The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1906-12-29
WONDERS OF COLORADO.
The World should Be Informed Of l.s
Marvelloua Reeources.

Ul the American SneltlnS ana Reln-
ing Company, found eastern investors
eagerly looking for places of sound in,
vestment, and when he returned to
Colorado he realized more fully than
ever that there is no other state or
territory which offers such induce
ments as his home state Yes
| terday he furnished reasons for the
faith that is in him and gave Won
derfully interesting survey of the 81
ant strides taken by the state in re-
cent years. and told of what is in
store in the next year or two. Mr..
IGuggenheim Is trained business
man OF sound Judgment and his state
ments carry force and conviction. In
all departments and branches OF in
dustry, in sugar beet and fruit culture,
in agriculture generally. in mining, the
state has gone ahead and ii has yet
good way TO go to reach the zenith.
The world should be made aware OF
what Colorado has to offer.
Il was never so much impressed by
the greatness Of Colorado as on my
recent visit to New York" said Mr..
Guggenheim. During the three
weeks ] was away read several in.
tcrviews in the Denver papers regard
| ing a semi.centennial celebration for
this city. am heartily in favor of It,
believe we should show tho world
what Colorado has to Offer. Our great
need is people who will come here with
! money to invest or who are ambitious
to become citizens OF the state The
| great need of the people OF the East
| Is opportunity for investment and
employment. II is certain thai people
who are looking for new locations or
investments will pass us by unless we
reveal to them the Notwithstanding
possibilities Of this state.
when ! say we can astonish tho
world ] mean II. | talked with n
building contractor in New York who
was employing men eNcavatinG base
mcnt for sl25 a day. When told
him the beet growers OF Colorado
would pay $500 n day for those men,
and board them. h. was astonished.
II reminded me of the days when Colo,
RADIO people doubted the men who said
the sugar industry in this state had
n great future.
Il recall visiting the first sugar fac
tory y. Grand Junction six years ago
when It was standing idle. and hear
ing people say the industry would
never be profitable here. Now our fac
tories have capacity of 10000 tons
Of sugar every twenty.four hours,
and teets are piled in the fields
because the tillers Of the soil
have outstrippcd the headlonf
pace a, which capital has been
preparing 10 care for what they raise.
It would take eastern people many
years TO accomplish what we have
done in half dozen years.
II wish we could exhibit to the
world the marvellous strides In the de
| vclopment of our agricultural lands
Coming into Denver the other day
over the Burlington I saw scores OF
| prosperous farmhouses between here
and Otis, 1875 miles east, which were
built IN the past year. The short
grass country in Washington and
Yuma counties IN coming into its own
All the way To Chicago saw evidence
that the Colorado land agent was nj
work. | can remember the time when
you couldn't find "A man selling Colo
RADIO land II you were to tell tho
wonderful advance OF the prices OF ac
ricultural lands of Colorado to east
crn people they would not believe you
They need such an object lesson as
an exposition would provide. when |
told New Workers. that In the pas, Ave
years the area Of irrigated land In
northern Colorado had increased M
teen per cent. while the aggregate
value had actually doubled, they
ihought we We're having boom !
told them our San Luis valley irrigated
acreage had increased twenty per
cent. and that over on tho western
slope and down In the Arkansas val
ley the irrigated acreage had doubled
and the value increased twenty hvo
per cont. assuring thcm there was no
land boom nor any EFFORT to make one.
"You know In the East farm lands
are actually deprcciating. II they only
realized what We have here. the
scenes AT the opening OF y government
reservation would be duplicated. Five
years ago what In now called dry
farming land, WAS being sold for
taxes. This was In the short grass
region OF eastern Colorado and In the
section far north of Greeley. Now this
land sells for so and fi5 an acre,
"Thc Union Pacific railroad had for
years great difficulty In selling land
for s. an acre. In Kit Carson county
some friends of mine recently paid sto
nm acre for land that the railroad
wanted to sell Ave years ago NJ any
price. Two years ago ranches out In
Adams county were going begging at
$3.50 nm acre. 10000 acres have re-
ccr,ly been sold there for $3.50 an
mere.
"Thc Dijou ranch. In Ebert county.
30,0 900 acres. has recently been sold.
the poorest Of II bringing $3.50 and the
best $40 an acre. Three years ago 81
mn acre was tn" highest ofIcr they
could get. In Montrosc county. as \
result OF the government tunnel. land
which absolutely had no value few
years ago In selling at an average price
OF $40 mn acre over In Ront' county