The Holly chieftain., 1900-01-05
DENVER GOSSIP.
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM TMg
STATE CAPITOL.

a. BuchIel, the new cnaAcell0r OF Den
yer University, at the University Col
lege of Music last Thursday night, by
the Methodist Union of the city, that
was attended by hundreds of students
OF the University and old friends ID
DIR. Buchtel. who knew him during hi
former residence in the city.
The receipts of the Office OF Secretary
of State Beckwith are more than dou-
bic the estimate for the year made by
the auditor. 1t was estimated that
the office would yield $4,000 for each
OF the two years term of the secretary,
and appropriations We're made on this
basis. In the first year. to the hour of
closing yesterday afternoon the receipts
have been S135.052. $4,000 more than
the estimate for two years, and 5000
more than the auditor thought the Of
hce would earn during the first year.
During the month of December there
has been received from new corpora
tons and the other sources of revenue
of the office S42.o57.65.
Executive sanction win not be given
to Attorney General Campbells
scheme to employ convicts in the gold
mines supposed TO be located on state
lands near Cripple Creek. The Objec-
tons of the governor are purely legal,
y
probation of the plan to work the coal
mines near Canon City with convicts
or 10 employ them at all outside of the
penitentiary. Governor Thomas has
stated his position in the matter in
letter to the attorney general, basing n
purely upon the absence of statutes
covering such projects There is no
statute providing for such work and
the governor says there might be leg
lslative objection to it. Attorney Cen
erai Campbell still favors the scheme.
but admits the force of the argument
OF the governor, and says the project
viii necessarily be dropped until
statute covering ii can be passed.
State Engineer McCune has deter
mined that his department will coop
crate with the federal government as
much as possible in gathering data for
the statistics on irrigation for the,
twelfth census. The collection of irri-
CATION statistics will be in charge of r.
III. Newell, one of the government hy-
dregraphers, and Mr.. Fellows WIN
have charge of the work in. Colorado
so far rs time will permit. Mr.. Nc
Cune will also assist and will also en-
deavor to make the statistics as COM
plete as possible, because of the many 4
inquiries for information received. II
is the intention to give every ditch in
the state. Each stream will be taken
and the bitches will be given in order
from the source down. The positions
or each ditch, the quantity of water;
carried in it and the acreage irrigated.
together with other information. will
be gathered. Mr.. McCune believes
that the compilation of complete and
correct report will be of great benefit
to the state.
ID. NJ. Simpson, coal mine inspector, /.
says in his annual report to the gov
ernor that under his administration OF
the office fatal accidents in coal mines
have been so frequent that in addition>-
to the money and labor cost of getting
out coal, there has been one man killed
in mine accidents for every 117,3
tons of coal mined. During the year
one in every 11S coal miners in the
state has been killed. In addition
there has been recorded % accidents
which have not proved fatal. There
were in all Al fatal accidents during.
the year. Eighty-nine mines in tllt-'
state have turned out 4.SO6,S79 tons
of coal in the fiscal year and employed
7,32l men. Arapahoe county's ton !.
mage Is 439, while Boulder has turned Y
out 5S2.662 tons. Fremont 729,325 tons.
iiueiiaho Vp,olo touS. Lbs A0lmaS
county holds the banner with an OUT y
put of 2,122,345 tons. The coke ton.
mage for the year reached 455,7S3 and
the increase in the coal output of the
state shows an increase for the year of
642,S42 tons. In transmitting his re-
port to the governor Mr., SmDson
says: AT no period in the history of1.
the industry has the increase of pro-
duction been as great and the general
conditions SO favorable. Capital is re-
munerated and labor is satisfied. Dur
ing the year there has been an in.}
crease Of more than 100000 tons in
the production, which is equal to
about 10 per cent. The most salts =
factory part of the situation is that
the demand is far in excess Of the
production"
Curator Ferril of the State Historic
cal Society has just returned from N
three days hunt for specimens of Col
orado mountains birds in their midwin.s
ter dress. He hunted above timbers
line, near Alpine pass on the GunnisoA
line of the Colorado & Southern, at an
altitude of 11.524 feet He secured a
fine set Of specimens of the rosy finch.
a pretty native bird that is often called
by mountaineers the red snow bir4"
because OF its rusty plumage. Tie
rosy finch is found about timberline u
the mountains, summer and winterk
but seldom at lower attitudes. II fst
considered one of the most beautif,It
of native birds. Some have red headsh
and others are gray or ash colored. Mr..
Ferril secured also specimen of
'Clarkes crow" manned for Clarke of
the Lewis and Clarke expedition), and
the Rocky Mountain iaybird more