The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-17
COL. aHEFT VICE PRESIDENT OF DENVER, LARAMIE AND
 NORTHWESTERN RAILROAD
Continued from Page 1.)

a two weeks trip to Colorado; the last
 or several such excursions made dur
 ing the winter and spring. Previous l to the holidays, Col. Heft was inn
 tired from active railroad life, and the cares and worries of construction | work.
 Out in, Colorado,i the Colonel
 found the Denver, Laramie / & | Northwestern railroad, which of-
 fered such a great field of useful | ness, would open up country teem- ing with mineral, agrict tltura1 and 1 forest wealth, to say nothing of shortening the distance from Denver l to Seattle, Wash, by 300 miles, that | Col. Heft has changed his mind. Here was an opportunity to round
 out a life work, that comes to few | men who have been in the business of
 conceiving and putting into active op- eration great railroad enterprises
 which have become wonders in the
 railroad world. After careful in l of half year, Col. Heft decided that he was and always would be an active railroad man and builder. What he took for retirement was simply vacation in which to pre- pare for the crowning act of a long and honorable career in his chosen profession.
 To-day Col Heft is member of the board of directors and is the second vice-president of the road whose possibilities he has been | searching for six months. He has just been elected. In chatting with a Farmer report CT about his return to an active busi-
 ness career and of this trip, Col Heft had this to say:
 The Denver, Laramie & North
 western Railroad Company is incor- porated under the laws of the State of Wyoming. Its eastern terminus Is Denver, its western terminus will be Seattle. a distance of between LIDO and l,200 miles. When completed
 between these points by 300 miles,
 and it has the least grade of any
 road with a terminus on the Pacific Coast. Also it will be the shortest
 line from Chicago to the Yellowstone
 National Park. and the scenery sur along the so-called scenic routes"
 now penetrating the fastness of the
 Rocky Mountain and other western ranges.
 "At Denver, the road owns it's ter
 minal facilities. which are of suffi-
 cient size to meet all demands of it's
 growth for the next century and
 which are so valuable that a recent offer was made for half of the land
 at figure which covered the origin
 al purchase price, of the tract
 "The Denver, Laramie & North
 western is constructed and in active
 operation from Denver to Greeley,
 distance of 56 miles and is earning
 all of it's charges-a most unheard of
 thing in the history of railroading. This remarkable condition is due to
 the fact that the line is hardly out side the corporate limits of the city of Denver until it penetrates a re- zion of wonderful fertility, given over to some Of the finest market gardens in the world, which supply the capi- tai Of Colorado.
 Utah Junction, where the line crosses so many of the railroads en- tering Denver, is the first market garden shipping points. In fact, from the eastern terminus to CeleryvilIe is nothing but market gardening on land that is worth from $200 to $1,000 an acre. 8lE
 At Tracyville there is spur track running to the Ignite coal mines. which will be shipping a large ton- mage before the summer ends. Voll- mar bids fair to be one of the most important towns in this wonderfully productive agricultural district, as land company has a tract of about 5000 acres which it will improve rap- idly
 You may gather some idea of the rapid growth of this section since the. advent of the Denver, Laramie & Northwestern by the history of Milli- ken, 39 miles from Denver. The for nler place was farm land on Jan. 1, 1910, to-day it has fine brick and stone business blocks, paved streets. banking facilities, flowing artesian wells, electric lights and conveniences that will put to shame the public im- provements of towns of 10000 inhab- 1r10 ter of about 1000 population and feels it is just commencing to take its first steps as a community. ~ Z Greeley, the point to which the Denver, Laramie & Northwestern is now operated, is named after Hor- ace Greeley, who went out there, when the place was the edge of 'The Great pie Show to farm. It has the largest beet sugar plant in the world and grows vegetables which command prices commensurate with their size, which is phenomenal. It has a pop ulation of about 15,000; is modern in country of marvellous Agricultural wealth. made so by irrigation.
 "From Greeley to Scott. which will be the western end of the first di- vision. is about AT miles; of this dis tance a triffe over miles is ready for the rails. This country IS one or fertility which surpasses the widest dreams of an eastern farmer. It has been reclaimed by irrigation, and the virgin soil which was desert a few years ago is now a garden spot.
 "The principal crops are sugar beets, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes. alfalfa, etc It is a paradise for the cattle raiser; he feeds no grain, but fattens his cattle, sheep, hogs and raises horses for the market on alfalfa. of which he has four crops a year. The ranches, which is western term for farms, are all prosperous, under a high state of cultivation. The houses are tial. as are the ranch buildings. | There are two towns. Severance. l a thrifty place of about 800, and Well lington. with a population of about | 500, paved streets, concrete walks. banks. fine business blocks and handsome residences. Both of these | places are bound to grow rapidly. as | they are the natural shipping points 1 of this fertile and productive terri l tory, which has no means of reaching 1 a quick market until the Denver, Lar l annie & Northwestern opens it up
 Scott will be the seat of the rail | road shops and other industries nat urally dependant upon the road. The | town site is owned by the railroad l company, and will be sold to it's em- l pIoyes and others at attractive prices. | The grade of the road from Denver to | Scott going westward, is 6-1O of one | per cent.'
 Col. Heft shifted in his chair and "I was amazed to notice |