Art 32-62, Wray Gazette, May 12, 1904, Wray, Yuma County, Colorado
http://files.usgwarchives.net/co/yuma/newspapers/wg1904c.txt

Special Edition, Wray Gazette, Wray, Colorado
Published May 12, 1904

Transcribed by Lee Zion

Notes: 

1)  This "land promotion" edition of The Gazette was widely distributed
in an effort to attract settlers to Yuma County.  In 1904 about two-
thirds of the public lands in the county were still open for homestead
claims. 

2)  1904 prices - I didn't find a comparison to the 1900-1905 dollar but
according to the Treasury Department's CPI a 1913 $1.00 purchase would
cost about $18.00 in today's dollars.

3)  This edition was published two years after Wray wrested the county
seat honors from Yuma after a thirteen year, sometimes bitter, campaign.
You will note a bit of gloating and references to the town of Yuma,
which incorporated two years prior to Wray, as: "Yuma station" and the
"village of Yuma."  The Wray and Yuma newspapers carried the grudge
match into at least the 1940s.

4)  The publishing and distribution costs for this special edition were
underwritten by the individuals and businesses whose "career sketches"
appear in the paper.  This was a common funding practice of the period.

5)  I don't have a useable copy of the photographs used to engrave the
plates for this paper.  The scanned copy of the paper I transcribed is
at least second generation and the illustrations are "black and white
blobs."  A very few of the original prints and negatives survived the
W.B. Coston studio fire of the 1920s.

6)  The [num] are my added article numbers for the index of names in the
edition not the original page numbers.

[32]=======================================

Popular Barber Shop

That Conducted by Isaac Reed Has Won Generous Patronage.

(Photo - Isaac Reed)

     One of the leading barber shops in Eastern Colorado is the model
establishment conducted by the above gentleman in this city.  He has two
chairs and owing to the fact that none but first-class barbers are
employed, this shop has attained a degree of wide popularity that must
be very gratifying, as well as profitable, to the genial proprietor.
His place of business is characterized by an air of cleanliness and
neatness that makes it a popular resort for those who enjoy a smooth,
easy shave or first-class hair cut amid pleasant surroundings.

     Mr. Reed is a native of Iowa, where he was raised on a farm.  For a
time he engaged in mercantile and other pursuits, after which he learned
the barber trade, to which he has since devoted his attention so
successfully.  In 1899 he enlisted in battery H, Third United States
artillery, in which he was in active service in the Philippines for
nearly three years.  After his honorable discharge from the army he
returned to the United States and resumed the barber business at
Santiago, Cal.  Subsequently the gentleman moved to Colorado and
purchased the R.C. Boyd barber shop in Wray last September.

     Mr. Reed is an affable, industrious gentleman who thoroughly
understands his business, and his excellent characteristics as a good
citizen are winning appreciation and regard.

[33]=======================================

A Successful Farmer

What the Energy and Industry of J.H. Shumaker Have Accomplished.

     Among the men of Yuma county who have won well merited recognition
as successful farmers and exemplary citizens the subject of this brief
sketch occupies the front rank.

     Mr. Shumaker, who is sixty-two years of age, is a native of
Illinois, where he was born on a farm.  After his boyhood days he
engaged in farming pursuits which he continued in his native state until
1885, when he moved to Nebraska.  After an experience of one year in
that state the gentleman came to Colorado and entered a homestead and
tree claim in Yuma county, seven miles southeast of Wray.  At that time
fortune had not bestowed much upon him in the way of earthly
possessions, but he was generously endowed with those principles of
persevering industry and sterling integrity, which are such invaluable
assets in the achievement of honorable success.  From the beginnings of
his Yuma county career Mr. Shumaker displayed a superior knowledge of
farming pursuits which he applied with a thoroughness of detail that
soon commanded recognition in the community.  In addition to growing
wheat, oats, barley, corn and cane on the 240 acres under cultivation,
he engaged in the cattle industry in a moderate way, but more
extensively in growing hogs and horses, and with the exception of a
couple of years in which there was a general failure of crops, caused by
hail and unusual drouth, his labors were rewarded by the most generous,
financial returns.  He has harvested as high as 32 bushels of spring
wheat from the acre and 62 of oats, although the average has been
somewhat smaller.  His cane averaged about four tons from the acre and
millet two tons.  From the beginning Mr. Shumaker displayed splendid
management, coupled with untiring industry and prudence and as a result
of a comparatively few years of honorable toil, he acquired a handsome
competence that would require almost a lifetime to amass on a farm in
the East.  On his farm he erected a handsome residence, a large granary,
stable and other requisite buildings, which render the choice land of
which his 320 acres are composed, a very valuable property.

