Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-10
DURANGO
BY Rev. W. II. Ferguson.

uOTlu VI Tue view neNCo ilue anu Dvo
southwest of Denver. There she
uestles her $500 inhabitants among
the foothills of the La Plata noun
tains In the valley OF the Las Animas
river--the valley is about one and one
half miles wide--at an altitude Of g.
517 feet with rich and well.watered
mesas or plateaus on either side. Sac
is the county seat of La Plata county.
and her court house and bar are its
pride.
Climatic conditions there are al
most ideal. Travellers liken the sun
shine to that of Italy. Spring comes
about the first OF April; summer fol
lows in the usual length of time, and,
though the sky is clear for seven
months, the heat and cold are dis
tributed in remarkable fashion. The
days are warm enough TO induce rap
id growth in vegetation, but, when
the sun has set, the not air of the
lower lands is cooled into refreshing
breezes by contact with the winds
from the snowwhite peaks glimmer-
ing in the distance. Then the tenn
perature goes down, and, IL people
would be comfortable, they must
sleep under the covers in July.
But the case Is the reverse in the
winter. Though the mercury may fall
below the zero mark at night for Il
short period, yet there is never day
without thaw, and the thermometer
registers somewhere above the freez
Ing point the longer portion Of the
entire season. January is as pleasant
NJ times as May.
This Is the boon OF a large class oi
tourists. Health seekers basI In the
continual sunshine, and revel beneath
q sky as blne as the Syrian. Those
who come and go tell abroad their de
light, and many are coming and going
continually. Somebody said "a few
days ago: The hotels are making
money" And wnat is more germane,
not few OF their guests are benefit
ed. The air is a tonic for general de-
bilitation. and some of those sent
there as a last resort for tuberculosis
have gotten well. The sick nave been
made whole, and have built homes,
and speak of sun baths as the an
clients did OF the descent into the
pool Of Bethesda
So, too, the citizens do much 10 pre-
serve the healthfulness OF the town.
Durango is one of the best taken-care-
OF and prettiest places in Colorado.
Sanitary precaution is the hobby OF
the city fathers. TIE streets and al
leys are kept clean under a penalty.
The water is brought from reser-
voir forty miles away which has a
capacity equal TO the needs of 30 900
people. and Is replenished with trick
ling drops as the snow melts from
high-up peaks and wears path
through the adamantine ice OF the
deep canons in its flow to its artifi-
cial basin. And much money is spent
TO embellish the surroundings. One
of the parks is equipped for a sum
mer resort, and brass band enter
tains the crowds which gather there
two evenings in the week; and Third
avenue, which is i50 feet wide with
thirty feet of park through its center.
attracts at once the attention of the
visitor. A certain Brooklyn lady, in
writing to friend, and speaking for
her husband as well as nerself says:
We will never forget our strolls
home with you along the beautiful
boulevard from the cosy little church. '
Industry also supplements the pub
lie spiritedness of the citizens, Labor
ia always In demand, and the people
are 100 proud to suffer want from
idleness, The county farm is almost
deserted, and. except in extreme
cases OF misfortune, few families
would accept caarity.
Consequently the town presents II
stable appearance. Some of the
dwelling houses are handsome, and
First avenue is built up almost solid
ly with substantial brick and stone
structures from one to four stories
high for three-quarters OF a mile, and
aggressive business men occupy many
Of them. There are three bauks--tne
Smelter City State bank, with a cap
it2 Of $4,000; the Colorado State
baAk, with capital of $4,000, and the
First National bank, with u capital
OF 100000. The merchants can
boast of three well-stocked wholesale
houses. a grocery house, grocery and
Wy 6oNhsi hhh anu INC olh'i
businesses are in keeping with them.
The stores in general compare well
with those of similar kind in other
towns OF much larger population.
Sometimes newcomers look at the
shop windows, and go through the
mercantile establishments, and won
der how city of 5000 people can
make such display, and carry such
stocks of goods.
Well, the secret is In the situation.
Ip every direction are cattle, lumb
coal and quartz mining camps to be
supplied. Everything for the outside
has to come this way. Durango is the
common center of the region. The
Denver 4 Rio Grande. Colorado Il
Southern. and Silverton railroads con-
verge there, and unload their freight
at the same warehouses for distribu-
ton, and in turn, the rich output OF
toe surrounding country is poured
Into the lap OF Durango. Ore comes
In by rail from Silverton, forty-tive
miles TO the Dorth; Ouray, seventy
miles to the northwest, and Telluride,
l2v miles 10 the west, and long pack
trains or burros or mules from the