The daily sentinel., 1906-07-11

The ambitions of Colorado towns
and cities, large and small, is noun
tain water. Those which by fore
sight and energy grasped the situa-
quirements of the progressive spirit
of western citizenship, new glory in
their achievement, and, with a pride
born of wisdom, point strangers to
the fact that aqua pura, natures
beverage, flows to them direct from
natures brewery, untarnished, uncon-
taminated. This is a winning card
for any town in the West. The peo-
pie OF the east, north and south have
not only heard of the many tales
told of the aII1ali waters of the plains,
how they are unhealthy for drink,
how stubborn and unyielding they
are for all domestic purposes, but
they have also heard of the beauty,
purity, softness and many amicable
qualities and life-giving properties of
the gurgling streams of the old
Rockies. In song and story and pic
ture the snow-capped mountains,
with their crystal streams, refresh
ing to lave i'm and building life and
adding buoyancy to spirit and body
when imbibed, have been introduced
to the people of the continent and
when they come west to see our boast
ed orchards and our thriving towns,
they naturally expect to find the best
tuc
fed in these exceptions. Have
we not told that we are thrifty? Have
not our real estate men, our cham
Der of commerce our fruit associa-
tions, in fact, all of those who have
material interests in the valley been
telling i'm enthusiastic literature, of
the profits the orchardists. the gard
ners, the hay-makers, ct al, have
been realizing from year to year?
Have not the newspapers referred
with pride to the immense bank de-
posits? Have not the banks them
selves called for the best art of the
skilled printer, TO tell the story of
their substantial and satisfactory
business?
With these happy conditions
around and about, need ne expect
the stranger TO be free from disap-
pointment. when he finds that we are
without Colorado's boosted mountain
water, and need we hope not to suffer
in business way, to some extent, at
least, because of this disappointment.
The city or town that has been wise
enough to provide for this contin-
| gency, no matter whether the adj
vantage is real or imaginary, has us
on the hip. Our community may have
scores of other attractive features,
but the absence of this one, makes
il difficult to show them so that they
are appreciated ut their full worth.
Mountain water washes away
multitude of imperfections, and this
fact makes other communities ap-
pear our equal.
People coming TO Colorado in
search of ne whomes, n better clim-
ate, more remunerative employ
ment, and "A score of other matters
that enter materially into the prob
lens of life, usually stop in the towns
of the eastern slope, to get the first
glimpse and Impressions of the coun-
try and, to the credit of those towns
the people then thereof speak in
terms of the highest praise of our
| fruits, our commercial enterprises,
social and religious life, but the
amen, the selah of this psalm of
praise is, 'but the water at
Grand Junction is not good" and
this closing clause, is "A doNology that
mars the beauty, truth and sacred
ness of the orthodox statement first
made.
Grand Junction is big enough, old
enough, rich enough and should be
wise enough, from business stand
point alone, to remove the one and
only excuse or cause for knocking us.
The proposed plan for securing
mountain water may not be the wis
est and best, but il is before the pub
lie and is the most important problem
that has been presented to this city
for years. Mountain water Will be
worth more to the city than thc new
railroad; il will add more to the ma
terial well lbeing of the city than
George Smiths electric line; il stands
next to the great irrigation canal
proposed by the government, and the
impetus 1t would give the city will
help these other enterprises along.
| Procrastlnatlon is the TIMER ol
time" and its stealthy work and in
siduous, easy way ofmeeting problems
are recognized now by the people who
might have made this provision for
the city some years ago. Then the
city was smaller, less able and per-
haps not quite so sure of the future,
and the matter was passed up for a
more convenient season. The cost
\ of thus meeting the question, and the
| expense entailed by the delay are
too apparent now, and it behooves us
to profit by this experience, and not
court another delay that would in
sive.