The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-12
CLIMATE.
Natives Can BE Brought to Admit that
1t Has Faults.

Denver Letter in Washington Post.
1t would not be safe, of course to say any
thing against that same Colorado climate.
Every Denverite understands that it is
really the only perfect climate in all the
round world Tt is a panacea for all i'm
aginable ills, except, perhaps, for heart
disease. and If you venture to have any
complaint of that sort here, you are in
danger of being classed among the number
of those who are difficult" and intention
ally disagreeable.
Along with his conviction that the climate
OF his State is perfect. your true Coloradan
cherishes a belief that the climate of the
East-and 1.-THE East to him means any,
thing from Omaha, Neb., to Kennebunk-
port, Me.-is generally ~diabolical If you
venture to feel under the weather after
coming here, you are suffering merely from
the effects of the various germs you have
collected w to work their way out
OF your system, for 1.-The East" is understood
TO be SO full of all kinds of evil germs that
you can't draw a long breath without filling
yourself full of them. The Coloradan exists
In a chronic state of wonder that anybody
ever gets out of that same dreadful East
alive.
And, indeed, the hundreds of health
seekers who flock into Denver every wear
are enough to sustain the belief that The
~ tAstA wv tF AtLl 4o a idil " tlS0dSe
and death. Ones first impression of Colo
RADIO is that everybody is oddly emaciated.
and that an alarming number of persons
you meet In the street are Enthusiastically
consumptive, or .lungers." as is the
euphonious local name for them. The very
dogs, among whom the greyhound breed
seems to be most fashionable, add to the
general effect of thinness. Half the men
and women you meet can tell you wonder
flu; tales of almost miraculous cures of con-
SUMPTION. either in their own cases or in
the cases OF their friends. The less fash
ionable quarters OF the town are plastered
thick with board and lodging signs. and
every sheltered gallery has its gaiInt. hol-
low-cheeked, pitifully hopeful invalid. care
fully wrapped against the keen air and
wooing health in the bright sunlight.
Consumption germs, every Coloradan viii
tell you, cannot possibly live i'm the Colo
rado climate yet one of the leading physi-
clans OF Colorado Springs, a man, by the
way, who has recently published a book
TO prove that is durable. con-
fesses that he has met in his practice with
no less than twelve cases of consumptio
of the lungs contracted in Colorado. In
none OF these twelve cases was there any
history of a previous predisposition to the
disease, and each one of the patients had
been in the West long enough to he thor
ough acclimated. All of the twelve died
Colorado may cure consumption contracted
elsewhere. but for Contracted
in Colorado there is no cure TO be hoped
for. 1t is for this reason that consume
tives living in this climate are SO anxious
to send their children East to schools. and
often to live permanently.
The real way to get at the truth about
the Colorado climate is to praise the State
most ext~ravagantly. The Coloradan. like
every provincial anywhere on earth. is
constantly on the defensive. He expects
the newcomer to criticise. and he is always
on the alert to combat criticism: but
praise Colorado to the skies. laud every
thing from the nervous cottonwood trees
10 the vanishing river, and you catch him
on his guard A little judicious hattery.
and you have him at your mercy. Tell
him your Washington physician recon-
mended you to come TO Denver because Il
had a climate free from sudden changes,
and you'd get over YOU bad habit Of TAX
ing cold He viii instantly tell You that