Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-04-17
Letter From Colorado
STERLING. Colo. April 4

's-f'' --'SsSA w yOut RnPOe RAO"
ised to tell you of the hard storms
that were predicted for March.
Through the entire month there
was not u flake of snow fell until
the equinoxal period, when light
snow fell, which Immediately
melted away. But throughout
the entire month there we're oc-
casionally days of high winds and
sometimes very cold
April is pleasant but more wind
than March. The spring is back
ward but there is long line of
green creeping up the valley, in
spite of cold weather. 1t is the
alfalfa fields for which this valley
is famous. Three and even four
cnttings are made through the
summer. The water is running
in the irrigating bitches, and when
one wishes to use the water, he
closes the flood gate in the main
ditchs and opens the gate of his
lateral and the water fl )ws through
these laterals into smaller ones
that are put wherever one wishes
the water, and is conveyed by
these smaller ones over the fields
and gardens. The farmers here
DONE watch the clouds and pray
for rain, they simply put their
fields in order, open their gates
and there you are.
The beet sugar factory, SO long
talked OF ana longed for is nowan
assured fact. There was q rous-
ing meeting held here some days
ago. The citiz -ns were just as
enthusiastic as they we're at the
irrigating congress. The factory
will cost 100000. The farmers
in order to secure it will pledge
5000 acres of sugar beets each
year for five years. 1t will be
built to consume the crop of 1903.
Thele is an organic ID company
there who will soon bore for oil
The machiuery has arrived and
preparatory work will soon be
commenced. Last fall an altesian
we'll was sunk to the depth of 500
feet and work stopped until spring.
The water has run in a email
steady stream all winter, and there
is 80 much "gas" on the water
that it can be lit with match
Now this is gas story l know,
but a true one. So you see that il
sterling realizes all that she
dreams OF she will be indeed q
proud city.
There are also strong indica.
tions that coal mine will be de-
veloped in the county in the near
future, as 1t is we'll known thai
exists here, if so, it will make tina
greatest of all necessities littl'
easier for the average purse tt
reach. Property is advancing
rapidly in price, both in town anc
country. In fact, farms in the
valley are hard to get. In few
years from now the traveller will
be surprised to step from the trair
in a city lighted by natural gas
aud conveyed to his destination ir
trolly cars over paved streets, bu
that period is not far in the flu
ture. Sterling cannot fail to maxi
large city, with all its own natura
advantages. There is still anothe
and more important one and tina
is the long distance from any larg'
city. From North Platte, Neb
on the east, to Denver on the west
this is the largest place.
On April LIST, the city held it
usual spring election and it "di'
me proud" to just go to the poll
and have the privilege of eve
looking on-not having resided
here long enough to have vote
Everything was very quiet, an
the gentler sex was greatly in evi
dence, in spite of race, sex or pre-
vious condition of servitude, an,
c.st their ballot alongside thei
liege lords. There were five judges
two of whom were ladies. TIL
streets took on quite metropolita
airs. Every rig that the barn
could boast of were on the street
and carriages were flying every
where, for some voter, determine
that everyone should live up t
their privileges.
In the town election politics ar