The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-09-03
The Reporter Man Goes Trout Fish
ing after Seeing the Irrigated
Section of the State.

llDS anu seeing WnaG ne called the
garden spot of Colorado, and as a spe-
cial inducement promised that he would
take us trout fishing in the mountains.
He would not take no for an answer
and kept spending his money calling us
up over the long distance phone while
we were at Denver and Colorado Springs,
and when at last we received word that
the fishing was fine and he had party
all ready to go as soon as ] could get to
Ft. Collins, it was too great a tempta-
tion, SO hastily packing our trunk and
changing our plans we struck back to
Denver and then on to Ft. Collins, which
is exactly as far north of Denver as
Colorado Springs is south, "a miles. We
again took the Colorado Southern road
from Denver and for twenty miles rode
through part of Colorado's coal fields,
there being extensive mines all along
the way. Just before reaching Boulder,
which is 20 miles from Denver, we
pass through the grounds of the Uni
versity OF Colorado, beautiful place,
and one of the best colleges in the west.
Leaving Boulder which is flourishing
city of some 10000 people ride Of
fifteen miles brings us into the famous
fruit country of northern Colorado.
Here as elsewhere everyth thing depends
on irrigation, and million of dollars
have been spent on irrigating projects.
In the country around Berthoud, Love-
land and other towns one of the main
industries is fruit, especially cherries
and small fruit, but this year was a
poor year and to add to the loss by late
freezes while we were there the coun-
try around Loveland was visited by a
disastrous hail and wind storm which
stripped the orchards and did thousands
of dollars damage. At Loveland we met
regiment of U. S. soldiers, the 21st
Regulars who were marching from Den
yer to Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the
boys were pretty tired and foot sore
marching through that sandy country.
They had expected to reach Ft. Collins
that night but had to stop at Loveland
as many of the boys were unable to
walk any farther.
Ft. Collins was reached that evening
and we were met at the depot by Mr..
and Mrs. Mccormick and taken to their
home, where we remained for four days
and had a delightful visit. Ft. Collins
is one of the oldest cities in Colorado,
but until a few years ago was only a
good town, having but 5000 population
six years ago while today it has right
around 10000 and is growing at rapid
rate, new buildings going up on all sides
and real estate is increasing in value at
a rapid rate. They have beautiful
natural lake and summer resort which
we visited the first evening. The
next day we took carriages and took
the ladies and children with us and
drove eighteen miles to the mountains
stopping in the South Poudre canon
where we expected to do some trout
fishing. On the drive we had an ex.
cellent opportunity to see the great
growing crops of all kinds and crossed
hundreds of irragating bitches which
waters the land. The soil is very pro
ductive when it has water, but very
little can be grown upon it without ir
rigation. Sugar beats are one of the
| greatest crops and at Ft. Collins there
is beat sugar factory which pays ou
over 100000 year for sugar beets
and turns out over 30,OOO,O0O pounds O
sugar each year, giving employment tt
large number of men during the fiv,
months it is running, employing thre,
shifts OF men who work eight hours ;
day and the factory never shuts dow
dlOCI SIdi Olll$, uuUll UllS SctSOl Is ON0I
Great fields of Alfalfa are seen an,
many acres are in potatoes, onions, cab
bage and other garden truck. Laml
feeding is also one of the great in
dustries, over 100000 lambs being fee,
annually in that vicinity. The driv
across the country was delightful one
the roads being ideal and we'll kept u
and after the foothills were reache,
, and we entered the South Poudre cano
the scenery was magnificent. Sno1
J capped mountains can be seen in th
distance and the country is covere,
with pine trees and myriads of beauti
full mountain flowers are growing on al
sides. 1t was nearly noon when W
struck camp and after dinner had bee
enjoyed we got ready to fish, but jns
then one of those sudden mountai
storms came up and it rained torrents
as well as big hail and we were forced t
cover. Within few minutes the Poudr
river which is beautiful stream Q
clear water, rushing pell mel over tn
rocks in it's channel had chadged to
dirty red, there having been a regula
water spout over on the north fork O
the river where the soil is red, an,
there was no fishing that day, so WI
drove home by another route and ha,
an opportunity to see more fine farms
all we'll improved.
/ Sunday we spent quietly attendin.
church at the M. E. church, and takin,
i a drive through the thousands of acre
of land owned by the State Agriculture
i College which is located at Ft. Collin
and adjoins the city. There are mile
and miles of beautiful winding road
lover the farm SO that visitors can see i
lall. We also inspected some of the fin,
herds of cattle of all breeds, the horses
sheep and hogs. In the evening We
lattended the 1T. Collins Chautauqu;
and heard an excellent address by DR.
Frand Loveland, of Omaha.
/ On Monday we took run up Il
Greeley, twenty-five miles from Ft
collins to see the great potato fields