Connecticut western news., 1915-02-04
CROSSING THE COUNTRY
Observation by Miles L. 6lodgett, oF
 Falls Village.
tContinued.

The farther one rides into Kansas the better she looks. Out here ono misses the hills, the dashing waters from mountain side, the splendid views of nature in her different moods that are so manifest in my native state. do not believe there is any country like ours, nor half so good; here we get the gra Il upon which man and beast thrive; in the East we obtain the man. ufactured product, or the clothes wo wear and farther to the West we get the gold, the silver, with which we make the exchange. To the North wo get the lumber with which to build houses for both man and beast, and if there is country where all these can be obtained more easily, have yet to learn of it. How necessary it is that these necessities of life have free and open channel though which to reaoh the people, and that none shall bo allowed to divert their natural course. Kansas, or what we have seen of her, is now behind us, and at six o'clock Friday morning, finds myself looking out over Colorado's plains. Low stretches of mountains can be seen in the distance. This country is semi arid, and irrigation ditches can be seen It is by this method of watering the ground that large and splendid corps are raised where if it were not for the water the country would be practically worthless for cropping purposes. '' E. F The prairies or country through (which we are passing is covered with cattle and it is from here that the East gets some of her beef This is also tho land of the sugar best and alfalfa can be seen in abundance. The plains seem to covered be with'a short natural grass upon which horses and cattle subsist, and 1t is evident from the con- dition of vegetation that there have been some showers for everything looks fresh and vigorous. As we are passing along we are naturally looking for houses and occasionally one can bc seen, but they are small and far apart, and the gossip and news peddling that are part of the daily life of people in more thickly settled communities could not exist here where the matter would be forgotten in travelling from ono house to another.
 Probably if there is excitement in this country it is concerning the steal ing of horses or cattle or something of that nature, for the land is covered with herds wandering here and there in search of food.
 We are passing through a country that does not show Coloarao at it's best and the conditions that prevail here do not obtain all through the state. Ono does not see much timber or trees grow ing and what is visible must have been set out for fence posts for other pur- poses of like nature, and as I am lying propped up insthe sleeper we arc passing two fine fields of sugar beets and it is from here that we get our Dead Beat Sugar, and here it is that one sees small houses, small barns and great big fields all under irrigation, and a fine sight it is l assure you for with the turning on of water to the crop when it is needed and not having to wait for the rains, is skinning nature at her game of chance, and thus makes the man who tills the soil, anything but a gambler, which he is, when he has to plant and wait or hope for the rain, the sun shine and the time of har- vest
 One out here misses the fine gardens, the ornamental trees surrounding tho homes and the fine surroundings that are so much in evidence everywhere in New England. The horizon here seems to be far away and unlike New Eng land, where one can walk out onto the back porch and kick hole through it. The train stops about every two miles and I am unable to learn the reason unless it is for the train hands to help run down a herd of steers or wild horses, and even stranger things than this I see, for out here where there seems to be no timber, yet they have to advertise to sell lumber, and l be- hold the sign "The Dickinson Lumber O.. " and where in the dickens Dick inson gets lumber is some mystery te me. Out here they seem to be progress sive although they do not have tho natural advantages to be found in any other sections of our country, but they know how to take hold of n scheme and work it for all there is in it, and ono has only to look at the great big fields of alfalfa, the large herds of cattle and horses to see that they are making the most of their opportunities. Certain it is that out here they do not have to hurry as they do in the East to do their work for here they have the whole year as the climate is mild and the condi- tions for harvesting crops are ideal Our train has just pulled into LaJunta, called La Hunta," city of seven thousand population, and here are to be found some of the largest beet sugar industries, for which Colorado is noted
 Irrigation is depended upon and am told they raise 70 bushels of wheat tc the acre, and that without irrigation the yield was but five bushel The land here is high ranging in price from $100 per acre up. It is here that pas sengers transfer for Denver, taking n branch road as far as Pueblo. As we are leaving La Junta our train is pull n l.