The Springfield herald., 1906-10-19
COLORADO FACTS
PRESENTED BY UNITED STATES
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
A FAVORED COMMONWEALTH
Highest State in the Union-Greatest
Western Mining State-Deveiop-
ment Of Agriculture, Manufactures
and Railroads

HSHt OF agriculture, manuIdStuISs
and Railroads.
Colorado has the highest average
elevation of all the States-6,S0O feet"
says Mr.. Henry Gannett of the United
States Geological Survey, in the
Gazetteer of Colorado bulletin No.
29D) 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 14,4OO 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 5000 to 1000 feet at the
east boundary of the state to over 5000
| 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 the
| plateau having all the aspects of a
desert.
The principal rivers are North
Platte, South Platte, Arkansas. Rio
Grande. Yampa. White, Grand, Gun
nison. Dolores and San Juan. None
of these streams is navigable. 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 more abundant supply of water
for irrigation purposes than the
streams of any other state in the arid
region.
| In spite of its great elevation the
| temperature of Colorado is but slightly
lower than in regions of the same lat
itude 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-
tween the highest and lowest temper
ature 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 relat.
ing to the history, agriculture, manu-
factures. mining. and mapping of Col
orado are briefly set forth by Mr.. Can
nett in his Introductory chapter.
The population in 1905 was probably
not far from 600,0 900, of which fifty-fve
per cent were males and forty-five per
cent. females. The number of foreign
born was seventeen per cent. to eighty
three Ger cent. of native born. In liter
acy the people of Colorado are ex-
ceeded by those of only nine other
states and territories.
Measured by the value of its prod
uCt, LllLlHS IS tue illOSt lllpOl tdHl III
dustry OF the state. In 1902 the output
of Colorado mines had value of $4O.-
603.286. 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 the state
within the arid region, agriculture is
in large part limited by the supply OF
water for irrigation. The total num-
ber OF farms in the state in 1900 was
24,7OO. and their total value was s161,-
045, ,101. The average value per farm
was $500. The value of all farm
products in 1900 was s33,04S,576. an
average per farm of $l,33S. The aver
age number of acres per farm was 1884,
which is more than twice the size of
the average farm in the United States.
| About seventy-seven per cent. of all
farms were owned by their occupants.
fourteen per cent. being rented on
| shares, and nine per cent. rented for
cash OF the cultivated land. 1.611,271
acres, or seventy-one per cent, were
under irrigation. The area irrigated
was "a per cent of the total area of
the state.
| Manufacturers are assuming great
proportion in Colorado. In 1900 there
were $3.50 manufacturing establish
lishments of all kinds. with capital
of $62, 2,S25,472. They employed 24.725
wage-earners and paid them SIS, JAG,
667 The cost of the materials used
was s66.SS6,016 and the value of the
production s1O2, O,137. showing net
increase in value produced by manu-
facture of $35,944.121.
In 1904 Colorado contained 4,976
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 area of land thus reserved is 49,
236 square miles, or seventeen per
cent. of the total area.
An interesting point brought out by
Mr.. Ganrett is the fact that the Hay
den survey published in 1876 topo-
graphic and geologic atlas of the
state. which in subsequent years had
a powerful influence in its develop
ment. Since the commencement of
topographic work by the present Geo
logical Survey much detailed work has
been done. thirty-four sheets upon a
scale of l :l25.000 and eighteen sheets
| unnp a scale pf 80 lOD having bpeD