The Territories of New 

 Southwest Mexico and Arizona have 

 Repudiated, been denied admission to 

 the Union as States. Not a straightfor- 

 ward, outright denial, but an equivocal put- 

 off-do-nothing policy has been adopted. 

 Can the United States Congress afford to 

 continue on this line? Are these two 

 great territories of the Southwest to be 

 denied the privileges of statehood because 

 the do-nothing policy politicians do not 

 wish to have the West adequately repre- 

 sented for fear that the silver cause would 

 be strengthened by the addition of four 

 senators? The population of these terri- 

 tories is sufficiently large to meet the re- 

 quirements, in fact it is larger than that of 

 many of the States when admitted to the 

 Union, and the people are of an energetic, 

 enterprising character. The mineral 

 wealth is practically unlimited, consisting 

 of vast deposits of gold and silver and 

 other ores. The agricultural interests, 

 while yet in their infancy, have attained a 

 sturdy growth and are being developed 

 rapidly. The Pecos valley, in Southeast 

 New Mexico, is a notable instance of what 

 can and has been accomplished in this di- 

 rection. The earnings from the live stock 

 industry amount to millions of dollars 

 annually. The natural resources and pos- 

 sibilities, the material wealth and the pop- 

 ulation are the claims which should justly 

 entitle these Territories to a place in the 

 Sisterhood of States. Will they be recog- 

 nized ? 



The The mining activity of the West 

 Mining has steadily increased during the 

 Room, winter, and present conditions 

 would seem to indicate that the spring and 

 summer will show an unusual amount of 

 work in this line, in fact it is assuming the 

 nature of a boom, and already the con- 

 servative men are beginning to deprecate 

 anything tending to increase the excite- 

 ment. The name of Cripple Creek has 

 been the talisman that has charmed every 

 body and drawn them toward it like a mag- 

 net. The rich strikes in this district have 



led to active development work in every 

 district in Colorado and the fever has 

 spread throughout the Western States. In 

 the February Review of Reviews, Carl 

 Snyder predicts a flood of gold, basing his 

 conclusions upon the greatly increased 

 production of the yellow metal in the last 

 few years. Even admitting that his esti- 

 mates of the output in the years between 

 1896 and 1900 are correct, there is no- 

 danger of a glut of gold. The world has 

 never had sufficient metal money with 

 which to carry on legitimate business. 

 But without enlarging upon this view of 

 the matter there is a danger which must 

 be faced and overcome or it will work un- 

 told harm, not only to mining, but to every 

 other interest in the West. It is the tend- 

 ency to BOOM. There have been too 

 many booms. The best interests of every 

 Western State demand a preservation of the 

 confidence of the investor. A boom will 

 attract only sharks and speculators. Act- 

 ual development and a steady (if slow) 

 growth will invite the confidence of men 

 and money and result beneficially to every 

 interest. 



Its Effect There is another phase of the 

 on Other mining question that has as 

 Interests. y e ^ been touched upon but 

 little. It is the effect it will have upon the 

 agricultural development. The miner must 

 be fed, pork and beans are as necessary 

 (if not more so) than gold ore a hundred 

 to the ton. The great stream of men now 

 pouring into the mining camps will con- 

 sume hundreds of thousands of dollars' 

 worth of the products of the farm and the 

 factory. The farmers and fruit-growers, 

 the cattle- raisers, the manufacturers and 

 merchants can all prepare for more pros- 

 perous conditions and a better market. As 

 for the railroads it is said that one line 

 running into Cripple Creek is clearing 

 $50,000 a month. 



Now is the time for the land and irriga- 

 tion companies to put forth their best 

 efforts, providing they are dealing honestly 

 with their patrons. Many inducements 



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