THE GREELEY COLONY OF COLORADO 



plainly stated, " The persons with whom I would be will- 

 ing to associate must be temperance men and ambitious 

 to establish good society." This was no sounding phrase, 

 for the founder and his fellow-colonists wrote their prin- 

 ciples into the title deeds which transferred farm and 

 village property from the company to individuals. These 

 provided that if intoxicating liquor were ever manufact- 

 ured or sold on the land, title should immediately revert 

 to the colony. The provision was enforced with splendid 

 intolerance. Those who were not in accord with its spirit 

 had not been invited to come, nor were they made com- 

 fortable while they stayed. Their unbending attitude on 

 this subject gave the men of Greeley the title of "Puri- 

 tans/' which was a unique distinction in the Far West, 

 in that day of cowboys and border ruffians. The prohi- 

 bition clause in the deeds was stoutly resisted by a small 

 minority, and went from court to court, until it was 

 finally vindicated by the supreme tribunal at Washington. 

 The Greeley local sentiment has always upheld the princi- 

 ple, and insisted that it was responsible for the admitted- 

 ly high character of the community. Like several of the 

 colony's plans, it has been extensively imitated. 



The government of the community was vested in exe- 

 cutive officers, but was actually ruled by public opinion. 

 This found expression in numerous town meetings held 

 in Colony Hall, which was one of the earliest buildings 

 erected. Here all the public affairs were discussed with 

 perfect frankness to the last detail, and no public officer 

 ventured to stray far from the conclusions there pro- 

 nounced. 



Not even the early hardships and disappointments 

 were permitted to mar the social life of the colony. The 



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