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Show THE CENTENNIAL STATE. 489 fit only for grazing ; an unknown area rich in mines, and perhaps two thousand square miles of agricultural land. On the grazing lands cattle and sheep are multiplying by hundreds of thousands yearly. It is estimated that Eastern Colorado will aflbrd abundant pasturage for two million sheep and cattle. Facilities for manufacturing exist on every mountain stream, and great attention is being paid to the pro-duction of fine wools. Farther up in the mountains the few cultivable plats require no ir-rigation. From a summer's residence at Georgetown I am convinced that three times as much rain falls there as at Denver. But elevation is a great hindrance to crops. Wheat can be produced at an altitude of 6,000 feet, oats at 7,000, rye at 7,500, and near Central City I have seen potatoes yielding bounteously at 9,000 feet. Colorado flour has attained a world- wide celebrity. Enthusiastic prophets speak of re-claiming all the barren plains, but I respectfully submit that it is im-possible, unless the climate changes. All the streams in Eastern Col-orado would not supply irrigation for a strip across the Territory ten miles wide. The high plains are irreclaimable by any process which would be remunerative, and must continue for many centuries to be the herd- grounds of the West. What, then, are the possibilities of Colorado? If the pressure of population is to be no greater than in the Ohio Valley, I estimate it as follows : 200,000 engaged in agriculture and mining, and as many in stock- ranching, manufacturing and commerce. But the floating, or rather visiting, population will always be large. Colorado's beau-ties are of a kind that art can not mar. No amount of " improve-ment" can lessen the grandeur of her peaks, the romance of her se-cluded canons, the reviving air and inspiring scenery of her wonder-ful parks; time will only more fully demonstrate the value of her mineral springs, and in her Western Wilds many successive genera-tions of sportsmen will find health and relaxation. In general intelligence Colorado is not surpassed by any com-munity in the world. Dullards and desperadoes do not build up such a commonwealth as this. A hundred thousand people Avho have cre-ated in eighteen years a wealth of fifty millions, and now add fifteen millions annually to the national treasure; who support a score of daily and weekly papers ; who organized civil government out of social chaos, and have grown to Statehood with so little trouble to the nation, may be trusted to govern themselves wisely in the future. Whether in material or moral greatness, we may be justly proud of our Centennial State. |