Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-12-21
Among the Rockies.

[Second of series of letters written
by the editor while on his trip in the
DENVER, COL, DEC. 8, 1898.
Denver is beautiful city. 1t is
we'll built. Large handsome business
blocks closely line the streets of the
business portions and the residence
part is very nearly all brick structures.
However we'll built it is, it has not
been built to keep out a frost as Sc
we're as 20 degrees below zero. There
are no double windows on the houses,
and in many places of business the
heating apparatus is inadequate.
Hence when very unusual cold snap
comes along the people suffer severe
ly. There are no arrangements made
upon the street cars for heating the
same and it was amusing to see a
crowd in car attempt to make change
with their benumbed fingers. We came
to Denver with the same train as the
cold wave evidently. The weather
here is unprecedented, we are told by
old residents. It seems that there is
such a thing as a gradual change of
climate. One theory advanced is that
as the humidity has increased and the
rainbelt has extended, the effect has
been of producing colder weather.
II u
While walking down 18th street this
morning at 500 O'Clock a. M, the
writer felt a pricking sensation in the
lobe of his right ear. He rubbed it
until he thought all cold had disap-
peared, but alas, after we entered the
depot, the member swelled TO- twice it's
normal size. We are willing to con-
cede that we are a ''tenderfoot' in
these parts, but after having been a
resident of Minnesota eighteen years
and being accustomed to below zero
weather and chilly blasts, it does seem
sad that we even must acknowledge
that we are subject to be nipped by
the Jack Frost of Colorado.
~ *
Every passenger train that arrives
at Denver runs in and discharges it's
loads of human freight at the Union
depot. In other words, Denver has a
union depot that is union depot. 1t
is an interesting study to watch the
never-ceasing ebb and flow of the hui
man tide as it surges forwards and
back. A large number OF the soldier
boys from Manila are passing through
here on sick furloughs. We spoke to
a knot of them bound for their homes
in Iowa. They told that most of the
boys over in the PHILIPPINES are secret
ly hoping that they will be included
among those to be relieved by the
sending of regular soldiers to the is
lands. Then there are the miners.
Scores and scores of them may be
found there at any time waiting for
the trains that are to take them tc
their homes in the mountains. We
over heard a conversation between two
old miners. One who called himself
J. E. Martin, had been miner over
p years. He carried his pockets full
OF specimens, and his hobby was the
discovery of the quartz from which
the old Georgia placer diggin's ha6
originated. He argued that the Cali
fornia fever in '49 drew all the atten
ton of the miners of that day from
the Georgia mines, and that after the
placer mines were exhausted, no one
has ever thought of the rich lode!
from which were washed the rich finds
in the streams below. He claimed h,
had prospected and found the quart;
and was now trying to interest suff
Gent capital in the project to enable
him to begin operations. The othe1
miner was IS years Of age, but would
have easily passed for being about 60
He attributed his excellent health tt
his mountain life. He was on his wa,
to Nevada to visit with his children
These people were going in opposite
directions, and in all likelihood wOult
never meet again, yet they spoke abou
their prospects and took as much in
terest in each others affairs as if the,
were about to enter partnership. Thes
were but two incidental cases out o
thousands. The miners we have me
with have all been open, frank honest
looking fellows, and the rough des
parade characters so often pOrtraye'
to us by eastern papers and many au
thors are not much in evidence.
- -
Before we left Willmar we read al
interview in the Minneapolis Tribune
in which millionaire from New Yor]
told of the conditions in Colorado
He said, ''the silver question is almos
as dead an issue in Colorado and tn
West generally as it is in New Yorl
ITSELF One reason for this is the fac
that prosperity has struck the stat
very forcibly." He also stated tina
he was surprised that one of the mos
ardent advocates OF the gold stand ar
in Colorado was a large silvermin
owner. This last statement rather dis
poses of the great hue and cry in tn
last campaign that the free silve
cause was mainly for the benefit o
rich mine owners. The former state
ment is so absurdly untrue that we be
lieve but few people will be deceive'
by it. The people are very nearly
unit for free silver here. Anyon
who claims otherwise, simply hasn'
mingled with the common people. AM
silver mining is not by far the leadin,
industry i'm Colorado, either. He
miners take out more gold than silve
in value. And her agricultural pro
duct exceed both the gold and silve
mine products in value.
| Aspen, COL, Dec. II.
The city of Denver lies on the lin
where the great plains meet the tumult
Gus rise of the Rocky Mountains o.
the one hand lies the broad expans
of prairie and on the other side tn
majestic mountain ra nras ara 81 Close