The Delta independent., 1906-10-26
COLORADO FACTS
PRESENTED BY UNITED STATES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
COMMONWEALTH
hiahest State In the Union-Greatest
Western Mining State-Oeve'op-
ment Of Agriculture, Manufactures
and Railroads.

Colorado has the highest average
elevation OF all the States-C,SoO feet,
says Mr.. Henry Gannett Of the United
States Geological Survey. In the
Gazetteer OF Colorado tBu!letin No.
29l)) which he has just brought out.
Its height above sea level Is perhaps
the most characteristic thing about
this favored commonwealth. for Its
other peculiarities might be thought
by the fanciful to follow naturally
its ore treasures. its life-giving atmos'
phere. its enfranchised women. The
lowest point is over 5000 feet and the
highest 14.400 feet above sea level.
In general terms. the eastern third
OF Colorado is composed OF high
plains. the middle third Of the Rocky
mountains, and the western third OF
plateaus stepping down toward Colo
RADIO river. The plains rise from an
altitude OF 1000 10 1000 feet al the
east boundary OF the state to over G.0ov
to 5000 at the foot Of the mountains.
Their surface is rolling and in some
places broken. From the western
most OF the mountain ranges the coun-
try descends in series OF plateaus.
some OF which are horizontal and 9th
ers inclined at different angles and In
various directions. Most Of the
streams. whether perennial or not, are
in canons cut TO varying depths. This
plateau region is drained entirely by
tributaries OF Colorado river. The
higher OF these plateaus are well wa
tered and covered with forests. but as
one descends the region becomes more
desert like. the lowest parts OF tn"
plateau having all the aspects OF
desert.
The principal rivers nrc North
Platte. South Platte. Arkansas. Rio
Grande. Yampa, White. Grand. Gun
nison. Dolores and San Juan. None
OF these streams Is navigablc. They
head in the mountains. and with steep
and rugged courses flow to the plains
or plateaus. With their numerous
branches in the mountain country OF
Colorado. these rivers probably fur
nish n more abundant supply Of water
for irrigation purposes than the
streams OF any other state IN the arid
region.
In spite OF its grca, elevation. the
temperature OF Colorado IL but slightly
lower than In regions OF the same lat
itudc near sea level. because the iso-
thermal lines are carried up by the
grea: mass of country. The range OF
temperature between day and night.
between summer and winter. and be
Ii
aturc recorded, is very great. far
greater than in the Mississippi valley
or on the Atlantic coast The state
lies within the arid region.
These facts and many others rolHi-
ing TO the history. agriculture. manu-
factnrcs. mining. and mapping OF Col
orndD arc briefly set forth by MIR. Gan
nett in his Introductory chapter.
The population in 1905 was probably
not far from COO 900. OF which hfty-hyc
per cent were males and forty.five per
cent females. The number OF foreign
born was seventeen per cent to eighty.
three per cent. OF native born. In liter.
acy tho people OF Colorado are cx-
cceded by those OF only nine other
states and territories
Measured by tho value OF it's prod.
uct, mining Is the most important In
OF Colorado mines had n value OF $40
sos. 1856. being exceeded only by Penn
sylvania. Ohio. Michigan. and West
Virginia. or all the western states
and territories Colorado Is easily first
In mineral production.
Owing TO the location Of tho state
within the arid region. agriculture is
In large part limited by the supply OF
water for irrigation. The total num-
Der OF farms In the state in 1900 was
2l.7OO. and their total value was $l6l
045 .101. The average value per farm
was $500. The value OF all farm
products in 1900 was S33.oiS.b76. an
average per farm OF 1898. The aver
age number OF acres per farm was asa
which is more than twice tho size of
the average farm In the United States
About sevcnty.scven per cent of all
farms were owned by their occupants
fourteen per cent. being rented on
shares. and nine per cent. rented for
cash. or the cultivated land, 1,6i1.2Tl
acres. or seventy-one per cent, were
under irrigation. The area irrigated
was "a per cent. of tho total area OF
the state.
Manufacturers are assuming great
proportion in Colorado. In 1900 there
were 3.57O manufacturing establish.
lishments of all kinds, with capital
of $G2,S25.472. They employed 2i.725
wage.earners and paid them $15.1i6.
6G7. The cost OF the materials used
was sG6.SS6.O16 and tho value of the
production $102.s3O.l37 showing net
Increase In value produced by manu-.
facture OF $35.944.121
In 1904 Colorado contained 1876
miles of railway. which is 2.33 per
cent. OF the entire mileage OF the
United States.
There are fourteen forest reserves
In the state. comprising most of the
mountain and plateau country. The
total aren OF land thus reserved is 49,
236 square miles. or seventeen per
cent. of the total area.
An interesting point brought out by
Mr. linnneii IL Tho G.aci iL.i III,