Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-10-24
DURANGO INDUSTRIAL
FAIR AND THE
LESSON 1T TAUGHT
The San Juan Section of Southern Col
orado-Written Especially for
The Post by w. E. Pabor.

OF the country. Mr.. Paber has visit
every county fair in the state this
year for the purpose of giving his i'm
pressions. He is an enthusiast OF
pumpkin shows and fruit displays
We take pleaure in reproducing the
entire article, as our readers will as
certain what others have to say and
think OF us:
Utopia is pleasant place, but how
shall we get there?
Straight down the crooked lane and
all around the square
Denver to Durango, 4S0 miles. A
days journey from the metropolis OF
the state to the metropolis of south,
western Colorado, set in a park on
which the La Plata mountains look
down, close to that point of intersec.
tion where four great Rocky mountain
commonwealths corner holding with.
in their bosom secret man has long
siriven to wrest from them, but thus
far all vainly
VIII 1t pay to go there to see a dis
trict fair. held in country where the
altitude ranges from 5000 to 1900
feet, and where but a three months
season of growth prevailed? The ed
ltor of The Post said it would Its
mission was to spread abroad the ad-
vantages OF every section of Colorado.
be ii near or far away. No valley to
obscure, no park so isolated, no town
so unimportant but should find in
The Post an open page on which its
story should be told. either by its
resident visitors or by the papers
special commission. so the people at
home or abroad may know.
So started to view the fall indus
trial exhibit of the Colorado-New Mex
lean Fair association, held in Duran
go. of which c. f. Mcconnell is pres
ident, and which numbers among its
members the leading citizens of town
and county.
A glance over the premium list
showed that the fair directors had
done their duty. Few county fai :
offer $25 premiums for the best and
largest display of farm products
shown by one person. all his own grow
ing, and the same amount for the
best fruit display. Each of the three
counties in the district were offered
this liberal premium, and only two
entries were necessary.
Nearly 81 600 in premiums was al
lotted to the four divisions covering
farm products. in which, of course
live stock and poultry were included.
For so small district and one in
which development of soil culture is
yet in its infancy, this amount seem
ed liberal, and the criticism made by
some as to the racing premiums did
not seem to hold good. for only lit
tie more than double the amount was
allotted to the race track purses, and
we all know that but for these there
would be small attendances of people
Pumpkins and potatoes have no spe-
cial charm for outside visitors, but
the speed rirg has, as was fully
shown by the attendance ON the grand
stand on each afternoon of the far
Exhibits were mainly from San
Juan county, New Mexico La Plata s
were very choice but few, while Mua-
tezuma put in no appearance. 1t was
,;id that this was due to the storms
that prevailed the week previous
making the roads in Montezuma val
ley impossible for heavily loaded
teams that had to cross the Mancos
hills.
The Farmingto country, south some
sixty miles from Durango, sent up a
fine display OF fruits and vegetables.
But for the entries of George Il. Allen,
S T.. KoontZ and II. c. King of Farm
ington, and f. f. Hickman of Flora
Vista, this department would have
been like the play of Hamlet" with
the leading actor left out. That New
Mexico is to be no mean rival OF
Colorado in this line is evident and
no doubt the fair of Albuquerque will
show stronger proof of this than evil
denced at Durango, where only the ad-
joining county was in evidence
Mr.. Allen had very large and line
display. Over one hundred varieties
were shown. These were Muscateli"
and seedless Sultana grapes, equal to
any | have seen elsewhere in the
state, showing that the valley of The
San Juan is well adapted to the Cali
fornia varieties. while natives, OF
which he had a dozen or more kinds
seem to do equally as well. Pears
peaches, plums and apples told their
own story-a story that needed no
words. Some choice looking evapor'
ated corn suggested new method for
offering this grain to consumers But
1t is in the experimental stage as yet
H. c. Kings display of apples GOV
cred about thirty plates. / was par
ticularly struck with the appearance
and size of his Yellow Beli'owers
Pewaukees, twenty-ounce Pippins
Grimes Golden and Rhode Island
Greenings-tne last of very large size
Asking about the presence of the cod
ling motn in this county, | was tolc
1t had recently come in. Heretofore
southwestern Colorado has been sing
ularly free from the presence of this
insect. This was evident from the
splendid fruit shown. But, alas
there is no range to high to be cross
ed; no valley. plain or park too Ia
,u,,, Gov IL Tho fruit growers VII