Durango semi-weekly herald., 1902-07-28
slLvERroN COMPARISONS
WITH OTHER TOWNS

All day Tuesday a forest fire ragged
among the timber on Kendall noun
tain About fifty men were sent up
TO fight the flames which spread rapid
ly and had gotten considerable head
:ay by noontime Some fear was
felt lest the beautiful timber might be
destroyed or gutted in an unsightly
manner. and many were wishing for
rain. But the efforts of the detach
ment OF men proved successful, and
by evening the dense volume of smoke
had considerably lessened. All day
Wednesday it continued to abate un-
Ill at evening but thin blue streak
was visible floating up the mountain
side. Kendall mountain has the pref
test covering of timber around Sill
verton. and it would be pity to have
it swept by fire.
Silverton is good place in which
to experience an electrical storm. III
one chances to be near the top Of Ken
dali or Sultan mountains when the
black clouds charged like great power
machines with the wonderful fluid.
gather around the rugged peaks. he
can feel the lightning playing all
around him. swapping on each hook
and button and flashing In thousand
fierce little lights. 1t is a wonderful
thing to feel in our puny bodies the
boundless forces of the universe, SO
sudden. so changing, so unconquerable.
yet united in a stupendous whole
which works in perfect harmony as
the generations OF men pass away
and the ages roll into eternity
Some of the Silverton people are
bemoaning the fact that their council
men are building a jail instead of a
lew court house or city hall They
think that the city isn't spending
money to the best advantage either
for use or beauty. For few hundred
dollars more than the Jail is to cost.
new court house could have been
built with the Jail under it. which
would have answered the purpose just
rs well as to erect a separate struc-
ture. With a nice building. bright
sunny rooms. good grounds and a
sumptuons table, criminals will rather
happened in other cases, when their
terms are out, will commit new crimes
that they may again have board and
lodging in the Jail better than they
would be able to obtain were they
free. These citizens were also la
menting the lack of good city hall.
of park and a new school house. and
comparing Silverton unfavorably. in
these respects, with Durango and also
Ouray. The latter place especially.
they said, though it has less money
than Silverton, has people with more
push and ambition. who have beauti-
fled their town with fine buildings and
parks, making it pleasure ground
both for its citizens and the hundreds
of tourists who visit the place to look
upon its fair scenes which have gained
an almost worldwide fame Silverton
is very busy with the erection of new
buildings. but they are private affairs,
business blocks, tenement houses, pri-
vate residences. etc. More public
buildings are wanted at once. and also
a park.
SllVerton is several years older than
Durango. and has plenty Of the yellow
ore in her mountains. and more or
less in the hands OF her citizens, yet
she is wofully in need of public build
ings and offices, while Durango errs
on the side of not having enough
dwelling houses. The individual seems
to be first in Silverton, and his needs
uppermost, while Durango people have
acted in unison for the good OF the
town. Silverton has room and re-
sources for fine large county seat
with beautiful public buildings, offices,
residences and parks between her four
mighty peaks. Nature has given her
many beauties;it remains with the citi.
zens to supply the rest that is needful
for handsome and well conducted