Cañon City record., 1906-12-20
]. N. RAGSDALE URGES CANON
TO TRY FOR BETTER WATER
Town Demand That the Water Bonds
Carry, Whether Cottonwood Some Other.

manner in which the matter has been
placed before us.
| Now, the one more and by no means
least important. the question of ex-
pense and consequent taxes, which
question II settled to the satisfaction
of taxpayers there would be nearly a
unanimous vote in favor of the pro-
position. So we repeat, can we stand
| 1t. Suppose we ask the farmer who
has a nice tract of land, but only par
TALLY developed. the portion of which
he is not able to develop because he
has not sufficient water to raise full
crops, while near by is another farmer
who has no better land but because
he has an abundance of good water is
able to produce big crops each year,
so has fine improvements and every
thing a plenty; now would not the
first man gladly mortgage his farm
for half its value or even more than
half II by SO doing he could raise full
crops. and which would enable him in
two or three years to pay of his mort
gage and leave him with as valuable
farm as his neighbor has.
There are perhaps none who are in
better position to judge the effects
which the scarcity of water has upon
the growth of the city than has the
real estate man who So often comes in
contact with new people looking for a
location, and we are sure these men
will all say that this scarcity and this
condition has cost Canon City more
good citizens than all other causes
combined. The question invariably a
rises. and in some cases we are able
to get around IL with prospects and
hopeful promises. but more often we
are told that they Will wait and see,
or will go where they already have
plenty OF good pure water. The trav-
cling men you meet will almost all re-
port the same experience. While we
depIore high taxes and feel the effects.
am convinced that in this case the
best way to reduce them is to do the
things that will cause our city to grow
and improve. to bring In lots more
good people. creating a demand for
more homes. more stone, brick, and
other building materials. consume
more provisions and fuel, etc. will en-
ploy more men. who will fill all vacant
houses and rooms and cause more to
be built and will support more mer-
chants. one thing bringing another un-
til In n few short years our city will
be SO large and SO prosperous that we
will forget that we had a shortage of
water and high taxes. for there will
be SO many more people to help pay
them. and this is not mere theory.
but an established principle, of which
we have numerous precedents; one in
mind is the city of Kansas City. Mo-,
hills, where the more cautious and
conservative citizens prophesied there
would never be a city on account of
the great expense necessary in build
ing anu preparing the eTouuu loi
buildings, and leveling and grading the
streets, but 1t soon developed that this
burden was the source OF industry that
would make a city. II cost the people
money and high taxes, but 1t brought
in more people and one thing helped
another until today II is one of the
important cities OF the west. We do
believe that the crisis is here, that If
we fail to secure this water and to go
at once to work at the enterprise, we
may fail also to secure our coveted
electric line and will come to a stand
still, and that those of us who oppose
these propositions and fail to do our
part TO bring them. honest as We may
feel in II. we will later on see and
seriously regret our mistake.
l am fully convinced that we should
take hold and push. Get the water:
get the electric railway, and get every
other good thing we can, then 1t will
be time to say See Canon City Grow"
I'M. RAGSDALE.