The Coolidge examiner., 1936-08-21


Washington, d. C.-WNU Service.
w 7HEN you enter Denver,
\A/ Colorado, you come to the
v v urban hub of nearly one
fifth of the United States.
a state capital, great western
city, a gateway to the mountains
all these Denver is and more.
SpokeS of influence extend from
it into the entire Rocky Mountain
area, and into large regions of the
adjoining plains .s;tes as we'll,
making it the financial, CONNER
cial, and industrial center of vast
area. No other city in the United
States with quarter-million popu-
lation is SO far removed-500 miles
or more from all other big cities.
Naturally, the people of this
great region turn to Denver,
whether they are out for business
or pleasure, for commercial fight
or a recreational frolic. It's
habit of long standing. The miners
started it when they came every
50 often to the rough little town
that was Denver in the sixties to
spend some of their gold for sup
plies and the rest IN more OF less
riotous living.
Later, when great riches were
made in gold and silver and cattle,
the fortunate ones moved to Den
yer and built the mansions and
hotels and business blocks that
started the solid structure of the
city. Globe-trotterS, adventurerS,
and capitalists focked to Denver
in the seventies and eighties. Many
younger sons" of the British no.
bility and several Britons with
well known titles made the city
their headquarters for extensive
cattle operations, and gave glitter
ing parties at the old Windsor hotel
and the American house that have
not faded from Denver's memory.
Before its irrigation empire was
even dreamed of and while its
mineral kingdom was still unde-
veloped, Denver's location was Of
little value; but young Denver, de-
spite surveys, clung stubbornly to
the belief that in some way the
transcontinental railway, when it
came, could be pushed through the
mountains west of the city. When,
instead, the lines of steel were ex-
tended through Cheyenne, a hun
dred miles to the north, Denverites
put aside their disappointment and
quickly raised the capital to build
a connecting line to the new high
way.
With this rail contact with the
eastern settlements established and
with the steady growth of mining
in the mountains, Denver drew to
herself in a few years direct lines
of railroad from the east. Now
these highways Of steel radiate
north and south and east from
Denver like the ribs of fan.
A result of this railway CONVEX
gence of Denver has been to make
the city one of the country's lead
ing livestock markets.
Never Lost Dream
While the transcontinental rail-
ways went their busy way north
and south of Denver, the city never
lost its dream IF a line straight
west through the mountains.
Greatest and most tirelesS CT the
dreamers was David H. Moffat,
who visioned a six-mile tunnel
through the Continental Divide un-
der James Peak. He not only
dreamed, but worked, anc spent
his fortune on the project. He did
not live to see his plan realized,
but on July Z, 1927, the Moffat tun-
mel was holed through. Now
standard-gauge railway operates
double tracks through it into Mid
die Park, opening up a new noun
tain realm to Denver.
You sense Denver's most aston
ishing physical achievement only
when you let your imagination
wander back seventy years. 1t is
hard to believe that barely three
score and ten years ago this great
city, with its hundreds of miles of
streets, lined now with fine, tower
ing shade trees, was raw prairie.
Not a tree was in sight; only a
level plain covered with sparse
grass, dry and brown through most
of the year.
AS the outlander drives about
Denver he is struck by the beauti-
tul lawns. There are no excep-
tions. Whether he views the grass
plot of a humble cottage or the
park of near-palace, the lawns
are perfect.
The price of the beautiful lawns
much moisture. At certain