The daily sentinel., 1910-10-12

lher Is great rise coming in land
values in Colorado, says Francis A.
House in the Denver News. From
all indications it should be of record
breaking proportions. 1t will assert
itself in irrigated as well as dry
farming regions. If you are the own
er of a good agricultural tract, hang
ON to it by all means. If you are not
and have investment properties in
that direction, purchase one, If only
of small subdivision, or else lay
claim TO your homestead allowance
in a federal land office.
No, this is no pipe dream. | give
this advice after a careful study of
the census bulletin No. II. which in
Gates that the growth of the coun-
try5s rural population in the last ten
years did not excel ! . per cent The
probability is that it may show a de-
cline of l or 2 per cent from the
percentage of 1900, which was 12.4.
At the same time, the average in
crease for towns having more than
$500 inhabitants is certain to be at
least 80 per cent. 1t may reach S5
pei cent, If not still higher per
centage.
From all this, the inference must
be drawn that the drift of population
to small and large towns continued
with steadily increasing impetus in
the past decade. The most astonish-
ing gains are revealed in tie returns
for the groups of cities of between
$4,000 to 100000 population. Of
these, fifty-four show an average
gain of 43.2 per cent. against 81 3
for the larger cities whose figures
hpIe so fal been given out.
Rush for Land nevitabie.
The inevitable economic cOnsr.
euences of this uninterrupted agglo,
meration of people in towns may
readily be discerned. and ars of vital
importance to owners of agricultural
land. Most notable and far reaching
in effect will be these: 4 fnIler
augmentation of the prices If rarll
products and general cost of liNlng'
an increasing des &c among wage
earners to purchase and 2G'ivate
farms, and, as an immediate result
of this. a great advance in the alha
tion of agricultural land. The sound
ness of this synthetical reaSoElnS
must be apparent to every intelligent
mind.
This leads me back to what | said
above: That good land in Colorado
is sure to denote an unprecedented
expansion in value in the course of
the next ten years. The demand will
be keener and larger than ever. From
the congested urban centers they
will come in multiplying numbers
anxious to acquire tract of land on
which to make a good living, while
prices are yet at reasonable levels.
The spacious unimproved acreage
purchasable from private owners at
. tt-il n hp
taken up by actual settlers, and val
ues will insistently grow in inverse
ratio to the shrinkage in soil supply.
Simultaneously. there should be an
increasing rush to the land offices.
Including forest reserves, there yet
remains public domain of 24,7OO,-
600 acres in Colorado. That a con-
siderable portion thereof is suscept
ible of profitable agriculture has
been put beyond question by results
achieved. A trip through eastern
Colorado for immediate searching OBJ
servation should convince any un-
prejudiced mind that Colorado's dry
farming land is well worth buying
, and tilling, more so, indeed, than
much of the acreages taken up in
other western states, such as South
Dakota and Montana, for example,
which, in recent times have been
zealously and diffusely advertised by
promoting syndicates and railway
companies.
Activity ON Western slope.
There is marked Investment activ-
ity at and about Montrose. Several
interesting transactions were latterly
recorded. One of these eliminated
in the sale of twenty acres on Spring
Oreek mesa to an Ohio party, the con
sideration being 10000, or $500
per acre. The total sales of one day
aggregated $4,000 in value.
Similar significant intelligence
comes from other points in that part
Of the state. Assurance of the com
pletion of the Gunnison project has
visibly stimulating influence on real
) estate markets. Sagacious investors
realize that the prospective enlarge
ment of the producing capacity of
the western Sope, and the building
Of extensive electric transportation