Semi-weekly herald., 1911-01-19
DURANGO, THE METROPOLIS OF
SOUTHWESTERN COLORADO.


= several dozens of large, fawn-colored
eggs, complained that she wasn't ap-
preciated. See that hen over there" "
said the duck, she hasn't laid as many
eggs as l have, nor as big, but she has
books written about her and verses
composed in her honor. while nobody
Is saying a word about me-"
THE trouble with you is." said the
wise rooster that was standing near,
that you don't tell the public what
you have done. You lay an egg and
waddle off without saying a word, but
that sister Of mine never lays one with
out letting every one in the neigh
bOrhod know about It."
Durango and La Plata county is the
duck of Colorado. The small eggs OF
the hens OF other communities in the
state have been eagerly sought for in
the past, because of the noise made by
them, but now Durango and La Plata
county are rapidly coming to be known.
We have never had boom, az We do
not believe in them. We have never
encouraged lot of people to come
into our community for the purpose
OF specializing upon their savings and
making a profit out of them in exorbi-
tant prices for our lands, but we are
desirous of bringing into our commu
nifty desirable class of settlers who
will build up homes in our community
and assist us to build up this great
empire known as the San Juan coun-
try, OF which Durango is the center
and the metropolis.
Durango has aiready population of
about 10000 people. 1t has four banks,
two national banks, the First National
and the Burns National, the La Plata
County bank. and the Durango Trust
company. Nearly every denomination
is represented by a church and resi-
dent pastor. Our public schools and
Catholic schools and our system OF ed
ucation cannot be excelled by any city
of equal size in the United States. The
days of the wild and wooHy West have
passed away. The moral, educational
and religious influence of Durango and
La Plata county is of such high
standard that no person in the East
should hesitate to bring their children
here to be reared or feel that they are
not surrounded with just as good in.
fiuence as in their home country.
The climate Of Durango and La
Plata county cannot be excelled by
any other place in the United States
Grains and grasses are produced in
abundance. Our orchards produce the
apple, peach, pear, cherry. apricot,
plum. and all the different varieties OF
small fruit to the highest state OF
perfection.
No section of the West produces a
better quality of potatoes. The soil
and climate are particularly well
adapted to the cultivation of the pota-
to. The yield per acre is equal to the
production anywhere. And no section
of the country offers greater oppor-
tunities for sugar factory. The ex.
periments in growing sugar beets have
proved that this Is a sugar-beet coun-
try. Many OF our population are en-
gagged In the raising Of cattle and
sheep, which are wintered near the
border line of Colorado and New Mex
leo, and pastured during the summer
season in higher attitudes.
The agricultural lands are supplied
by never-failing flow of water from
the Animas. Pine, Florida. San Juan
and Dolores rivers. which rise in the
mountains near by and whose supply
is constantly maintained by the melt
ing SHOWS that never disappear from
some of the highest peaks.
There is a sufficient supply Of water
and land here to support population
equal to many eastern states. There
is plenty of room here for the honest,
Industrious homeseeker, who desires
TO have a home for himself and fam
lily. and at the same time. being as
sured that at all times he will be able
to make q good living in any occupa-
ton taht he may engage in, and aside
from this, to lay up a sufficiency for
the rainy day. Land Is cheap now
here. but it will constantly increase in
value. The United States land office
for the Durango land district is in
Durango, and this district embraces
all of Southwestern Colorado. and
there is yet vacant and unappropriated
lands that can be taken up under the
homestead law, the desert land law,
and the timber and stone law.
All the offices of the San Juan ma
tional forest are at Durango. and For
est Supervisor Shaw states that $4,000
head OF cattle and horses, and 175.000
head OF sheep were grazed on two and
one-half million acres embraced in
the three national forests in the San
Juan during 1910. This live stock Is
grazed under permit obtained from
the United States government at a
rate OF twenty-five cents per head for
cattle and five cents per head for
sheep, for the summer season.
Within tho Iimita NJ n plata county