The Holly chieftain., 1898-09-09
Colonel Hollands Report.
THE SALVATION ARMY.
Commander Booth-Tucker,
New York City.


NY Dear Commander:
In accordance with your in
structlons. we have made a careful
investigation. with view of colon
izatIon, of the Arkansas valley, Col
orado, from Holly, in the east, TO
Pueblo, in the west.
In reporting 10 you our conclus
ions, we feel somewhat embarrassed
by the fact that our report will ap-
pear so color de rose, as to lay u>
open to the impression that we have
leaned too much to the bright side
of things, and not sufficiently to the
dangerous or doubtful Really, we
nave searched very carefully for the
pitfalls, realizing how much better
it is TO bring them to light before
we are committed to anything, than
to defer dong SO until we have gone
too far TO retrace our steps. As a
matter of fact, the draw backs in the
Arkansas valley are so few as com
pared to the great advantages which
II offers to colonozatioh, that one
cannot help writing report that
may seem to be very much one
sided. Please be assured that we
did lot 90 TO interested people for
our information. We went to the
settlers direct, and heard from their
own lips the stories of their own
success. Most of them are people
who failed in the mid western states
and commenced life over again in
Colorado, in some instances without
a tithe of the hel p which we propose
to give our settlers, and what is so
very remarkable, have prosrered
almost 10 man. In fact, we wen,
about looking for somebody who
was not succeeding, but found him
not, wherever a reasonable amount
of energy was displayed or where
sufficient water was to be had. Ev.
erywhere we went we saw signs of
advancement. The settlers were
not only getting a living off their
land, but were producing a surplus
besides, which either found its way
into the banks, or was being used 10
pay for their lands, to add to their
stock of cattle, or TO improve their
houses. One cannot go there with
out being impressed by the large
amount OF building going on, not by
the new corners only, but by the old.
er settlers, who pull down their old
houses TO put up more extensive
ones.
The question which will now pre-
sent Itself TO your mind Is, scan such
state of affairs continue? Is there
not a probability of over production
of stuff, and consequent reduction
OF values, on account of the rapid
settlement of the valley?"
Under average conditions we
should think that such would be the
case, but the conditions there are
so peculiarly favorable, that we
think such state very improbable,
49, 1919 iCdSohs.
The State of Colorado, being
chiefly mineral producing country.
has a large non agricultural popula-
tion TO support, which at present
draws very considerable amount
OF Its food supplies from other
states. We endeayored to procure
STATISTICS relative to imports, but
were not successful, except in the
case of eggs and poultry. the i'm.
portatlon of which, last year, is
valued at s2,5oo,oO0. This could
not perhaps be taken as a criterion
for other food commodities, but il
is safe to say that large amount of
all kinds is annually imported.
In addition it should be pointed
out that the development of the
mineral resource of the state is 90.
ing forward very rapidly. and is
likely to do so to an extent altoae,b
er beyond the possibility of a cor
responding development of apricul
ture. because of the smallness of The
irr'gable region. 1t appears safe
therefore to assume that for some.
time to come there will be a home
market for everything that can he
grown; but after that has been sun
pied the outlets for farm commod