THE CONQUEST OF ARID AMERICA 



In the fall of 1869 Mr. Meeker had returned from a 

 trip to the Far West, the object of which was to describe 

 the Mormon industrial system in a series of letters to the 

 Tribune. Encountering a snow blockade at Cheyenne, 

 which compelled him to postpone his visit to Utah, he 

 had gone to Colorado instead. It was at the time when 

 the Kansas Pacific Railroad was pushing across the plains 

 to the budding village of Denver, transforming the wag- 

 on-trail into a highway of civilization. Everywhere Mr. 

 Meeker beheld the dawn of a new industrial life in the 

 midst of a wilderness. He was charmed with the climate 

 and scenery, and impressed with the material wealth of 

 the country's undeveloped resources. The old enthusi- 

 asm for colony-making filled his imagination. Wearied 

 with a life struggle to remodel old social structures, he 

 longed to avail himself of this opportunity to build on 

 new foundations. 



These hopes he communicated to his friend, John Rus- 

 sell Young, who agreed to bring the matter to the atten- 

 tion of Horace Greeley. This he did at a dinner held at 

 Delmonico's in December, 1869. Mr. Greeley was in- 

 stantly interested, and beckoned Mr. Meeker to join him 

 at the table. " I understand you have a notion to start 

 a colony to go to Colorado," said the editor. " Well/' 

 he continued, "I wish you would take hold of it, for I 

 think it will be a great success, and if I could, I would 

 go myself." Thus assured of powerful backing, Mr. 

 Meeker at once proceeded to form his plans. 

 | The prospectus of the new colony was drawn up by 

 Mr. Meeker, but carefully weighed and revised by Mr. 

 Greeley. A quarter of a century had elapsed since these 

 men had been engaged the one as active participant, 



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