The daily sentinel., 1910-08-31

/ The interurban electric system of
this valley, with its possibilities for
| intensive development and settlement
4 furnishes Francis A. House text for
an interesting article in Tuesdays is
sue of the Denver News. That Grand
| Junction and Fruita made no mis-
take in being the pioneers of such a
system on the western slope, is we'll
| ointed out, and other sections of the
state are urged to follow our example.
The article is as follows:
Considering the rapid growth of
| the agricultural and industrial re-
4 sources of Colorado, it is surprising
that such scant attention is given to
| the building of electric railway sys-
tens. 1t is only from the Arkansas
and Grand River valley that one re-
ceives reports of extensions or new
| projects The prosperous fruit re-
Eions of the western slope seem par
iicularly alive to the conveniences
and advantages of electric lines Evil
iently, they fully realize that electric
| transportation is of powerful aid in
Tie development of their great ma
| crial wealth and of more delectable
social life.
Typographical as well as climatic
conditions make extensive systems of
| electric railway lines especially de-
| r0ble and practicable in Colorado
| Owing to high cose of construction, a
| pIlly adequate system of steam rail-
road transportation can not be rea-
G~v1hlv ho"ed for within a measura-
| bic distance of time The existing
| comparies probably will confine
themselves 10 the building of small
hEanch lines and the improving of
their roadbeds, lowering of grades,
tdnneling and broad-gauginga
Construction Imperative.
Therefore, if the natural resources
of the state are to be properly de-
veloped, the construction of more
electric lines seems Indispensable
they would go long way toward
covering expanding and urgent needs
| by giving isolated communities quick
connection with the steam routes
Without better and more modern
| transportation facilities, ColoTado's S
sequestered sections will be grievous-
| ~ retarded in growth by remaining
handicapped in their endeavors to at
| tract larger number of homeseek-
ers and investors.
| Extensive electric systems have
leen and still are being built in the
| Eastern states. In Ohio. Indiana,
| Illinois, Missouri. Iowa and Kansas
| thousands Of miles of track have been
laid in recent years. One can now
travel on electric cars from Chicago
TO any number of large towns within
| a radius of 400 and 500 miles These
lines have given new vitality and zest
TO the economic life of any number
| of communities, whose interests had
been neglected. and whose energies
had been dormant, for years.
| The electric railway lines now in
operation in Colorado have clearly
demonstrated their usefulness Most
all of them have proven financially
successful. Thety have been mani
festly stimulative of social and COM
mercial intercourse. AT the same
time, their success has had no per-
ceptible adverse influence on the rev
enues of steam railroads As a mat
ter of fact. they have proved valuable
feeders by creating new business
where there was none or little before.
Colorado is big enough, and develop
, ing fast enough, to afford plenty of
traffic for several more electric COM
panies at the present time,
Trolley lines are admittedly pop
ular wherever established. They do
not arouse bitter animosities, or ere
ate serious grievances, Their pro-
moters are, as a rule. given substan-
tial bonuses in cash and land by towns
and counties, and the people 10 be
served are generally disposed to sub
scribe to capital stock and bonds.
Colorado offers splendid inducements
for building of new electric lines.
expect TO see the time when they will
cover and encircle the entire state
And ii seems to be that in this direc-
tion cooperation could also success
, fully assert itself.
New Irrigation Enterprise.
And now comes Phillips county
with the cheerful information that a
100000 company has been organ
lied for the construction of an irriga.
ton system which will put the prec.
ious moisture on 1876. 600 acres of its
fertile domain, which hitherto had
been profitably titled by dry-farming
methods. The South Platte river
and Bijou creek are to be the CHIEF
l sources of reservoir supplies.
The versatility and optimism oi
the yeomanry of our eastern plains
are truly marvellous. They are pro
4 team and inextinguishable. They work
. | greater wonders thnD did NOeas xxber