Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-07-03
Irrigation in valley. Of the Rockies.

-
orado. and Utah. This Is all in the
Rocky mountain country, and the ay-
erage altitude of the three is about
mile above the sea level. The state OF
Colorado has taken particular pains 10
so place its state capital at Denver that
the floor of the basement shall be ex-
actly one mile above SEA level. There
are about eighty peaks over $4,000
feet high and hundreds over 1900.
Between these mountain ranges lie
valleys which are fertile when irri-
eating water can be put upon them.
Otherwise they are deserts. The larg-
est example of irrigation is also the
first In the United States by a white
man in the great Mormon settlement
In the valley of the Salt Lake. Two
other examples of irrigation on
large scale are In the eastern slope of
the Rockies north of Denver in the
country around Greeley. and the Ar
kansas valley below Pueblo.
Cattle, Sheep and Gold.
without irrigation the only agricul-
ture possible in this country is stock
raising. There Is an Irrepressfble con-
filct between the sheep men and the
cattle men for the use of the immense
ranges of unsuryeyed land. AS the
sheep eat closer than the cattle, they
can find pasturage ON many mountain
sides and ON many almost desert
tracts where cattle cannot live, so
sheep raising is a great industry ia
New Mexico and Utah. Colorado s
more OF a cattle country. Half Of
the annual production of Colorado is
agricultural, Including the cattle ald
sheep. The other half is mineral. 1t
is not generally realized that Colorado
s now producing as nacI gold as
California and Alaska pat together.
besides a great output of silver and
lead and some COPPER. Copper mines
are being discovered all over New
Mexico, Arizona and Utah and the
present demand for copper makes
them safer Investment than gold or
silver mines.
THE country ia very picturesque,
but not always comfortable to travel
in. Colorado is still silver state and
Ia controlled by that interest in its
politics. New Mexico was carried at
the last election In favor OF protection
by the wool interest. Utah is divided
in It's sympathles, the mining inter-
ests tending toward free silver and
the agricultural interests toward pro
lection. In all this country there is
very little sympathy with the anti-im-
perialist idea. West of the Missouri
the people with few exceptions are in
favor OF expansion, Gnd west of the
Rocky mountains business interests
are fully alive to the value of com
merce with the Orient. The policies
of these states at che last election
were the result of these interests and
the situation is likely to remain the
same III the FUTURE.
Breeding Rattlers for Bounty.
rather stiff story comes from
Crawford county, where bounty OF
so cents per RATHER tail is given by
the county. The story Is that the
hunters cut the rastlers from the tail,
and then release the snake. He will
naror sr.n,,, mona ra t,Iars l,fr,eaIf 1,,+
I've Is therefore doubly dangerous as an
enemy In giving no warning. and, es-
peciaily may the snake become the an
csstors OF long line of other snakes
with rattlers for the bounty hunters.
Whether the evil is serious enough to
warrant the compelling of the showing
Of the head and not merely the rat
tiers is something the county board
must determine. Personally, | shall
hold no rattlesnake with my foot
while excsing the terminus of his
eaudai appendage.
Studying rattlesnakes Is the favor
lite pastime of DR.. Rudolph Menger
Va Chh Shht01soy Ava nS lSpliitS are
Plentiful In that locality.
He has taken some startling pho
tographs, showing the rattler's horrid
head. mouth, poison fangs, teeth and
tongue at close quarters.
DR.. Menger does not agree with
Professor James Of Chicago, that death
from the bite OF rattlesnake is
great rarity. On the contrary, he
thinks the victims chances of recovery
are very small If the fang strikes
vital part of a blood vessel The eff
feet of the bite Is almost lnstantane-
Gus. The affected part rapidly swells,
the lynphaties and veins become in
famed, and the blood moves slug
gishly.
Luckily, the snakes fangs general
ly have to penetrate clothing or shoe
leather, and as they are very fragile
they are either broken off or very lit
tie poison is injected into the flesh.
The severity of the case depends on
the quantity of poison injected.
ORLANDO BURNETT.