Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-01-04
Showing a Bright Future for
Durango and Southwest
Colorado.
Good bye, old year. good bye!

mighty deeds OF great century. You
lave crowned. as with halo, tho
glorious and imperishable record OF
the Nineteenth century.
Hail, Welcome. 1901, Your coming
is suspicious ard fraught with prom
ises Of great blessings. Hail, We
come,
In compliance with an old custom
The Herald presents, in brief, re-
view of the old year and statement
OF the present conditions as they fore
tell the prospective future.
No great achievements have been
Won without indomitable purpose and
n great desperate struggle. The drift
of the current of the river has down
ward course and this results from all
separate particles being alike acted
upon by the universal law of gray
ity. There seems to be like univer-
sal law acting upon the currents i'll
the affairs of men constantly forcing
downward. To change this trend and
current upword the natural forces
must be overcome and this means con
stant. persistent and determined
struggle. 1t means more in the affairs
of men, it means united purpose TO
gain the object.
Whenever and wherever disaster
or failure is recorded there is found
lacking one or more of these requis-
ties to attain success. So here and
Eow let us resolve as citizens and
members of 4 section If our great
common country, the rival of any
IN all that goes TO make happy pros
ferrous and contented people, to SO
unite our energies and purposes that
thc greatest good possible may como
10 us and our posterity from our Ia
bors and struggles.
1t required courage; it required
Drawn; ii required brain and heart
TO attempt the work of developemenJ
Of natural resources in this rough ard
rugged Rocky mountain region But
the pioneers of the San Juan were
equal to the task and most effectually
has the work been prosecuted. Many
Of The barriers to progress have been
removed One by one gigantic diff
culties have been surm )unted Hope
s'uu perseverance, nave ltu " ulStON-
cry after discovery. Each new tri-
umph has opened the field to new in
dustries. And all along the years the
food of emigration has flowed in, es-
tablishing camps, towns and cities.
Great industries have grown up with
their accompanying mills, factories
and workshops. Nature has been SUD-
dued and the mountains have been
compelled to give up their treasures,
and the plains and valleys to yield
their rich harvests.
1t has not been story of uninter-
1upted progress. There have been
years of dearth and panic. There have
Been times of darkness and gloom.
There have been seasons of doubt
and discouragement. But through all
adversely hope and faith has remain
ed firmly fixed in the breast OF the
honest home builder and the true
seeker after wealth.
1t is true that certain people
have contributed their pestilential
hinderance to progressive attain
ments, but public sentiment has main
tanned an ascendency and will one day
crush out their influence
In development and building op of
this vast region of country known to
the world as the Sunny San Juan,
there mas been little rivalry in the To-
cation of towns and cities. Nature
seems to have determined with uner-
ling precision the exact locality for
the business centres and their rela-
tive dependence on each other.
The mining camps We're located by
the pioneer before the pick and shov-
el had revealed the hidden wealth OF
the surrounding country. In almost
every instance however the camp has
proven TO be the centre of developed
rich mining districts, and the best
adapted for the purposes OF town
oI city.
Durango by common consent and
by natural selection is the CONNER
oial centre of the entire Southwestern
Colorado, and northern New Mexico
and has held that position since the
Lionoer day. Here it is, nature has
brought together most conveniently
the coal, lime and iron ore necessary
for the treatment by smelling of the
ore product of the metalliferous mines
Here is the point where the product
OF the ranges and farming lands that
lie tributary, to the south, east and
west in untold acres, can best be col
lboted and distributed throughout the
mining region. Here, toe, nature hal
surrounded us with balmy and HEALTHY
atmosphere; grand and magnificent
scenery; sunny days and cloudless
lights; making this the home centre
where educational and religious in
.titutions can best flourish.
Growing out OF these natural advan
tages, great smelling plants hay" been
erected giving employment to nun
dreds of men. Large elevators ant
Touring mills, are here located. Fac
tt ries and shops for the preparation
;ud handling of metals, for the mar
Eets are mere. Extensive mercantile
establishments. department stores