The Springfield herald., 1899-05-05

Its cantaloupe and water melon buSl-
ness, and its rapid but substantial
growth.
A Santa Fe dispatch says: New
Mexico. from the Mesilla valley to the
Taos mountains, from the San Juan TO
the Rio Hondo, is one sea Of fragrant
blossoms. In the south the apricots,
peaches. almonds are done blooming;
in the central part the apple blossoms
are Just opening and in the north the
first timid apricot blossoms are just
turning their faces to the sun. Never
before have there been such bright
prospects of a great fruit crop in New
Mexico as this year. The weather has
been dry and cool over the whole ter
ritory. and favorable for working the
soil and planting crops. Cold nights
have checked the rapid growth Of veg
citation. and in the higher attitudes of
the northern counties severe frosts
have done little damage. owing TO the
general backwnrdness of the season.
More alfalfa than ever has been sown
this year. and in the southern counties
it is almost ready for the first crop.
The jury in the case of Sam Carter
and William Waugh. the two Vulcan
miners who have had two trials be
fore the District Court at Gunnison.
brought in verdict of acquittal. Car
ter and Waugh We're charged with
robbery. 1t was said they took away
guns from persons connected with and
In charge of the Vulcan mine. This
was, it was alleged. the inception of
the entire trouble, and the verdict ren-
dered by the jury will simplify the
entire situation. Arrangements have
been perfected by which the twen-
ty other men who We're implicat-
ed in the affair. and against
whom some eighty charges have
been made. will be arraigned be-
fore the court and will enter a plea
OF guilty to the charge of assault. a
nominal fine will probably be imposed.
and the affair will come TO an end.
The verdict gives general satisfaction
to the taxpayers. for it means the saw
ing OF thousands of dollars to the
county.
The Colorado Board OF Agriculture
met at Fort Collins on the 10Th. The
minutes of the December meeting
We're disapproved and the clause re-
appointing DR. Aston Ellis as presi-
dent of the State Agricultural College
was rescinded, on motion of Governor
Thomas. by vote of ! TO 4. p. +.
Sharp of Pueblo was elected president
of the board by vote of > to 4. i.
NJ. Hawley of Canon City was elected
secretary of the board. and q. \.
Webb of Fort Collins treasurer The
matter of the election of n successor
to DR.. Ellis was deferred until the
evening session. The candidates dis
cussed are Rev Barton Aylesworth.
Rev. Bayard Craig. Chancellor Nc
Dowcll of Denver. Professor l.. u.
Carpenter of Fort Collins and Profes-
sor Johnson of the Longmont College
At the evening session Chancellor Will
lam f. Mcdowell of the University of
Denver was elected 10 succeed Presi-
dent Ellis. 1t is not known whether
Chancellor Mcdowell will accept or
not.
A dispatch from Aspen says: Noun
tain sheep. at the head of COnundrum
gulch and Maroon creek. have suffered
terribly from the rigors of the last
winter. Rich Thomson and David
Saunders. two young trappers. who re-
turned from Maroon lakes Sunday, re-
port having found the body of one
sheep dead in snowslide and brought
its horns out as evidence of their
find. A short distance away were two
more. buck and eve. so nearly
starved that they made no attempt to
get away at the approach of the boys.
They We're snowbound in little
gulch and had eaten off cottonwood
saplingS an inch or more in diameter
The young men lifted the sheep from
the snow and took them some distance
to spot where the sun had melted the
snow from the mountain, and cut some
brush for them to eat The animals,
they said. We're little more than living
skeletons. but We're able to walk about
Another trapper in that section reports
having found several dead sheep and
is of the opinion that a greater part of
them in that section have perished.
At the head of the gulches, south of
Aspen, there have been known to ex-
ist several bands of sheep, of from
twenty-five TO forty each. or about
$50 in all.
A dispatch from Hugo. Colorado. on
the 2Sth. said: A prairie fire has been
raging this morning near the Elbert
and Lincoln county line. Many of the
largest cattle and sheep men of East
ern Colorado are located near the burn
ing territory. The fire is spreading
with great rapdity in a southerly di-
rection from the Union Pacific rail
road. where the fire is supposed to
have started 1t is believed to have
originated in sparks from the early
west-bound passenger train this morn
ing. The dense clouds of smoke have
caused great excitement here and ve-
hicLes and saddle horses are leaving
town. bearing fire fighters. bound for
the scene of action. No loss of life or
property is reported. The fire started
in the vicinity of Lake station. spread
ing rapidly south and west. The
spread of the flames was checked on
the south and east sides of the confla-
grafton only after great difficulty and
not until it had extended distance of
twelve or fifteen miles. burning every