Semi-weekly herald., 1910-01-13
DURANGO AND ITS
ENVIRONMENTS

(By Hon. Richard McCloud, Secretary
of the Durango Board OF Trade)
written for The Railroad Red Book.)
Take a draughtsman's compass and.
with Durango as a center. describe a
circle on the map that touches Rico
on the north, and the territory you
enclose will give you some Idea of
Durango's sphere OF influence in the
Southwest
In the territory enclosed. four lines
OF railroad, under one management,
the Denver 4 Rio Grande Railroad
Company. haul to this common point
the ores from the high lands, and the
fruits and farm products from the
districts that rest perpetually In the
sun.
You will see that upwards of 628
| miles In area represents the district
flor which Durango is the clearing
house of trade and transportation. for
not only as a receiving center is the
city noted as the mistress OF the new
Southwest. but as forwarding cen
ter her facilities have long been recog-
nized. And for this reason the growth
of Durango has been one of business
evolution, not the acquiring OF fuc
uating population that rises with good
times and falls in periods of depres
sion. but a substantial and steady en-
| largement Of her institutions. her
wealth and her business to the point
where she has lifted herself out of
the class OF frontier towns. And yet,
entering Durango from the east you
traverse two Indian reservations, the
Jicarilla Apaches and Southern Utes,
while south and west the thrifty Nava.
jos have their hogans. Northwest of
the city. in the Mesa Verde district,
the tourist and the archaeologist will
see in the cliff dwellings the heritage
left to our civilization by race long
vanished and presumably as old as
atlantis.
With all these evidences of the for
mer days. Durango is the modern. en-
ergetic city that typifies the white
mans progress. And here are some of
the facts:
The population of Durango is close
to 10000. II is the county seat of La
Plata county. II is reached from Den.
yer over division of the Denver &
Rio Grande railrond-from Alamosa
q narrow gauge. From Grand juno.
tion. Montrose Ouray and Telluride
you enter Durango over the Rio
Grande Southern. passing down
through Rico and the La Plata mining
district From Silverton. a mining
town, known throughout the world,
you travel down the Animas valley,
almost from timber line, into where
the orchards thrive. And from Farm
ington, New Mexico's northwest me
tropolis, you come into the city on a
standard gauge which was standard.
ized TO accommodate the farmers,
raisers and stockmen in their heavy
shipments day after day to Durango,
and from here to all other points east
and west And II is confidently be.
lieved that 1910 will see Pennington
and Gallup. New Mexico. connected by
a standardgauge railroad, and thus
its coal to the non-fuel country of Ari.
; zona, California and Old Mexico.
And this is what you see when you
: reach Durango. The second plant In size
! I,,,hI ha Da
fining Co. maintains in Colorado; ores
from Telluride, Sllverton. Eureka. Red
Mountain. Animas Fork, Rico. How
ardsville. La Plata, Dunton and Ophlr,
pour into this smelter day after day.
keeping miners. train crews and
smelter men working to the limit. An
adjunct OF the smelter plant are the
coke ovens, which receive their supply
Of coking coal from the Royal Coal
and Coke company's mine in Horse
gulch, known as the City mine, and
other OF the coal mines near Durango.
Hesperus, about sixteen miles distant
on the Rio Grande Southern. has one
Of the coal mines of the Porter Fuel
company. with coal superior to that
found In Las Animas or Huerfano
!. county. and United States geological
experts declare the coal measures OF
La Plata county are practically mex.
= haustible. thus assuring permaDence
In the operation Of the coal plants of
this county. and OF the coal supply
for the copper mines OF Arizona and
the homes OF the Pacific coast.
The United States land Office for
the Durango district embracing the
counties OF La Plata, San Juan. Do
lores, Montezuma, Archuleta and part
OF San Miguel and Ouray. is located
at Durango.
A payroll in excess Of $500 day re
suits from the smelter business In Du
range. which sum goes to the local
merchants.
0 A water system drawing Its supply
4 from mountain reservoirs nearly TWEEN
e ty-two miles distant. piped to the city
!, through non-corrosive mains. gives
4 DuranRO as Dure n water BuDDly as rs