Gilpin observer., 1905-11-30
COLORADO Grain
PRIZES TO SCHOOL CHILDREN
FOR BEST ACRE FIELDS.
ANNOUNCED BY PROF. OLIN
Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars
to Boys and Giris.-Thanksgv
Letter Urges Spirited Competition.
Cold Medal for Sweepstake Prize.


Denver-The following "Thanksgiv-
ing Letter to the School Children of
Colorado" will be found of great inter
est. as in it is contained the announce
ment that $500 will be distributed
among the school children who grow
the best acre fields of wheat The let
ter is issued by Prof W. II. Olin, pro-
fessor of agronomy at the State Agri-
cultural College:
MY Dear Young Friends:
THE year just closing has given us
bountiful crops, busy mills, factories
and shops, as well as productive mines
of precious metals ana useful miner
ais.
Shall We not with reverent but
joyful spirit express our gratitude to
the Giver of all good Ior these bless
ings?
THE first Thanksgiving Day was
celebrated by a very few hundred
English colonists on a bleak Massa-
chusetts shore in 1928. Thanksgiving
Day in 1905 will be celebrated by SO,-
100000 people in a nation extending
from Plymouth Rock to the Golden
Gate. You are glad your home is in
Colorado-the land of scenery, sky
and SUI. So am |. Our state is
known as the greatest gold and silver
state in the Union, and we are proud
of its mines.
But do we realize the wealth in
our soil and our water? This year the
products of the soil outweigh and out
value Che products of our mines. We
are fast becoming a great agricultural
state and this Thanksgiving Day |
want to tell you how We have planned
to secure your help in making the
quality of the grain we grow second to
none in the land.
"A representative Colorado citizen
has authorized me TO offer to the
school boys and girls OF Colorado un-
der eighteen years of age, $4,000 in
prizes for growing an acre of grain
from choice selected seed. The prizes
ar divided into three classes, as fol-
lows:
''First-Yearly competition, S400 in
prizes for growing an acre of grain.
Prizes range from 81 to $40 for three
successive years-19O6, 1907, 1908.
"Second-Term competition, $3.50
prizes, ranging from $40 TO $50 for the
boy or girl who shows the best results
in quality and quantity of grain grown
on an acre of ground.
'Third-Sweepstalles prize. a very
fine medal made of Colorado gold will
be given to the person who makes the
best showing over all.
We now have a good yield per
acre: will You help us make our wheat.
barley and oats superior in quality TO
that grown in any other state? We
want 10000 boys and girls in Colorado
to take up this work before April /,
1906. You have chance 10 earn $500
and teach us all valuable lesson in
seed selection. VIII you do it?
This is the only state in the Union
having a state seed selection competi-
tion, ana hope every rural school will
be represented by at least one boy or
one girl in this valuable field study
work. Talk it over with father and
mother and, if you decide TO take up
the work, write me before January 1st,
asking for rules and regulations gov
erning the Colorado seed selection
competition.
Girls. enter this work, win the
medal of honor and as many prizes as
you possibly can. Boys. make the
girls work like Trojans if they win a
single prize away from you. May we
all be thankful to-day that we live in
this progressive state and do all we
can to make and keep Colorado first in
the quality of agricultural products,
first in the character of its manhood
and womanhood. May you all obtain
the education of head. hand and heart
which shall prepare you TO efficiently
solve the knotty problems of life as
they shall present themselves.
This field competition in grain
growing will inviSorate. energize. en-
courage YOU. Come with us and we
will do thee good
with Thanksgiving cheer to you all
| wish to become your faithful friend.
W. II. OLIN