CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1898-11-10
OUR GREAT POSSIBILITIES.
A Writer In the Forum dives So@l
Pertinent Fscts Regarding
the Great West.


: His pin be placed at Denver. Colo
rado, on the map, and another 1t
Stockton, California, and q string be
drawn fl ON one to the other, an air
line would be marked, passing through
the heart Of the gold territory de-
scribed. Slightly north of Denver is
Central City; and southwest of that
city is Cripple Creek; about thirty
miles north of the string Leadville
will be found; in the southwest cor
ner Of Colorado will appear Telluride,
Rico. and other points where gold ia
mined; Marysville in Utah, almost
due south Of Salt Lake City, will ap-
pear TO the southyof the string; fifty
mileBto the north of it, near the line
between Utah and Nevada, will appear
Osceola;i Deep Creek lies north of
Osceola, and on the southern edge of
the great desert west Of Salt Lake;
Detroit, and several other rich gold
camps are almost due east of Osceola;
Phoebe lies about one hundred miles
south of the string, and the wonder
fully rich gold territory of the Monkey
Wrench district lies southwest of
Phoebe.
The distance from Denver to Stock
ton is about twelve hundred miles.
On no portion of the habitable globe
is there region so continuously. and
enormously, rich in gold as the terri
tory described; and yet not with
standing this fact, the progressive
Yankee has scarcely made a start in
opening and developing these riches
which have been entombed for millions
of years, and which will remain so
sepulcherd until we awaken to an
appreciation of The fact tnat the
states of Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and
California bear within their bosoms
more wealth than ever was dreamed
of by Cr9sus.
But the mineral wealth of these
states is not confined to gold. lgnor-
ing silver, which will continue to be
largely mined as by-product, they
contain riches beyond belief. Colo
RADIO and Utah have as fine anthracite
coal as Pennsylvania can boast of.
They have bituminous coal of first
quality for coking and other purposes,
exhaustless in quantity. They have
iron in immense deposits, Utah, espec-
tally in the southwest corner, having
mountains Of almost pure iron, the
ike of which, for richness and extent
Of deposit. exists nowhere else. In
Nevada, north Of Byko, is 'oal Val
.ey so named by United States en-
,ineers where coal OF fine quality
is said to unierlie an extensive terri
tory. Should coal be mined along
he line of railroad traversing that
territory, it would be more valuable
Jhan the richest gold mine
Upon coal and iron all modern in
iustry rests. However rich may be
the state of Pennsylvania, owing to
its coal and iron, the day will come
and at no distant time when Colo
rado, Utah and Nevada, with their
gold silver, coal and iron,r will be the
richest territory in the world But
such wonderful transformation will
be possible only when our people shall
bend their energies toward opening
and developing the resources of these
states.
But Colorado, Utah and Nevada
have boundless possibilities of devel-
opment in addition to their mineral
resources. Thirty years ago the
writer traversed Southern California;
finding it sage-brush waste, with
land worth, if marketable at all, not
more than SO cents per acre. Los
Angeles, the metropolis of Southern
California, then contained about A.
600 souls. About seven years ago, a
second visit was made to the Land of
the Sun: and third, three years ago.
A grand Transformation had taken
place in the appearance and wealth of
California. The utilization Of water
from the mountain streams had made
that waste region the home Of the
rose, the lily and luscious fruits. Los
Angeles had swelled to 65, 900 popu-
lation bySl89O. Today it has over
10000 while flourishing villages,
towns and cities dot the valleys where
a quarter ofca ceatury agoh the jack
rabbit reigned supreme.
The development of Colorado and
Utah began years ago: but the
greatest growth has been in the last
eight years, owing to The opening up
OF those states by railroads. Abun-
dance of water exists in Colorado ;and