The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-09-03
Prepared by the National Geographic societ'
washington. ID. C.-wNU Service.

washington, ID. G.-WND service
w 7HEN you enter Denver,
\A/ Colorado, you come to the
Wv urban hub of nearly one
fifth of the United States.
A state capital, great western
city, 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 states as well,
making it the financial, CONNER
cial, and industrial center of vast
area. No other city in the United
States with a quarter-million popu-
lation is to 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 a
habit of long standing. The miners
started it when they came every
so 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 or 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 fiocked to Denver
in the seventies and eighties. Many
younger sons of the British no
biIity 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 it's irrigation empire was
| even dreamed Of and while It's
mineral kingdom was still unde
veloped, Denver's location was o.
little value; but young Denver, de
spite surveys, clung stubbornly tc
the belief that in some way the
transcontinental railway, when i
came, could be pushed through the
mountains west of the city. When
instead, the lines of steel were ex
tended through Cheyenne, hun
dred miles to the north, Denverite:
put aside their disappointment anc
quickly raised the capital to builc
a connecting line to the new high
way.
| With this rail contact with the
eastern settlements established anc
with the steady growth of mining
in the mountains, Denver drew t.
herself in few years direct line
of railroad from the east. Nov
these highways of steel radiat
north and south and east from
! Denver like the ribs of tan.
! A result of this railway conver
gence on Denver has been to max
the city one of the country's lead
ing livestock markets.
Never Lost Dream
| While the transcontinental rail
ways went their busy ways mort
and south of Denver, the city neve
lost its dream of a line straigh
west through the mountains.
II Greatest and most tireless of tn
dreamers was David H. Moffa'
who visioned a six-mile tunne
through the Continental Divide uI
der James Peak. He not onl
dreamed, but worked, and sper
his fortune on the project He di
not live to see his plan realized
but on July 7. 1927, the Moffat tur
mel was holed through. Now
standard-gauge railway operate
double tracks through it into Mic
die Park, opening up a new mour
| tain realm to Denver.
You sense Denver's most astor
ishing physical achievement onl
when you let your imaginatio
wander back seventy years. It
hard to believe that barely thre,
score and ten years ago this gre;
| city, with its hundreds of miles I
| streets, lined now with fine, towe
| ing shade trees, was raw prairi
Not a tree was in sight; only
level plain covered with spars
Il grass, dry and brown through mo-
of the year.
1 AS the outlander drives abol
| Denver he is struck by the beaut
full lawns. There are no exec
| tions. Whether he views the gra:
| plot of a humble cottage or tt
| park of a near-palace, the lawr
/ are perfect.
II The price of the beautiful lawr
is much moisture. AT certai