Gilpin observer., 1900-01-11
COLORADO ITEMS.

from Florence He had apparently
been lynched some time ago
The body of William Zaden was
found in Il well near La Junta the
other day. He had evidently been
murdered. Two MeXicans are sus-
pected.
Building permits issued in Denver
during 1899 were So, 19OO53, compared
with $1,7OS, 200 in 1898, S1,267,2O0 in
1897. $1,114,6 600 in 1896, 81, 125, 600 in
1895 and $165, 100 in 1894.
The receipts of the Denver postofTice
in 1899 We're $4OO,354. The expenses
We're $152, ,SO4, and the net profit to the
government was $247 $50. The in
crease in revenue over 1898 was S.9 per
cent.
The merchants of Grand Junction
have agreed to close their places of
business at Z o'clock every evening eX-
cept Saturday for the next three
months. This matter was brought
about through the efforts of the Retail
Clerks International Association.
A. l.. Humphrey, superintendent of
motive power of the Colorado Midland
Railway, is in Paterson, New Jersey, to
inspect the $4,000 rotary snow plow
ordered several months ago. The ma
chine is now completed and will be
delivered as soon as approved by Mr..
Humphrey. 1t will be the biggest
snow plow in the West, having
sweep two feet greater in width than
those now in use in the mountains.
The value of the manufactured goods
produced in Denver during the year,
exclusive of smelter products, was S34,-
634, ,342. The factories employ 1885
vaap
15O. During 1898 the Denver factories
produced goods valued at $29, ,26S, $50,
and employed 11,576 persons, who
earned $7,11O,45O in wages. In addi-
tion the Smelters employ 1,SO0 men,
whose earnings during the year were
$960,00O.
BY the agreement of the telegraph
ers and the Rio Grande, a new office
is created, that of manager of the
main telegraph office at salary of
$50 month. ]. L. Fegan has been in
charge of the Rio Grande telegraph Of
flee for ten years. but without official
position. Now that the position is de-
fined, it is to go to the man who is
oldest in line of promotion. who is j.
w. Brunton of Pueblo, now wire
chief, with headquarters at Pueblo.
The four days from the 7th to the
10th of February are to be gala days
at Colorado College. Preparations have
already been largely completed for n
double celebration-in honor of the
opening of the new Pickens Fine Arts
building, and in commemoration of the
twenty-tifth anniversary of the found
ing of the college. The exact anniver-
sary date came last May, but it was
decided to postpone its celebration I'M
IN i'm, h,,iII oh 1,n G,,
ished, and then make the joint cele
bration the most notable occasion of
Its sort in the history of the college.
J. l. Jackson of Grand Junction has
invented n machine which bids fair to
make for the inventor Il fortune. The
machine is beet digger and topper. 1t
has four wheels and is operated by n
series of levers at the command of the
driver a plow which is preceded by
coulter raises the beets out Of the
ground and throws them to the side.
and while this operation is going on Il
sharp knife slices off the top. AS fast
as team can walk the beets are taken
out of the ground. topped and ready
for the teamster to haul them to the
factory. patent has been applied
for.
The Woman's Club of Grand juno
ton is rejoicing greatly because of the
muniiicent donation made by Andrew
Carnegie to found free public library
in that city. The sum given by Mr..
Carnegie is 5000. which was the
amount asked for The Womans
Club own n fine building lot on
Seventh evenue and the building will
be erected on this lot. For some time
the executive committee of the club
have been working TO secure this dOnn-
tion from the great iron master and
philanthropist and their joy is great
because they have been given this
handsome New Years present from
Mr.. Carnegie.
The first shovel full of dirt on the
new Colorado Springs Il Cripple Creek
short line was thrown out at 1 o'clock
Thursday. President Irving Howbert
performed this ceremony near the
mouth of Bear creek canon. About
twenty-five men We're put to work and
the number will be increased to thou
sand in n week. The first work to be
accomplished Is the cutting of forty
foot roadway through the big hill lying
Just to the left of Bear creek canon. On
Saturday Camp No. 2 will be estab-
lshed in North Cheyenne canon, and
on Tuesday Camp No. 3 will be estab-
lshed half way between the Cheyenne
canon camp, and the present one south
west of Colorado City. The grade will
be about 33 per cent, which Is less
than that of either railroad entering
Cripple Creek, and Cameron. 5000 feet
above sea level. will be the highest
point on the road.
The business of the Colorado Fuel
& Iron Company has increased ut
tremendous rate during the year. The
great steel plant of the company at
Pueblo has been enlarged and i'm
proved. and n plate mill has been add
ed. The company is the largest pro-
ducer of coal in the West, as well as
of iron, and is constantly increasing It's
holdings of coal and iron lands. 1t will
ilaI1.