The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-01-28
Continued from Page 81


really hot spell in Denver, and tn
oldest inhabitant can draw a crow
any day when he begins to tell OF
wilted collar he saw way back in IS
Further back than that nobody car
remember the city--for there WASH
any. In 1858 the single log cabin 9
a pioneer constituted the beginning
of Denver. In the forty years since
then it has made 4 record OF fast
growth that is unparalleled in the
history OF fast-growing Nation. To
day it is modern city, with hand
some buildings, beautiful parks, a
great public library. schools, clubs,
hotels, theatres, everything that a
centre of civilization should have,
The famous gold hunt of '4o had
little civilization effect on the Col
orado country; it was aimed further
west. Even in 1870, twelve years af-
ter the pioneers cabin was built, the
population of Denver was less than
5000. Recently in the United States
Senate, Senator Scott of West Virg
inia made speech in which he spoke
Of his old mining days in Colorado.
II went to the site of Denver" said
Senator Scott, when there was no
Denver there, when it was inhabited
by the prairie dog, the rattlesnake
and the owl"
''In 1870 the Denver Pacific and
Kansas Pacific divisions Of the Union
Pacific reached the city, and the pop
ulation figures began to jump. When
President Grant proclaimed Colorado
State on August 3rd, 1876, Denver's
population was about 25,000 1t was
$1,000 in 1880, and in the next ten
years it increased to 133,859. With
population estimated today at u.s.
600, the city is confident that it will
have passed the 100000 mark when
the next decennial census is taken.
OF course the Democratic Conven-
ton will bring many thousands of
dollars to Denver, directly. But the |
indirect benefits expected from it are
greater. In other words, in offering
100000 for the Convention, Denver
is embarking upon gigantic adver-
tisement scheme. There is no con-
cealment about that. Besides the de-
legates themselves, visitors flock to
political conventions. Nowadays a /
convention is by nb means only dis
cusson and choice of candidates and
a framing Of a platform-it has be-
come a remarkable spectacle Pro-
vision for the crowds of "rooters" is
made with no less care than for the |
delegates.
Then there are innumerable "frills" |
which go along with every convention
receptions, and parades, and sight
seeing parties, and such like. The en-
thusiastic Denverite will tell you that
his town is strong on these.
First Of all, they take the stranger
to the basement Of the Capitol and
show him a tablet which marks a |
point exactly one mile above sea level
This fact Of the citys altitude is
its chief pride-the foundation stone
for all the other pleasant things which |
can be said about Denver Next in
importance is the death rate, which, |
unlike Denver's level, is very low.
In 1900 it was only one and three
tenths per cent, and some years it is
lower than that. The average num-
ber of clear days a year is 3l4.
Not counting the boarding houses
and furnished rooms to let" there
are forty hotels in Denver. 1t is not
a difficult matter to house $4,000 vis-
itors at one time. Why, then, asks
Denver, should it get excited about
taking care Of the Convention crowds? |
If there ever was a city that was
make by railroads, that city is DEN
yer. 1t was nothing when the United
States Government decided to have
transcontinental railroad built across
the Great Plains and the Rockies.
Backed by the Government, the
Unoin Pacific Railroad was begun,
stopped and begun again. All sorts