     In 1899 Mr. Shumaker leased his farm and moved to Wray, where he
and his estimable wife are enjoying that well earned rest and comfort
which they well merit.  They own a beautiful home in Wray as well as
eight other lots.

     Mr. and Mrs. Shumaker have five children - Mrs. Klugh, Mrs.
McGinnis, Mrs. Bowen, Mrs. Henry and J.L. Shumaker - to which they gave
a generous education and a careful training in those inestimable
principles that are the foundations of pure womanhood and honorable
manhood.  As a result, the declining years of the venerable couple are
cheered and brightened by the happy knowledge that their parental
solicitude has been signally blessed.

     In all his years of earnest toll; in all the disappointments;
hardships and successes of life, Mr. Shumaker displayed the attributes
of an honorable gentleman, a kind neighbor and a good citizen.  To every
movement calculated to advance the moral or material interests of the
county he gives his generous support, and today there is no man in the
community who enjoys more general and sincere public esteem than he.
Such men as Mr. Shumaker have proved a great blessing to Yuma county.
The gentleman is a member of the Masonic order and the Ancient Order of
United Workmen.

     Mr. Shumaker was a gallant Union soldier, having enlisted in Co. B,
Seventh Illinois, in August, 1861.  He received a discharge on account
of disability contracted in the army in June, 1862.

[34]=======================================

H.J. Cox

One of the Energetic and Progressive of Wray's Business Men

(Photo - Residence of H.J. Cox)

     Since he located in Yuma county more than twenty years ago, the
above gentleman has displayed energy and enterprise that have
constituted him one of our most progressive and valuable citizens.

     Mr. Cox is a native of Ohio, where he was born forty-two years ago.
He spent his boyhood days on a farm, but when twenty years of age he
came to the West and obtained employment on cattle ranges, where he soon
became a most efficient cowboy.  In 1880, he moved to Yuma county and
worked on a large ranch until 1886, when he moved to Benkelman, Neb.,
and engaged in the cattle business for himself, meeting with the most
gratifying success.  In 1897 he returned to Yuma county and bought a
ranch of over one thousand acres four miles east of Wray.  He dealt in
cattle extensively, his thorough knowledge of the business, combined
with his activity and spirit of industry, assuring him of generous
returns for his labor.  Two years ago he sold his ranch and moved to
Wray, where he engaged in the butcher business, which he conducted most
successfully, with his well known vigor, at the same time being an
extensive buyer and shipper of cattle.  Recently he sold his meat market
and now devotes his entire attention to the stock business.  The
gentleman is affable and broad-minded and his admirable qualities as an
honorable business man and useful citizen have received wide recognition
and appreciation in the community.  He is a member of the Modern
Woodmen, Maccabees and Knights of Pythias fraternal orders.

     In 1886, at Benkelman, Neb., Mr. Cox married Miss Maggie McDonald,
an estimable and popular young lady of that city and the union has been
blessed by three charming daughters who have inherited the brilliant
attributes of their parents.  Mr. Cox owns one of the most beautiful
homes in the city, the handsome residence being furnished with all
modern improvements.  Here he and his interesting family are surrounded
with every comfort and enjoying that domestic felicity and public regard
which they so richly merit.

     Note - Since the above article was in type Mr. Cox purchased the
City Meat Market, which he is now conducting with his well known
ability.

[35]=======================================

Great Wheat Crops

What H.M. Elliott Has Accomplished in Yuma County.

