The Colorado statesman., 1918-01-05


bushels, worth about $31 100000.
There are 22,920 more motor cars in
Colorado today than a year ago, the
total number of autos in the state be
ing 6S,50O, and for these additional
cars the buyers In 1917 paid more
than $16,000,000.
The hay crop of Colorado Of 1917
had value of $47,492,000, against
state hay yield in 1916 that was worth
s26, 100000. Hay is the states most
valuable agricultural product. High
prices were paid throughout the ma
ton in 1917 for the hay crops and
the growers in every way Jared more
prosperously than ever before.
The fact that 117,000 persons visit
ed the national parks in this STATE
during 1917 signifies that the glorious
ly attractive glens and forests of the
Rocky mountains are becoming more
famous from year to year. No othei
state in the Union has so many scenit
attractions.
One of the most encouraging indicei
to the new growth of Colorado is the
fact that in Weld county several new
towns have been established during
the last three years, these co uni
ties including Raymer, KeotaI Vs;k
ingham. Stoneham and Grover, lSns
that were instituted as a result of the
recent new industry of growing pinte
beans and other crops. More than
10000 acres in Weld county were
used in 1917 for the growing of pinto
beans, the total production in this dis
trict being 2S,000,0O0 pounds. A large
part of this yield has been bought by
the Federal Government as Army and
Navy supplies. The entire agricul
tural yield in Weld county during 1917
aggregates in value $20,000,000.
The growing demands of the world
for more crude oil and gasoline has
turned the limelight of petroleum
trade towards the mountains of shale
in northwestern Colorado, and al
ready tracts of this area are being
taken up, refining plants built and
new companies formed to develop the
deposits. Biologists estimate that in
this state there is enough shale to
produce 100000, 900 barrels of pc
troleum, which could be refined into
2.000,O00,00O barrels of gasoline.
The increase in the value Of the
Coloradoan dairy products in 1917
over the preceding twelve-month
amounted to $2,0OO.0O0, the total
worth of these commodities produced
in the state during the past year be-
ing 100000. The total is for milk,
fresh used and canned, cheese, but
ter and so forth.
Nobody could help seeing the beau
ty, zeal, patriotism, cheer and uplift
that sublimely characterized the wom-
en- and girls of Colorado in their vic
torious works for the Red Cross, Lib
erty Loans, formation of wartime So
cieties, food production and conserva-
tion and other channels of necessity.
Sixteen millions of dollars worth Of
gold was taken from the Cripple
creek mines during the past twelve
months. Still greater ore bodies are
being found as the workings go deep
er, and the 1918 total is expected to
reach twenty millions. The aggregate
value of the copper output of the
state in 1917 was more than s2,000,-
900; the total yield of silver in the
state during the year reached nearly
S6,000,000; the lead output was $5,-
$4,000, and s9,91S,0O0 worth of zinc
was gotten from the 1917 ore reduc-
ton. The total value of the five met
ais mined in the state in the last
twelve months was $40,165,000. The
soaring price of silver had a stimulat-
ing effect on mining. Labor scarcity
was a handicap, but was not heavy
enough to daunt the spirit of progress
shown by the mining men.
Deposits in the banks of Colorado
increased in volume $27,094,976 dur
ing 1917, and today the total of depos-
its in the financial institutions of the
state is $26O319,057. Denver set a
ord-breaking pace in financial ad-
vancement for all other zones in Col
orado, for the first time in local his
tory the clearings of Denver banks
passed the $10O,000,000 a month mark
in 1917. The total Denver clearings
for the year reached 1919, $50,
gain of $197,111, $3.50, or 2S.S per cent.
over tho 1916 record.
With a worldwide scarcity of fuel
the Colorado coal mines proved their
worth in 1917 by yielding $30,000,000
worth of black diamonds. The 219
coal mines of the state produced 12,-
100000 tons of the fuel, against an
output of 10,sOO.OOO tons in 1916 and
S,7OO,O0O tons in 1915. The $30,OO0,.
900 set forth as the value of the 1917
yield is figured on an average worth
of $3.50 a ton. Two impediments, la
Dor scarcity and car shortage, pre-
vented the Colorado coal yield of 1917
from reaching total of 100000 or
100000 tons.
Fully $4,000, 900 worth of vegetables