TERRITORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



731 



Bonlder City, Canon City, and Colorado City, 

 with populations less than 1,000. In popula- 

 tion, Colorado, in 1870, ranked fourth among 

 the Territories ; but its population has greatly 

 increased since that year, and is believed to 

 be now about 125,000. According to the 

 United States census, the population in 1860 

 was 34,277; in 1870, 39,864, which included 

 456 colored persons, 7 Chinese, and 180 In- 

 dians. The tribal Indians of Colorado are the 

 Tabequache band of Utes, at the Los Pinos 

 agency, numbering 3,000 in 1872, and the 

 Yampa, Grand River, and Uintah bands of 

 thu White River agency, numbering 800. 

 They have a reservation of 14,784,000 acres, 

 extending from the southern boundary of the 

 Territory to 15 miles north of the 40th parallel, 

 and from the 107th meridian to the western 

 boundary. The White River agency, on the 

 riv'er of that name, is in the northern part of 

 the reservation ; the Los Pinos agency is in 

 the southeastern part. These agencies are 

 under the charge of the Unitarians. These 

 Indians receive annuities in goods, clothing, 

 etc., of $40,000, and a like sum in subsistence. 

 There are also a few Indians roaming in the 

 eastern part of the Territory. The number 

 of male citizens of the United States in 1870, 

 twenty-one years old and over, was 15,515. 

 Of the total population, 24,820 were males 

 and 15,044 females; and 33,265 were native 

 and 6,599 foreign born. Of the natives, 6,344 

 were born in* the Territory, 8,378 in New 

 Mexico, 1,812 in Illinois, 809 in Indiana, 1,310 

 in Iowa, 1,704 in Missouri, 621 in Massachu- 

 setts, 2,778 in New York, 2,057 in Ohio, and 

 1,552 in Pennsylvania ; of the foreigners, 1,685 

 were born in Ireland, 1,456 in Germany, 1,358 

 in England, and 753 in British America ; and 

 l.-j:;") persons born in the Territory were liv- 

 ing in other States and Territories. The num- 

 ber of families was 9,358 ; of dwellings, 10,009. 

 The area over which gold and silver mines are 

 worked has been greatly extended during the 

 past few years. The rich Mount Lincoln, Gold 

 Ilill, San Juan, Caribou, and Hardscrnbble re- 

 gions have been discovered, rivaling the best 

 that have yet been opened in the Territories, 

 and attracting many miners from California, 

 Nevada, and Idaho. The deposits at the 

 branch mint at Denver for the year ending 

 June 30, 1873. amounted to $818,368. of which 

 $3,465 were silver. The total deposits of gold 

 which had been made at this office up to June 

 30, 1873, amounted to $6,357,275, of which 

 $5,761,487 were the product of Colorado. The 

 product was $6,451,213 in gold bars, nnd $19,- 

 879 in silver bars. According to official mint- 

 returns, the deposits of gold from Colorado at 

 the United States mint, branches, and assay- 

 offices, up to June 30, 1873, amounted to $20,- 

 574.914. the deposits for 1873 being $1,167,598. 

 Reckoning the deposits at one-third of the to- 

 tnl product of the mines, the total yield of 

 gold for the Territory to June 30, 1873, was 

 more than $60,000,000. 



The chief silver-producing county is Clear 

 Creek, which yields about 2,000 tons of silver- 

 ore per annum. The actual development of 

 the prominent silver lodes dates from 1867. 

 Up to June 30, 1873, the deposits of silver 

 from Colorado at the various United States 

 mints and assay-offices amounted to $1,548,- 

 090. Copper-ores containing from 10 to 15 

 per cent, of copper, and iron-ores yielding 

 from 50 to 60 per cent, of that metal, abound. 

 Valuable beds of coal, resembling anthracite 

 in appearance, have been found in veins 14 

 feet thick, of which 13 feet are workable coal. 

 The value of these beds is greatly increased 

 by the simultaneous occurrence of fine clay 

 and iron-ore, the former found in layers from 

 three to five feet thick. Salt-springs occur 

 in South Park, where extensive works have 

 been erected. The chief crops are wheat, bar- 

 ley, oats, and rye. The average yield of wheat 

 is 25 bushels per acre. Except in the southern 

 districts, the nights are rather cold for corn ; 

 but in the valleys of the Arkansas and tributa- 

 ries 30 bushels per acre may be raised. Large 

 crops of buckwheat and hay are produced ; 

 5CO bushels of potatoes have been obtained 

 from a single acre. But Colorado excels as a 

 grazing and dairy country, deriving great ad- 

 vantages from the peculiarity of its nutritious 

 grasses, upon which cattle thrive the whole 

 year, and of which there is a great variety in 

 the valleys and on the mountain-sides. The 

 uplands and ridges between the water-courses 

 are covered with a short, crisp, drab-colored 

 grass. These grasses are not destroyed by 

 frosts, but, becoming cured during the winter 

 months, retain their nutritious qualities, and 

 afford excellent pasturage at all seasons. 



According to the returns made to the Terri- 

 torial Auditor, there are in the Territory over 

 400,000 head of cattle and 1,000,000 sheep, 

 the aggregate value of which is more than 

 $8,000,000. The increase of flocks, sales, and 

 imports, wool and hides, gives an annual trade 

 of $2,500,000. 



The subject of increasing the agricultural 

 resources of the Territory by means of irriga- 

 tion has always been an important one with 

 those citizens interested in its welfare. There 

 is an abundance of water-power in Colorado, 

 but, as yet, the chief manufacturing establish- 

 ments are some 60 lumber-mills, producing an- 

 nually about 20,000,000 feet, valued at $400,000, 

 and about 65 flour-mills, with a yearly product 

 of about $1,225,000. The estimated annual 

 value of manufactures of all classes is stated at 

 $2,500,000. Mining constitutes a leading in- 

 dustry, but the extent of the operations can- 

 not be accurately determined. In 1870 there 

 were reported 105 stamp-mills, with more than 

 1,800 stamps, which were mostly for the re- 

 duction of gold. 



The principal agricultural products of Colo- 

 rado for 1873 have thus been stated by a local 

 authority, which are here given, however, as 

 only approximativcly correct : 





