1879.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
11 
Editorial Correspondence From the 
Far West. 
The “ Centennial State.” 
The wheat crop in Colorado is not so good as last 
year. The aggregate yield, however, is larger, be¬ 
cause a considerably greater area was sown. Other 
crops have been good, and instead of having to 
draw upon Kansas and adjoining States to meet the 
Wants of the people as in past years, Colorado has 
a surplus of cereal food this year over and above 
her home wants. Many mountain districts grow 
potatoes, oats, and rye, without irrigation. Moun¬ 
tain potatoes are richer than those grown in the 
valleys if the season is long enough for them to 
ripen. Some valleys, like a portion of the St. Louis, 
produce without irrigation. As a general thing, 
however, Colorado farmers find that irrigation is 
necessary. Colorado promises to become one of 
the wealthiest States in the Union, owing to her 
gold and silver mines. The product of these mines 
for 1876 was computed at four millions of dollars; 
lor 1877 at a little over six millions of dollars. 
After visiting the mining region, which is about 
fifty miles in width, and three hundred and fifty 
miles long, and after consulting with the best min¬ 
ing authorities in the State, I estimate the products 
of the Colorado mines for 1878 at nearly ten millions 
of dollars. The estimates are based on the amount 
of bullion shipped by express companies, and the 
amount of ores purchased by the agents of eastern 
parties. While heavy capitalists are working the 
more important mines, thousands of individuals, 
with little or no means, are mining on their own ac¬ 
count and averaging very fair wages. Gulch min¬ 
ing is still carried on, though not to any great ex¬ 
tent. Many of the miners work on what are called 
“Grub Stakes”—that is to say, after they have 
obtained a claim, some parties of means furnish 
them food and sustenance, they in turn dividing 
the product of their operations. Leadville is the 
latest theater of active mining operations. There 
is a great influx of gold seekers thither, and more 
excitement than has been seen in a Colorado min¬ 
ing region for many years. Three different rail¬ 
roads are extending branches to the Leadville mines, 
on the expectation that it is to be the great mining 
center of Colorado for some time to come. Owing 
to the rapid building of the Atchison, Topeka, and 
Santa Fe, and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroads, 
during the past year, Southern Colorado is rapidly 
developing, and the mines in the San Joan region 
are attracting many capitalists as well as individual 
miners. Sheep-growers are also occupying the 
plains down to the boundary line of New Mexico. 
One can form no idea of the rapidity with which 
this country is developing without coming here and 
making a tour of observation. Owing to the de¬ 
cline in the prices of wool and mutton, and to the 
snow storms, which proved so disastrous last winter, 
the sheep interests in some portions of the State 
are not as encouraging as they have been in the 
past. A considerable number of ranchmen have 
disposed of their flocks, and embarked in mining 
operations, attracted by the reports from Leadville, 
Silver Cliff, and other points. There is as much 
antagonism as ever between the cattle-growers and 
sheep-growers, and some of the former go so far as 
to maintain that the greater portion of Colorado 
was never intended for sheep-growing, because 
never safe during the winter months from fatal 
storms. There is generally a fall of snow early in 
the autumn. On October 25th, I encountered a 
heavy snow storm during a trip through the fa¬ 
mous Veta Pass, to Alamoosa, the termination of 
the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. 
Denver City shows a great improvement over last 
year, when there was a general complaint of dull 
times. Now I am told that every building in the 
place is rented, and that there is a demand for more 
houses. One sees at Denver, Colorado Springs, 
and other points in the State, invalids far gone in 
consumption, who have delayed coming here until 
it is too late. There is no question but that people 
with pulmonary troubles are greatly benefited if 
they come to Colorado in time. It is a great mis¬ 
take, however, for them to postpone their depar¬ 
ture until too far gone to be benefited, and then 
come on to die among strangers. The Press of 
Colorado embraces journalists of decided ability, 
and there are newspapers in Denver which compare 
favorably with those of the more populous States. 
While game is disappearing on the plains, it is abun¬ 
dant in the mountain districts this fall and winter. 
Prof. Aughey and other scientists who have been 
spending some time in this region, tell me that 
the range, for example, which divides the North 
Park from the Middle Park is full of antelope, 
deer, elk and mountain sheep. The best hunt¬ 
ing ground I have seen in Colorado is the 
North Park. The tourists who overrun the Middle 
and South Parks, do not, with few exceptions, 
make their way to the North Park. The game is 
consequently abundant, and not difficult to ap¬ 
proach. In addition to elk and deer, and vast num¬ 
bers of antelope, there are a few buffalo left here. 
An occasional rocky mountain lion is also seen. 
Utah. 
The Mormons are generally good thrifty farmers, 
and satisfied to work a few acres and work them 
well. In northern Utah I have found many farmers 
who had only 40 acres of land. It is quite custom¬ 
ary for them to live in villages, and have their farms 
scattered about in the adjoining country. The ob¬ 
ject of this has been to secure the protection of num¬ 
bers. As the danger of Indian forays has dimin¬ 
ished, they are beginning to move out upon their 
farms, to avoid going back and forth every day. 
