Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-11-17
COUNTY NOVEMBER II 1904
COLORADO FEAST DAYS.
rhe Writer Attends One and Sees
Another Side of Western Life
Land Of Eternal Sunshine.

Aonu VI LIefndl sunshine. l<
TO the Editor OF the Ledger. Is
BOULDER, Colo, Nov. S.-Colorado. Z
tne land OF eternalsunshine and mag
nlicent scenery, is also the land OF
plenty. 1t might be said that the
state has seven feast days First at
Gienwood Springs, comes Strawberry
oay, when excursions from the sur
rounding country wind their way to
thls little city, and free Of charge
FEAST upon the luscious, red fruit. |,
Next comes the cornroast at Loyeland |,
and again thousands flock to enjoy
natures bounty. AT Greeley is the
potato roast, and roasted 'spuds' feed /
the many visitors. Watermelon and /
Cantaloupe day come soon at Rocky
Ford. This is one of the most popu-
lar Of the 7 pionics. Grand Junction
holds Peach day, Fort Collins har-
vest festival and barbecue, and Long
mont pumpkin pie day. The latter
the writer had the pleasure Of attend
ing. We left Boulder in the morning |
on the Colorado Southern and started |
across the valley to the city Of Golden
fruit.
On our east side was a long, low
mesa, known as Gunbarrel mountain,
while to the west and above the foot
hills was the snow-capped range
reaching as far as the eye could see
From out a.setting of undulatinghllis
majesticallY rises Arapaho peak, he
stately head clad in snowy robes Of
purity, half concealing her rocky
grandeur. A rising sun filings its rich
gifts into the lap of the armchair,
which answers back with every hue
reflected from bold precipice and de-
flant crag. The setting is softened
by the clamoring shades Of the FROST
quaken-asps on the hill sides, and In
the background the cloud gates OF
silver and pearl, a celestial bouquet,
the eSsentials-of color, forming a pic
ture displaying earth's completest
gloriticatlon. On each side Of the
track were prosperous ranches, their
chief product being the sugar-beet.
Thousands Of acres were planted in
this vegetable. They pillow them from
the ground, cut the tops off and load
| ing them into farm wagons haul to
the nearest railway station. Here
they are put In coal cars and carried
to the nearby refinerles. Tine beet
is white In color, between six and
eight inches long and weighs about a
pound.
After a thirty minute ride we ar
rived 10 Longmont. This is city Of
some $500 inhabitants. The main
street is lined with one-story business
houses, whose interior Is quite metro
politan. The city should be proud OF
its mercantile establishments.
The streets we're jammed with as
molly and cosmopolitan a crowd as
one could hope to meet. Not only
were the cowboy and cowgirl pres,
ent In goodly numbers, but the grimey,
: long. mountaineer and prosper
J Gus business man rubbed elbows, up
land down the streets at a breaknecK
pace, rode the cow punchers In gaiiy
colored shirts, with tapping hats and
Yelling at the top OF their voices.
Longmont is a prohibition town and
consequently the blind tiger flourishes
Driving up and down the main street
5 was a roomy wagonette carrying tnf
following sign: "Free ride to Nortf
c Longmont. On inquiry | learned
S that "North Longmont' was resor'
ont of the city limits, where liquor O.
t all descriptions could be procured ant
e not only did the wagon seem to De 90
It ing a good business, but there wer'
e more intoxicated men on the street
e than are seen in Mexico during an en-
, tire carnival week. The fair grounds
e where the feast was to take place, wa
t. small and could barely accommodate
t, the 15, 1000 visitors. At ten O'CLOCK
lie horn was blown an the annual pie
n fest was in full sway. There wer
$500 pumpkin pies to be eaten, and
e. seemed scarcely minutes until tn
e. multitude bad reduced this sma
~ mountain Of pastry and pumpkin TO
lie few scatterd crumbs. There was onl
one CRATER upon the grounds, but /
was conducting yeritable min
When Barnum said "a sucker is Dol
10 every minute he must have pee
40 referring to this section OF the worn
The races were good, the band playe'
81 the CRATER called his game, bapi'
in cried, young people lSpconed ana q q
youred glucose and popcorn, the 81
on shoue brightly, there was lots OF aus
an and. nothing was needed to make
a more ideal fair day. There were "
"a special attractions-a wild west sno
a containing Picket, the negro I'd
throws bulls with his teeth and SIC
cd roca Asthe wild west show q