La Junta tribune., 1911-09-23

new definition brought about by the
coming oi the Santa Fe railway. sue.
cceding the Santa Fe trail. is La
Junta. where you get off. 90
The old trail. the mountain trail.
went To the southwestward from La
Junta through Trinidad. Ration to
Santa Fe The new trail goes west
ward into Colorado, through Rocky
Ford. Fowler. Pueblo aud Canon City
with extensions plasned to Colorado
Springs and Denver. The trail party
went by automobile in succession
over the old trail and the new There
WAS double fascination TO the uailcrs
of yesterday In both roads from La
Junta. In the later years there was
the fascination Of the gold fields Of
Colorado. which drew on up tn" Ar
kansas river thousands of eastorners
seeking TO make fortunes over night
There was fascination OF fortune'mak-
ing and adventure for the older trail-
ffN AiDNN llf ibA4 " HeNha ~ '''N
into Old Mexico beyond. For did nti
this road lead to the City VI Holy
Faith. with its opportunities for for
tune finding and fandangoes' To the
more adventurous II led even to old
Mexico beyond to the palace Of the
Montezumas the avenues Of old clms
where Cortrz' cavaliers fought and
made love IN the moonlight With
their blades not dry OF blood OF the
mornings battle. TO the Alameda.
where Alyarado took the nut brown
Indian maiden In his arms TO kiss
her, when she, loving another better,
drove the steel straight for his heart
aud missed 10 find surer Judgement
In her own II would have been
strange indeed had not the combining
fascinariOns OF the picturesque and
mysterious southwest lured many
along every trail that went there
unto And over al was the soft eli
mate. with skies hlu,r Than Italian
skies. With muuutairs graudrr than
SWitzerlaud's mountains. and the ten.
DIR. caressful air. Gods b-ucdi,tiou
on th. day slow dropping from hr
sky.
. Along both old aud new trails
dwell men aud women from Missouri
Kansas. Illinois, Iowa. eastern and
southern states thoroughly devoted 10
their new homes A La luuta the
trail party was met by d N Spald,
ing. formerly Of ST Louis, aud +
N Harsin. county commissioners Of
otcro county. Major G. NJ Damrrun,
formerly OF Huntsville. Mo- John "
spalding and w. & Chiffon former.
ly Of Boouyi NE, 80 We have a
thousand mll,s of county roads now
in Otcro county" said Mr. Spald
Ing and are spending 5000 a year
In their Improvement We claim the
best roads Of any county ~ Colora.
do"
II is only ihiriy five years ago.
Sah Nr spaldnE since Oh" first
railroad train reached La Iunta Be
fore this time La luuta vas not
name even. but plac"--a stage
stand aud a camp Tor OK trains. mule
trains and westward vending cara.
vans of traders miners hunters aud
adycnturyrs on the Santa Fc trail
II is now a city Of 10000. with civic
pride. yduraliuu and refinement.
good business town iu the center of
y large, wonderfully productive. lrri.
gated country"
, la Junta Is the county seat Of Otrro
county. IN the irrigated portions VI
which marvellous crops are produced.
Cantaloupc growers have averaged as
high as 500 an acre n season from
four acres. aud beet SUGAR growers
500 10 tli6 an acre. on" man near
la Junta produced twenty.three tons
of onions from one acre and disposed
of them for a trlfl- l.ss than $500
Alialfa Is the staple food Tor stock
The yield Is claimed TO be from three
Ia fNe tons an acre. netting h'c
grower from $50 to $50 an acre and
the earlics, alfalfa Sold as high rs
from $40 To 500 an acre. The agri'
cultural region is an arid one. The
rainfall is less than fourteen Inches u
year. which practically all falls In
April. May. June. July and August II,
requires the artificial application Of
water To raise crops.
Travel on the trail by automobile
or In the palac. cars OF the Santa
fc railway u very differcn, than
when Henry Smith went over III.
tran. n youth OF sixteen. In 1853.
I'VE had thirty wagons" said Mr.