Large herds of cattle are raised in Utah, and 
driven eastward every year to Wyoming and Col¬ 
orado, where they bring a sufficiently high price to 
pay the owners for the expense of taking them 
thither. I am told by individuals who have made 
these drives, that they are very enjoyable, abound¬ 
ing in incident and adventure. I know of no bet¬ 
ter opportunity for men in the older States who 
would like to spend a summer in the saddle, see 
the country and breathe the invigorating air of 
these western territories. They can come out here 
and either purchase cattle themselves, or hire out 
as drivers, and then work their way back eastward 
to Wyoming during the summer months, allowing 
the cattle to graze leisurely by the way, while they 
shoot and fish. I know of no more delightful mode 
of spending a season, when one wishes to exchange 
civilization for life on the plains, and seeks to com¬ 
bine business with pleasure. It is an excellent ex¬ 
perience for young men who are worn down with 
study and confinement and seek physical recupera¬ 
tion. The population of Utah is receiving steady 
accessions from colonies of Mormons arriving from 
Europe. The network of railroads is extending all 
over the territory, and the farmers are soon prom¬ 
ised a new market for their produce, by the rapid 
extension of the narrow gauge railroad through 
northern Utah, and Idaho, to the mountain regions 
of Montana. The new Mormon temple at Salt Lake 
City, is steadily progressing towards completion, 
and gives employment to a large number of work¬ 
men. A placard upon the walls, however, warns 
laborers not to flock hither from the country with 
the expectation of finding employment on the Tem¬ 
ple, inasmuch as there are now more laborers than 
are wanted. Brigham Young, Jr., who, at the time 
of his father’s death, it was generally supposed 
would succeed him, is now engaged in journalism, 
and editing some of the Church publications. 
Minnesota. 
Minnesota is making rapid strides in population 
and material progress. In travelling through the 
length and breadth of the State, I have witnessed 
prosperity on every side, and no State in the West 
appears to me to have a more magnificent future. 
During the past year there has been a heavy immi¬ 
gration into Minnesota. This is mainly due to the 
efforts of the State Board of Immigration and of the 
various railroads having land grants. Among the 
roads which possess these grants are the Chicago 
and North Western, the Northern Pacific, the St. 
Paul and Pacific, and the St. Paul and Sioux City. 
Some idea may be obtained of the extent of the 
immigration from the fact that the total sales of 
land by the Northern Pacific Railroad, for the four¬ 
teen months ending Nov. 1, 1878, were 911,859 
acres. This will be an interesting item of informa¬ 
tion to the numerous holders of Northern Pacific 
Railroad bonds through the United States. When 
Jay Cooke so disastrously failed in 1873, this road 
became known as “ Cooke’s Folly,” and everybody 
supposed that with his failure there would be a 
general collapse, not only of the railroad, but of 
things generally through Northern Minnesota. I 
have been agreeably surprised therefore in visiting 
this region, to find such evidences of growth and 
prosperity. Here in 
this far northern region 
there is, so to speak, a 
new world growing up, 
of which no one can 
form an adequate con¬ 
ception without visit¬ 
ing it. The original 
grant of the North¬ 
ern Pacific comprised 
about 7,500,000 acres, 
lying between Duluth 
and Bismarck, which 
latter place is 488 miles 
west from Duluth, and 
is the present west¬ 
ern terminus of the 
road. It has generally 
been supposed that the 
road will be construct¬ 
ed no further west. 
I learn, however, that 
the surveys have been 
made through Dakota 
with the intention of 
carrying the road on at an early date toward the 
Yellow Stone Park. Furthermore, surveys have 
also been made for a northern branch of the road 
extending from Fargo 253 miles west of Duluth, 
up through the Red River region to Manitoba. The 
St. Paul and Sioux City Road crosses with its main 
line the Northern Pacific at Glyndon, thus tapping 
the same region of country, and I should not be 
surprised to hear any day, that the two roads, both 
of which are in the hands of Receivers, were con¬ 
solidated and made one corporation. In fact, it 
looks to me as though steps were already in pro¬ 
gress to this end. This would be one of the most 
important railroad consolidations in the country. 
The St. Paul and Pacific Road, or the roads whieh 
comprise it, have large land grants. These lands 
have not yet been placed in the market. Some of 
them, like those of the Northern Pacific grant, pro¬ 
duce splendid wheat crops, and in a comparatively 
few years this northwestern region promises to 
raise enough wheat to supply almost the entire 
country. In a previous letter I sent you estimates 
of the wheat crop of Minnesota for this year, which 
made it from ten to twelve millions of bushels. 
I am now satisfied, however, that these estimates 
were too low, and that the crop will amount to fif¬ 
teen or seventeen millions of bushels. Were it not 
