Durango semi-weekly herald., 1903-01-05

gong graduate themselves on the
achievements of the year which has
been given to the past. No other
Ayear in the history of the country
KS been more progressive than the
lole which has just closed All OF
lour improvements and advancements
J'too, have been substantial in charac
ter Every industry and every fiber
yoi the commercial fabric has enjoyed
prosperity during the entire year
which we have just LETT to enter upon
another. and today Durango's pros
poets are bright for the year Nine
teen Hundred and Three surpassing
the one we have Just turned down,
but Nineteen Hundred and Two was
100 glorious not to spell it out. and
we VIII recall many pleasant memor-
'1es of its givings. though it was sad
to some of us.
Durango is experiencing the ting,
ing of new blood. of broader and
greater public spirit and will begin
the new year with an energy inspir-
ed by the strongest hopes of men.
We will do better than we have done
before, We will build better and do
all things better.
During the past year the Durango
coal fields, those in La Plata county.
have largely increased their produc-
tion, or during the past two years
the output has increased twenty i've
per ent Two years ago the out
put Tor the preceding year had been
10000 tons, and for the year 1902
it was 10000 tons. given reluctantly
and doubtlessly kept at the lowest
, by each of the coal companies The
JNltput of the smaller mines could not
4 NJ lmpdted and is not figured in the
ESopnt stated. There has been
h progressive development in the
"a ger mines during the past year.
ana the reserves are now greater
than they have ever been. Duran
90 could output five times the amount
OF coal which is now demanded were
there transportation facilities Tor
moving it to the destined markets
That the demand will increase this
year there can be no doubt, as the
development OF the mines in the Sill
yerton district alone during the past
N'ail HdS lHtlT tdDdC-
ity Tor production.
The smelling plant in this city OF
the American Smelling and Refining
company is building four new fur
naces which will double the former
capacity and evidently is contemplat
ing not only the necessity for smelt-
ing nearly double the ore it has
lnnnIpu blt also the rnpliiram
much greater quantity OF coal and
coke. The smelter has nearly com
pleted its new power and light plant
AT the edge OF the Animas river,
which is more than one hundred feet
square and one of the most substan-
tial tireproof structures of like char
acter in Colorado. This will change.
the base OF power from the original
building high on the hillside to the
level OF the river, and will enable the
plant to have more OF needed room
Tor ore bins on a level with the i'm
mense space which has been used for
storing ore and enlarged every year
for twenty years. The company
eyinces its confidence in Durango as
a permanent base for smelling by
the expenditure of large sums OF
money in substantial improvements,
and the Herald predicts that within
a few years the Durango plant will
be the largest and most modern plant
in the world. The plant at present
is OF three hundred tons daily capac,
ity and judging from the amount of
ore arriving daily and the bin capac-
ty the smelter must have been run
ming at its limit during the year.
Coal mining and smelling have
been and may continue for some
time, Durango's chief industries. 1t
is these at least which have done
most to give the city population oil
nearly seven thousand, and make it
one OF the prettiest cities in the state,
one which would be larger If the peo-
pie would build needed houses so
that it would not cost more to send
family away than to live at home in
a tent
But the conditions will change this
year and hereafter people will be
able to live here If they desire to.
Getting the Florida water will do the
business. 1t has been advertised to
the world for years that Durango
water supply has been the vilest in
Colorado and this did not do much
to secure new settlers. When the
" ",rida water system begins OF con
j. AUCTION there will be building
Soom in Durango that will eclipse all
armer ones, and they will be good
houses on the modern order, not
shacks. Within few months these
predictions will be verified and hap
pily realized Should our friends,
living in some other cline, learn TO
have interest in us, let us say that
the Florida plan for giving Durango
water comprehends one Of the great
est enterprises of its character In
America, and>jt is not going to cost
more than one \I.sndred and hfty
thousand dollars. ThN pure 49, ma .
of the Florida come fro,, She Hrahite