Gilpin observer., 1919-12-04
COLORADO NEWS NOTES.

| Nedrly every STATE IN tno Union III
represented by at least one student
ut Denver University, Chancellor
Henry A. Buchtel stated in giving a
resume of the work of the school in
the fifty-five years of its existence.
The total number of students en-
rolled this year in all department is
1,SOO, the chancellor said. Thirteen
hundred of these are from Denver
and the remaining 500 from forty diff
ferent states. DIR. Buchtel said that
in spite of extensive advertising en-
ployed by all universities, the fact re-.
mains that every school draws the
great majority of its students from its
immediate vicinity. A total of 3,772
degrees have been conferred by the
university to date.
The carrier pigeons and equipment
Of the Navy Department will be used
next year by the United States Forest
Service for conveying fire reports
| from lookout stations and fire fight
ers "at the front" to National Forest
Headquarters The value of the birds
in mountainous and lake regions
where, in many places, travel is diff
cult on account of the lack of roads
and trails, and there are but few tele-
phone lines, will be especially great.
The test of the birds for this use was
carried out on a limited scale this sea-
son, but 1t encouraged the Forest Ser
vice officials to believe that pigeons
can be employed profitably on a large
scale.
Figures compiled by the State I'M
migration Department show that the
per capita valuation of property in
Colorado for assessment purposes this
year is LAOS, compared with ST.
3S4.94 last year. There is an increase
of approximately $71, 100000 in the as
sessed valuation of property as re-
turned by the State Tax Commission,
the total valuation of property for as
SeSsment purposes in the state this
year being $1,495, 5,2OO659. The high
est per capita valuation is in Cheyenne
county, $2,9S6.66, and the lowest is in
Huerfano county, $SO6.61 These per
capita figures are based upon a popu-
latiOn of approximately 100000 for
the state.
State Legislature under the special ses-
sion program will aggregate approx
mately $215,OOO, it was indicated after
members planning to introduce bills
covering the subjects stipulated by the
governor had made known the amounts
to be sought. With the state already
facing the problem of meeting appro-
priations by the regular session that
were SITS, 7O6.60 in excess of the esti-
mated revenues for the biennial
period, officials in the offices of the
state treasurer and state auditor are
puzzled as to how the state will OBJ
tain funds to meet the additional bur-
den.
Population in Colorado per square
mile of area this year, according to
compilations made in the State Immi-
grafton Department, is 1926, COM
pared with 9.92 last year and II as
returned by the Census Bureau in
1910. The population of the state ap-
parently has increased approximately
3S per cent in the past ten years, as
compared with 4S per cent in the pre-
ceding decade. The county of Denver,
of course, is the most densely popu-
lated, having approximately 4,914 per-
sons per square mile. Hinsdale county
is the most sparsely populated, with
0.51 per square mile.
Denied the release of coal shipped
in by rail, Manager w. w. Campbell of
the Mesa flour mills is keeping the
mill in operation by hauling in coal
by auto truck. Mines Of the upper
valley are operating with normal
forces of miners, but coal loaded out
is being confiscated for essential in
dustries and railroads.
Two million bushels of wheat are
tied up in the wheat-growing districts
of eastern and northeastern Colorado
on account of the impossible condition
of the roads following the recent storm,
according to William G. Reid, inspector
for the State Utilities Commission.
Calculations made in the office of
the State immigration Department
show that approximately 20 per cent of
area of the state at the present time is
included in the national forests. Min
eral county, with 93.52 per cent, has the
largest forest area in proportion to
its total area, while Gunnison county,
with 1,125,096 acres, has the largest
actual forest area. There are twenty
counties having no forest area within
their borders and four counties having
less than 5 per cent of their area
within the national forests.
The Kobey block, large two-story
brick building in the heart of the
business section, occupied by business
firms on the ground floor and offices
on the second floor, was practically
gutted by fire ot Aspen, Colorado.
The loss to building and contents will
appreciate from $4,000 to 100000,
third of which Is cnvered hv in