Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-04-17
DURANGO AND VICINITY.
Their Resources, Advantages and Flu.
ture Possibilities.
(By VIM. j. Morgan }


tn county, is the center Of population
and natural supply point of all south
west Colorado and northern New
Mexico. II mas more than $500 busy
people The assessed valuation OF its
property is s2.02s.234 and the real.
S6.0s4 1872 Her climate is unexcelled,
The sun shines every day in the year
and the winters are mild and unat
tended with snowstorms of any Sc
verify. Altitude 6552 feet. II is
Just enough TO make the summers
cool and delightful Night brings
sleep and rest unbroken by the sitting
heat common 10 eastern points and
the fortunate inhabitant wakes In the
morning as il TO new birth
The streets of this beautiful noun
tain town are lined with massive
structures of stone and brick The
court house with its great clock Is
one of the finest in the state. Close
by is the big city hall A paid fire de
partment OF the first class occupies
the ground floor while the upper sto-
rv is devoted TO the spacious council
room and Offices of the city govern
ment.
10 the south. east and north are
the large brick scnool buildings. All
are fully equipped for school work
and disseminate knowledge among
more than 800 pupils.
The churches. each with its parson-
age. rise on every hand. They repre-
sent every denomination and for ar
chiiectural beauty vie with any in the
West Across the river is the Cath
olic church, surrounded by its great
stone hospital, parsonage and con
vent Another hospital, not far
away. possesses. like its neighbor, ev-
cry facility for treatment of the sick
and injured. Between these is sec
splendid apparatne.
There is every assurance that "a
new stone depot of large dimensions
is soon to be arected; also U. 5.
government building. and these with
a handsome structure for the new
city library. will complete the list
of public buildings
AS to public utilities, there are the
Colorado Telephone and the Durango
Light 4 Power companies. The first
connects by wire with all parts of the
city and state. The latter transmits
light aud power TO all quarters within
the corporate limits. II has one of
the best equipped electrical power
plants in the world and generates
more tnan 500 horse power.
The Durango Realty and Railway
Co, operates an electric street car line
which runs the entire length OF Main
ayenue and terminates in Animas
City. a thrifty little town which has
recently erected large stone school
building and consolidated with its
great and more prosperous neighbor
This line will soon be extended to
Trimble Springs. pleasure resort
only nine miles north which is fam
ous for the curative properties of its
natural hot waters. The finest gray
ity water system in the world is also
to. be found In Durango and the best
water. Supply. 100000 gallons per
day which is equal to all demands.
CONVEYS it from the Florida to the
immense reservoirs overlooking the
city. The water is as clear and spark
ling as champagne and springs eter.
nal from the bosom of tne everlast-
ing hills. Further, big power plant
which is owned by the lockwood Pow
er Co. is nearing completion and an.
other street car company asked for
a franchise. The telegraph and rail-
road companies connect with Denver
and all surrounding towns except
those to the soutn. Connection with
the latter will also be effected in the
near future. Already for this purpose
and to tap our great coal belt. the
PhelpsD Dodge syndicate and Arizona
and Colorado Il. X. Co. wnich will
connect with tne Southern Pacific
are in the field with their engineers
and at this very moment the ID. &
II. G.. is throwing dirt on its branch
between Durango and Pennington, n
NJ With these lines finished the
amount of freight handled which even
now reaches "A total of hundreds OF
thousands of tons per year will be
quadrupled and Durango at a single
bound will take precedence among the
leading commercial annd manufactur-
ing centers of Colorado, the greatest
state in the Union.
At resent there are three banks in
Durango. The First National occu.
pies a large stone and brick building
on Main in the center OF the city.
II has capital of 100000. Just a
cross the street is the Colorado State
In a grand structure built entirely
OF a beautiful brownish red stone
which is found nowhere hut in this
section. Capital, $4,000. The third
or Smeller City has IA capital of $50,
0O0. Total deposits of all three n
mount to more than 81 ,3S5,000. These
splendid inetltutions in addition to
doing a general banking business of
several millions yearly buy gold bull
ion from the mines and placer dig
gings of the surrounding country and