The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-01-26
Mammoth Auditorium Nearly
 Ready for Democracy
HOTELS ENOUGH FOR CROWD
RaiIroadS Are Already Preparing Schedules To Handle the Delegates To tn, Big Convention To
 Be Held In July.

Denver. Colo, January 25.-(Special)- Still future event in the minds of the public, the democratic convention at Denver has already assumed the guise of a present reality to railroad officials, who are beginning to think out schemes for taking care of the crowds without confusion. Regular trains will be made longer, and many special trains will be run. Long before the democratic dele gate has brushed the dust off his plug hat and sent his frock coat to be refurbished, the operating men in the railroad offices will be working overtime on emergency schedules.
 This selection of a city so far west as the place of convention is without prece- dent. It introduces new problems for the carriers, since the lines of railroad in this section are much fewer than in the Mississippi valley and on the Atlantic seaboard Denver has no fear lest it's guests suffer from lack of aceommoda- ton. Ever since it was a collection of huts, it has been called 'the tourists city" The railroads may dump thous- ands of delegates Into it in two days. but the "Queen City of the Plains will refuse to be disturbed. Denver didn't offer sioo,- 900 to the democratic national committee for nothing: it know what is wanted and is is going to be well prepared for the crowd
 Hall Nearly Finished.
 Work on the mammotn auditorium is 4l. .g~ tea n ft,fo 1-ff tons of steel which will go into the build ing, .000 tons are now n place. By fai the heavtest part of the work is done and the contractor says that he will bC ready to turn over the fnishea job tc the city on the first day of May. The s425, GOO for the erection of the auditorium was raised through a bond sale
 The auditorium Is 260 feet long, 16S feet broad and 8 feet high. It's normal seating capacity will be 5000, but this can be increased to 11500 by utilization oi aisle space. Committee rooms adjoin the main hall, and if there is any overflow of committees, the democratic club, three blocks distant, is available.s
 From the timeliness of 1t, one might sup pose that the double-tracking of the Union Pacific railroad between the Mis- sissippi and the Rockies, was under taken for the particular benefit of the democratic convention. The construction of the second track. by sections, has proceeded steadily during the last four ol five years, and now the Union Pacific has the only double track line west of the Missouri river Many of the improve
 
 finished when the political gathering is held next July.
 Big Special Trains.
 Westward into Denver the Union Pa cihc will run special convention trains over it's two main stems-one line through Nebraska from Omaha and the other through Kansas from Kansas City. The Nebraska route will be taken by the dele gates from the north Atlantic states, while the delegates from further south will find the southerly route mora convenient Arriving at Denver. the trains enter a magnificent union station. It is at the foot of the slope on which the city is built and is within short distance of the big hotels.
 Excessive heat has been part of the history of most political conventions. The President makers go back home and tel their families and friends now they near ly stewed in the convention hall at St Louis, or Kansas City, or wherever il was. The conventions are always held IT the summer, and somehow the weather man seems invariably to be lavish witt humidity and a knockout temperature But Denver says it will not be so there
 They don't know what it is to have a really hot spell in Denver, ant the old- est inhabitant can draw crowd any day when he begins to tell of wilted collar he saw way back in 59. Further back than that nobody can remember inc city for there wasn't any. In 1852 ihe single log cabin of a pioneer constituted the beginning of Denver. In the 70 years since then 1t has made a record of fast growth that is unparalleled in the history of a fast-growing nation. loday u IS a modern city. with handsome buildings, beautiful parks, great public lorarV schools, clubs, hotels, theatres-eyerythin that center of civilization should nave
 Gold Hunt of '4e.
 The ramous gold hunt of 49 had little civilization effect on the Colorado coun- try; 1t was aimed further west. Even in 1870. F years after the pioneers cabin was built, the population of Denver wa; less than 5000 Recently in the United States Senate Senator Scott of West Vir- ginia made speech in which he spoke of his old mining days In Colorado. T went to the site of Denver" said Sen ator Scott, when there was no Denver there, when it was inhabited by the praf- rie dog, the rattlesnake and the owl
 In 1870 the Denver Pacific and Kansas Pacific divisions of the Union Pacific reached the city, and the population figures began to jump. When President Grant proclaimed Colorado sate on Au- gust 8, Ao.s, Denyer's population was about 25,00O. It was "35,0 900 in 1880, and IT the next ten years 1t increased to 13S,s5s With a population estimated today al 175OO0 the city Is confident that 1t will have passed the 100000 mark when tho next decennial census is taken.
 Money To Denver.
 Of course the democratic convention will bring many thousands of dollars tc