674 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TEEEITOEIES. 



generally do well as high as 9,000 feet, and turnips always up to that 

 altitude. Wheat grows splendidly at as high an elevation as 9,000 feet, 

 but above 7,500 feelfit is a hazardous crop, liable to be injured by early 

 autumn frosts or snow. Oats grow splendidly up to 9,000 feet, but gen- 

 erally have to be harvested green. 



The list of elevations submitted at the end of this report will show the 

 application of these facts to the area under consideration. 



Cattle and sheep do well as high up as grass grows, but it is not safe 

 to try to winter them without provision of hay above 7,500 or 8,000 feet. 

 l!^early every year since the settlement of the Territory stock has win- 

 tered out of doors in South, Middle, and Estes Parks, but the lowest 

 and most sheltered parts were sought for this purpose. 



The total population I estimate at 6,500. This is necessarily a rough 

 estimate, as I have no means of learning the number who are scattered 

 about on ranches, &c., away from the settlements. 



The principal settlements ar6 as follows : 



Colorado Springs, on the Fontaine qui Bouille and the Denver and 

 Eio Grande Eailroad. This place is the county-seat of El Paso County. 

 It was founded, on the colony system, in 1871. Its present population 

 is about 2,000, and rapidly increasing. 



Colorado City, on the Fontaine qui Bouille, two and a half miles 

 above Colorado Springs ; population, 600. This place was started in 

 1859, at the time of the first gold-discoveries in South Park. It has 

 been much larger than at present. 



Manitou, on the Fontaine qui Bouille, about five miles above Colorado 

 Springs, at the mineral springs, and at the immediate foot of Pike's 

 Peak. The town was started in 1872 by the Colony Company. It has 

 a population of 200. 



Fairplay, South Park, the county-seat of Park County. It was 

 started during the mining excitement of 1859-'60. It now has a popu- 

 lation of about 1,000. 



Dudley; started in 1872 ; population, 300. 



Alma; started in 1872 ; population, 500. 



Quartzville; started in 1871; population, 200. 



(The three latter settlements owe their birth to the rich mineral 

 deposits recently discovered on Mounts Bross and Lincoln. They, 

 as well as Fairplay, are situated on the South Platte, very near its 

 head, at or near the foot of Mount Bross.) 



Montgomery, at the extreme head of the South Platte, which had, 

 ten years ago, a population of 2,000, now consists of one family. 



Hamilton and Tarryall, on Tarryall Creek, near its head, have popula- 

 tions respectively of 100 and 200. They were started during the mining 

 excitement in 1860, and were at one time large places, as Tarryall had 

 for several years a population of 2,000 to 3,000. 



Oro City, at the head of California Gulch, in the Arkansas Valley, 

 was started in 1860. In 1861 it had a population of 3,000. Now its 

 population is 300. 



Granite, on the Arkansas Eiver, at the mouth of Cash Creek, was 

 started in 1868, with a population of 1,000, which has now decreased to 

 100. 



Dayton, on Lake Creek, Arkansas Valley, in 1865-'6 had 400 or 500 

 inhabitants ; now the population consists of but one or two families. 



The only settlements in the park or mountains are dependent on 

 mining for their existence. 



West of the Sawatch Range there are no settlements whatever, with 

 the exception of two small mining-camps, one in the Elk Mountains, at 

 the head of East Eiver, and one in Union Park, on the Gunnison Eiver. 



