The Meeker herald., 1898-01-15
COLORADO STATISTICS.

Seven thousand men are engaged In
mining coal.
A factory is to be built in Denver for
the manufacture Of miners fuse.
The shipments of ore out Of Rico
and merchandise into Rico show large
gains over 1896, being over 1000 cars.
Considerable attention is being given
to the bee and honey business In Eagle
county. There are 10000 head OF hne
cattle In the county.
The total receipts Of the United
States Internal revenue Office for the
district of Colorado for the year ended
December 81, 1897, was $4s0.OOO.
The earnings of the Gulf road for the
year show an increase Of about $4So.-
900 over the earnings Of the year 1S9o
The total earnings were 50, ,454 ,32l.ss.
During the year 1896 I per cent. Of
all the coal produced in the state OF
Colorado came from Garfield county.
The output for this year will exceed
5OO, 600 tons. This county is fifth In
the state In its coal output.
The financial receipts Of the Denver
postoffice for December, 1897, and for
the whole OF the year 1897 exceed the
corresponding receipts Of 1892, which
has hitherto been talked of as the
"boom year" in the local postotfice.
The amount of coal mined In Las An
imas county in 1896 was ,32I .s13 short
tons. The amount Of coke manufac-
tured was 275,OOO ions. The year 1897
will show an increase OF about 10 per
cent. of the amount mined in the ycar
1896.
The total loss by IRE in Denver for
the year 1897. according to the annual
report of W. f. Roberts. fire chief. was
but ss2, ,249.5S, just about half the loss
Of 1896, and the smallest loss from fire
for any year OF which records have
been kept.
The value of buildings erected in the
Colorado cities doing the most build
Ing last year was as follows: Denver,
81, ,OiO. 700: Pueblo. S1,S55.oOO: Colorado
Springs, S765.516: Florence, S5I0,3OO;
Idaho Springs 100000: Cripple Greek
and Victor 100000.
The state superintendent of public
instruction gives the following infor-
nation concerning the public schools
At the close OF the year 1897: School
population, l30,362: total enrolment,
100.SS2; normal school, 1861: teachers,
3,120; school districts, 1,50O: high
schools. Al; private schools, 30.
A peculiar feature of business OF the
Denver & Rio Grande railway for the
year Just ended, was the falling on In
receipts for the first six months Of the
year and the marked increase IN re-
ceipts during the last six months. The
increase has been such during the last
half of the year that the years business
shows an increase in receipts OF ABOUT
1862. 900. The total receipts for the
year were SI,6O0.OOO.
The plant of the Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company has an estimated value
of $7,OOO.OOO, the product for 1897
amounting to about $2,OOO,OOO, though
but a portion OF the works have been
In operation steadily during the past
year. The output of the coal, or fuel
department, has reached product Of
nearly $4.O0O.OOO, In round numbers.
the estimated value OF the output OF
the various interests reaching an act
ual value of $5,935 900, nearly $1,OOO,-
600 In excess of the products OF 1896.
An abundance of fine coal is found In
La Plata county. and the industry
furnishes employment to about 800
Hltu. lie ttlbi thC
Ute Coal Company and the San Juan
Coal Company are the principal con-
Germs operating coal properties, and
their output for 1897 was about 10000
tons a month. while smaller operators
must be credited with an additional
1000 tons a month, a total output Of at
least 135,0O0 tons for the year. In ad-
dition, agricultural pursuits have fur
nished occupation to several thousands
Of people, while the fertile valleys Of
the five streams that cross the county
are prosperous with fruit farms, al
falfa pastrues and grazing lands, all
pouring their tribute to Durango as
the commercial center of the section.
Immense quantities of lime, iron and
marble have been located and only
await development to increase Du-
rango from n prosperous city Of 5000
souls to more prosperous city with
double that population.
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