The Topeka state journal., 1905-12-31

climate and supply large and growing
home markets IN the shape OF mining
camps They also place a severe limita-
tion upon the amount OF land which may
be cultivated, and thus have a certain
economic value in protecting the pro-
ducts Of the neighborhood against disas-
trous competition. In the midst OF these
multtudinous mountains Taheguache
Parks fertile soil has been eroded from
the blllsides and deposited In the course
of the centuries upon the levels Of the
valley. While It is a soil we'll suited to
general farming. It Is peculiarly adapted
to the growth OF fruits. Western Colorado
is famous for It's peaches and apples.
which dnd a ready market in the mining
centers close at hand and in the large
cities. such as PueblO and Denver. vege-
tables and small fruits grown here are
also Of rare quality. and these. too. are
quickly absorbed by the miners IN the
higher mountains. where practically moth
ing Is produced from the soil. Alfalfa
raising and dairying are extremely profit
able. In fact. 1t is an aIl-around farming
country of an exceptional kind.
When the pilgrims from Denver came
into Tabeguache Park It was a beautiful
desert. and yet the possibilities IN these
fai- acres appealed irresistibly to those
charged with the work OF prospecting.
The splendid growth of pines suggested
unlimited building moterial; coal and
stone were easy Of access. There was
everything to make the place ht dwell
ing for civilized man. with the exception
Of water. Fifteen miles away the San
Miguel River was flowing at the rate OF
$50 cubic feet a second. It was the key
to the solution of the problem. If the
river did not flow through Tabeguache
Park it should be mnde to do so. No OBJ
stacle, however forbidding, should OBJ
struct It.
These men. who scarcely had money for
pick and shovel after their railroad tick
cts were bought to Montrose undertook
this heroic task Of building and blasting
and digging and humlng a ditch IS miles
long into a country whose topography
balks and puzzles the expert engineer. It
was a home worth the winning. and they
resolved to win It.
They put their slender resources to-
gether and organized stock company. It
was called the Colorado Cooperative Com
pany, and the object recIted was TO re-
claim a portion Of the public domain BIZ
irrigation and establish Independent homes
for its stockholders Their resources
consisted exclusively OF ambition. the
ability 10 labor and the opportunity Of
fered by access to the public domain.
The financial plan was to sell shares al
S10O each to a thousand or more individ-
uals. 1t was contemplated that some OF
the stockholders would go to the colony
and engage in the WORK of improvements.
chiefly that OF c0nal-building. while
others would remain at their trades Ia
various parts of the country and con
tribute their share r. the capital by
monthly installments This plan had
worked successfully In other colonies. not
ably at Anaheim. where German settlers
from San Francisco tnaugurated the mod
ern settlement OF Southern California half
a century ago. A most important provIs-
ion Of the Colorado plan was the lmita-
tion OF the amount OF stock which an IN
divldual could buy TO a single share. This
preserved the democratic basis Of the
organization-''one man. one vote"
The plan was simple enough and work
able enough - If a SUFFICIENT number Of
earnest and persistent souls could be
brought together and held to the task
1t proposed honest cooperation Of men
and money In providing irrigation racill-
ties and laying the foundation OF a settle
ment This done. each stockhoider would
be in a position to obtain a homestead on