regions, through the government,
could better protect the mountain
this class of men. that with an aweful
progress, are telling our trees for lum-
Der. charcoal and wood If this ruth
less slaughter could be stopped they
would thereby increase their water sup
ply and tend to equalize It's distribution
With the aid of the irrigating system
the farmer is enabled to successfully till
his lands. producing large crops of Al
| falii or hay. corn. wheat. oats and other
| grain as well as improving his pasture
/ land. The South Park. a strip of land
extending for miles as a great valley in
! the very heart of the Rocky Mountain
/ Range, is well supplied with streams
and here lie the greatest hay ranches.
/ producing hay that is uneXcelled. It
/ is OF very dark green hue and to look
at it while growing from a distance
would give you the impression that the
| fields had been recently scared by
/ fire.
Now to come to the mining industry:
/ i'm this the state acquires its chief
wealth. and with its still hidden treas
ures lnSureS its wealth for years to
come On this millions Of western
/ capital depend for its existence, the
western railroads. the various great
/ Smelter and Refining Works OF Denver.
/ of Pueblo, and to q great extent, of
| Omaha and Kansas City. In the city of
/ Leadyille there is the largest mining
/ camp in the world. From Becken-
ridge came the largest gold nugget
every discovered i'm the United States.
| Denver the capitol is justly called the
Queen City of the Vest" but to fully
] appreciate its praises you have only to
| interview a seal-estate man or consult
the larger dalies.
The scenery of Colorado has world
wide reputation. 1t needs no comment.
The grandeur of it can not be expressed
in words.
The climate is both healthful and
pleasant, the winters being mild and
the summers cool. An additional adj
vantage is, that people, within dis
lance of seventy-five miles, can always
find a climate to suit them by choosing
an altitude according to the season.
spent the winter at an elevation of five
or six thousand feet, that of Denver,
and found it very mild and enjoyable.
! Coming up into the mountains in
April | have enjoyed cool and de-
! lightful summer. | am living at an
elevation of about twelve thousand
feet and have scarcely ever seen the
thermometer above 60 degrees. l have
some fire in the Office every evening
and sleep comfortably under heavy
covering. l am on the very summit of
a watershed, the water running both
ways. And on either side of the noun
tain snow is often found which in some
places is nearly fifty feet deep. There
are no crops raised within miles of this
place; and freight rates being very high
the necessities of life as well as Injuries
are very expensive. Passenger fare is
six cents per mile; although it was
formerly as high as ten cents. Table
board can be had for five and six dollars
per week. Wages run from two tC
three dollars per day in the mines. Al
railroading it varies from $l.35 on sec
ton to $1.75 on construction work
Work is plenty. No one need be out
of employment. But the society is
such as you find in the lumber camps
of Northern Michigan.
JOHN p. REGAIN.
Farnham, Col, July goth. 1890.
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