Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-08-30
THE HASKIN LETTER
SUNSHINE AND PROSPERITY,

| Pueblo, Colo, Aug. 20-Nany cities,
like people, seem to acquire prosperity
only at the expense of their dispositions
but not Pueblo, Although m important
| industrial metropolis, burdened with the
responsibility Of supplying a tremendous
variety Of manufactured articles to the
rest If the world, Pueblo IS as informal
as unpretenGous and as friendly as IN
the days when ii was but tiny trad
ing post--aud almost as picturesque.
PueblO's main street is the only one
we have encountered IN our western
travels which can anywhere nearly com
pare with the stirring brand of western
thoroughfareS occurring in the movies
and in some parts of our most popular
fiction. Even it is rapidly succumbing
to the modern influence Of fiye-andten
cent stores Nictrolas, movie palaces, In
terror decorating Narlors and soda foun-
tain lunch rooms, but a few traces of
the bold. bad west Of old still survive.
Among the most thrilling of these are
dozens of funny, little paWnshops, whose
windows contain not the usual assort-
ment of Discarded jeweiry, but formid
able collections of high class reyolyers,
daggers. bowie knives and "iimmies.
Apparently it is as easy to uy a dam
gerous weapon in Pueblo as it is to be
attacked with one in New York, and vet
Pueblo has never yet had to be quoted
down BY visits from the state militia.
These stores cater chiefly to the Mex
lean population weare told, the Mexicans
being particularly fond of carrying valu
able weapons, althoush they are gen
orally quite peaceful. Thus. while the
stock is largely ornamental, it gives
Pueblo a rather reckless air, especially
Ga. ~ abn
and sinister line with Impressive under
taking establishments.
The apnparante of n large number of
men in khaki shirts. breeches and boots,
some Of the men horseback. suggests a
mining atmosphere, but in reality many
of them are foremen and Superntend-
ents Of plants producing nothing more
startling than bricks or saddles. And
many Of the Mexican Don Juans who
stroll gracefully up the main street on
Saturday nights. wearing broad-rlmmed,
black felt sombreros recalling Spain of
the sixteenth century, are laborers III
the local steel plant
A Western Pittsburgh.
For Pueblo. in spite Of its exotic
touches, is a typical American industrial
CITY, containing over 100 factories and
proud Of its recent name, THE Pitts 4
burgh of the West" This is usually an
amazing piece of news to fasteners
whose idea Of Puebo's industrial or
geographical status is distinctly vision !
ary. Gee whiz! This is a regular
town" exclaimed New Jersey manu- /
facturer who happened TO change trims
hereabout year. And | always
thought it was an Indian village" As
if to make up for this injustice, this
manufacturer has now opened factory !
here and become n confirmed Puchloite. /
Pueblo owes its spectacular industrial
rise to it's admirable location, which is J.
in n basin on the eastern foothills of
the Rockies and on both sides Of the
Arkansas river. 1t is not only sur /
rounded BY the richest agricultural
country in the state of Colorado, but it +
is also in the vicinity of large coal and
oil fields. and provides the nearest, |
cheapest downward haul from the gold I
copper and iron mines. AS a strategic .
railroad point, with five trunk lines
stopping at its back door, it has become
the greatest receiving and distributing
center west of the Mississippi. In other
words, it is the logical point for receiv-
ny raw materials, reducing them to the
smallest bulk in the form of manu-
featured articles, and shipping them out
again.
Most of the city's growth has occurred
during the past ten years, in winch period