coal. 319 



off iii product, owing to diminished demand for their coal. For the next few 

 years the product of the Denver Basin stood as follows: 



Coal product of Denver fields, 1880-1884, 



Short tons. 



1880 123,518 



1881 156, 1 26 



1882 300. 000 



1883 ..245,403 



1884 262, 282 



Iii L884 strikes among the coal miners, extending from August 4 to 

 the end of the year, greatly lessened the coal production of the entire State. 

 Although the yield of the Denver Basin showed an increase over thai of 

 the preceding year, ii fell far below what ii should have been, considering 

 the growth of Denver and of railway and manufacturing interests generally 

 at that time. 



In 1885 the production of the Denver Basin a anted to 244,346 



short ton>. and in 1886 it reached 260,145 short tons. 



Goal product since / sl -<' of counties included within tin Denver Basin. 



The increase in tlie yield of the mines of the Denver Basin in 1 887 is 

 largely traceable to the opening of new mines in the Erie-Canfield district, 

 and to the prosecution of mining in all districts, particularly the Marshall, 

 on a more extensive scale and with greater energy than had hitherto been 

 shown. The increased output was required to meet the dome-tic and 

 manufacturing demands created by the particularly rapid growth of Denver 

 at this time. In the other fields of Colorado there was likewise a large 

 increase in the output of this year, the product being consumed both within 



