Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-08-07
THE MOUNTAIN COUNTRY OF TIL
WEST AND the SAATAFE TRAIL.
New Mexico, its History and its PEG
pie

New MEXICO, IT'S history auQ IT'S Eco
pie
TBy f. NJ. Carl
We, who spend most of our lives
on the broad rolling prairies Of
Iowa, can hardly realize the nature
and extent of TIE mountain country
which lies between our homes and
che Pacific Ocean From Denver
westward to the coast, distance OF
about 900 miles, and from British
America southwark TO Mexico, a
distance of about 1900 miles, the
country is mountainous.
This vast mountain region com.
prises about one third of the area of
the United States, Alaska not in
Guided. 1t abounds in wild, ma
jestic scenery, its snow covered
mountain peaks rising to an altitude
of from 10000 to $4,000 feet. 1t is
rich in nearly all kinds of mineral
deposits, and its mountain sides are
covered in many places with good
timber, and there are some fairly
good grazing lands in the valleys;
but, taken as whole, the country
lis poorly adapted for agriculture.
1t is arid, or semi-arid, and requires
irrigation or special treatment to in
sure crop of almost any kind.
Were it not for this defect there is
no telling what the map of North
America would look like today. The
Spaniards built towns and churches
in this western country long before
there were any European colonies
on the Atlantic seaboard, and if the
soil had been rich and the country
a place where milk and honey flow
ed, European emigration would
, quite likely have built up a strong
Spanish-American state in the west
, ern part Of North America.
THE QUEEN CITY OF THE PLAINS"
!: A few days were spent in Denver,
and two side trips were made from
: that city, one to Cripple Creek, the
other to loveland. Denver is forg-
> ing to the front SO rapidly that the
9 person who has not been there dur
a ing the past ten years is scarcely
# able to find a landmark. 1t is a
J beautiful city, delightfully."- located
h the metropolis Of the Mountain
y states, and properly called the
d Queen City of the plainss"
le THE CRIPPLE CREEK DISTRICT.
There ia about as much scenery
crowded into 4S miles of railway
between Colorado Springs and
t, Cripple Creek as can be found or
u any 4S miles of railway in the coun
i try. Pixies Peak. snow capped
desolate pile of granite, the top o
y which is IA, LAT feet above the Sc,
i, level, hes as toithe westward .and. ii
IS plain view of Colorado Springs
he which is famous resort "a mile
d south of Denver.
Is The railway to- Cripple Creel
IS bends around the side of this noun
le tain, rising 2ll feet to the mile un
le til the rails attain height of 10,
ID 060 feet, and, along the route, higl
le bridges, tunnels, and l6 degre
y curves are very much in evidence
r. Cripple Creek is by no means tn
l. only gold-producing city in thi
le district. There are at least half
Id dozen other places of importance.
y, Victor, only a few miles fro1
re Cripple Creek, is city of eonsic
l. cradle size, and Independence, Por
u land, Eclipse, Elkton, and Anacond
g, are all large gold producing place
Id Several hours were spent in Crippl
el Creek, and the baneful effects of til
I'D struggle between the mine owne,
n and organized labor were plainl
8. visible. Whole blocks Of vacan
ID buildings tell the story Of bette
le days; of days before the camp SUITE,
ne ed from the quarrels narrated in II
OF recent Haywood trial at Boise.
ss BEAUTIFUL LovELAND
i. Loveland is beautiful little cit
vi Of between six and seven thousan
w. inhabitants. 1t is situated on
-. prairie near the north-central pol
h n ton Of the state of Colorado. Fo
Nv hundreds Of miles to the eastwar
=, ~ the surface of the country is compa7
~ atively level, but to the westwar
=. the mountains are only few mile
hs away. In the vicinity Of Lovelan
,v there is an abundance of water fc
: irrigating purposes, and good CROP
n Of small grain, hay, sugar beets, an
# fruit are usually produced. Th
h no level part of Colorado, which lie
ID near enough to the mountains
ri make irrigation practicable, is
ri choice agricultural region, in whic
i; IN farms sell at from 500 to $500 pc
"a acre. Loveland. of course, has
he good sugar beet factory Such ia,
tn tories are to that country what ii
,,o creameries are to northeastern low.
-. And it is claimed that the china,
an Of these high prairies in the nortl
he elm part Of Colorado is unexcelle
~ for those afflicted with lung trouble
y The people in many sections Of tt
n west dislike to have tubercular p
"a tients come among them, but the r,
- verse seems to be the case in Low