Year: 1878

My DEAR Mr.. McCoRD:-I have
long thought 1 would write you a
letter from Denver and tell you
something OF this country. but have
put it off from time to time until
now, when nearly two years have
passed away since my arrival here,
and almost a miracle has been
wrought in my health. l am nearly
as strong and well as / ever was.
Suppose l tell what l have to say
in a shape that your readers will APP
preciate, for many know me. In
that case l should have addressed
this letter to the CITIzEN-the dear
old CITIZEN. How fondly do L
cherish it in my memory. ! never
think of it but what there comes
over me the recollection of happy
days that are gone from me forever.
What changes have taken place in
the few short years since i first
crossed the threshold of that dear
old office. How many hopes have
been blasted, tears shed and hearts
saddened. God knows. But to
many of us time cannot assuage the
anguish of this short period. 1t
was His will, and 1 thank Him that
He has taught me the lesson of pa
tience, trusting Him for all and in
all. But must not go on in this
way. | must tell my story.


To many in the older settled
States of the Union this country is
comparatively sealed book. l re-
member what a great excitement
there was throughout the country
in 1859 in regard to the Pixies Peak
gold region, and how many were
talking of leaving homes and friends
to seek their fortunes in the then
little known wilds of the far West,
but who ere long were called to a
different field where many found
bloody graves. ! will attempt to
give the readers of the CITIZEN in a
brief manner an idea of this coun-
try as it is now, and what may be
seen by visit and gained by res
idence here. Nearly two years ago
l came here as a last resort, sick
and weary of life, having despaired
of ever getting relief this side the
grave in my old Tennessee home
from that terrible disease consump-
ton. But having been advised to
leave there and seek relief in Colo
RADIO / did so, and now can say that
1 acted wisely and before long hope
to be as sound man as l ever was.
l must stay here though-mnst
never go back to the land of flow
ers to live. dere l am and must
stay if 1 am to enjoy the good
health that residence here prom


ises. l am in this beautiful city of
the plain-Denver. 1t is city of
surprising internal beauty, regu-
larity and capabilities for all pur


poses of public expansion, improve
ment and adornment. Its streets
generally at right angles are broad
avenues lined with thrifty shade
trees, of which nearly half million
have been planted within the city
limits. They extend miles east and
west, vistas of inspiring beauty van
ishlng upon the interminable paths
of the plans. Its public and pri-
vate buildings are in keeping with
refined taste and are all well built,
capacious and in some instances
magnificent. Its public school
buildings compare favorably with
any in the East, and the schools are
complete in nearly every detail. Our
population is now about %, 900 and
steadily increasing, and nearly every
State in the Union and nation on
the globe is represented in its in
habitants. Six railroads center here
with three connections east, Some
of these lines are being rapidly ex-
tended into and over the noun
tains, that transportation may be
made cheap and easy tor the thou
sands of tons of gold and silver ore
that are shipped to the Eastern
cities to be smelted, and also to
carry into the vast mountains food
from the bountiful plains of Colo
RADIO, Kan sas and Nebraska TO the
toil-worn miner who can produce
nothing for himself. Hundreds of
people avail themselves of these
railroads, and when summer comes
with its heats, HE them away to the
cooling, health-giving mountains,
where the air is always cool, pure
and dry, rendering some covering
at night necessary all the year
round. This induces sound, re
freshiRg sleep, and creates an appe-
tite that is astonishing TO the dys-
peptic. 1t is fact that the air of
Colorado is one of the finest aids to
the cure of the scourge of our land