He Has Had Wonderful Success in Making Farming Very Profitable.

     Farmers in the East who toil on, year after year, sometimes making
a little money, and in other seasons hardly clearing the interest on
their investment, ought to find food for thought in the career of H.M.
Elliott in Yuma county during the past eighteen years.  It is another
striking illustration of what earnest endeavor, honest toil and good
judgment can accomplish on the fertile soil of this favored portion of
Colorado.

     Mr. Elliott, who was born in 1856, is a native of Iowa, where he
spent his boyhood days on his father's Hawkeye farm.  After he grew to
manhood he commenced farming for himself, his hard work realizing as
profitable results as the average farmer achieved.  The gentleman became
dissatisfied with Iowa farming conditions however and decided to seek a
more favorable field of operations.  In the autumn of 1886 he came to
Colorado and located in the eastern portion of Arapahoe county, now a
part of Yuma county.  He entered pre-emption, homestead and tree claims
- 480 acres in all - twenty-five miles south of Wray and five miles
northeast of the village of Idalia, and lost no time in commencing to
improve his claims.  At that time Mr. Elliott was worth $500 in cash and
property - not much with which to commence life on a raw prairie farm
without improvements of any kind.

     His land was most desirably situated, the soil was excellent and
the gentleman commenced his Colorado career with a confidence which
subsequent results amply justified.  At first he devoted his entire
attention to farming exclusively, subsequently engaging in the stock
industry as well.  His efforts were rewarded by abundant crops which
increased to keep pace with more extended improvements on the ranch.
Subsequently the gentleman sold his homestead and bought 640 acres more,
making a ranch of 960 acres, in addition to which he controls 160 acres
of leased land.  This makes a farm of 1,120 aces that Mr. Elliott
utilizes at the present time, and in addition to having a comfortable
residence, fine barns and sheds, and an abundance of agricultural
implements, it is all under a four-wire fence.  Indeed, it is seldom a
ranch is supplied with such substantial wire fences as those owned by
Mr. Elliott.  At present the gentleman cultivates 335 acres and he grows
bountiful crops of wheat, corn, barley, cane, etc.  He has harvested as
high as 3,000 bushels of wheat and 1,500 bushels of corn in a season,
besides other produce, and he never fails to garner profitable crops.
At present he owns sixteen horses and thirty-six cattle.  Frequently he
has had a much larger herd, but owing to the depressed market of late he
has curtailed his stock interests until the business becomes more
profitable.

     In 1881 Mr. Elliott married Miss Hanna Foldal, an accomplished Iowa
lady, and the happy union has been blessed by four children who are a
credit to the careful parental training they received.

     Mr. Elliott is not only one of the most industrious and prosperous,
but he is one of the most intelligent farmers in the county.  He takes a
deep interest in public affairs, and to every movement calculated to
advance the moral or material interests of the county he gives a
generous support.  He is a genial gentleman, a kind neighbor and a good
citizen of sterling worth, and he and his estimable wife and family well
merit the general regard entertained for them.

[36]=======================================

Dr. E.J. Bales

Located in Wray When the Town Was in its Infancy

The Interesting Career of a Successful Physician and an Enterprising
Pioneer

(Photo - Dr. E.J. Bales)

     Among the early pioneers whose usefulness and genial qualities
obtained speedy and wide recognition in Yuma county, the subject of this
brief article is well entitled to a position of honor.  Not only as the
first physician in Wray, ever ready to respond to the calls of his
profession with consummate skill and kindly sympathy, did Dr. Bales win
the sincere esteem of the people of this section of Colorado, but, as a
progressive citizen he took that deep interest in the welfare of the
settlers and the advancement of the country which inspired for him a
warm personal friendship.

     Dr. Bales is a native of Zenia, Ohio, where he was born on a farm
fifty-four years ago.  For the generous education he acquired, the
gentleman is largely indebted to his own persevering energy and laudable
ambition, his early desires being concentrated on the medical
profession.  In his young manhood he taught school to earn the money
with which to attend college, and he graduated with honors at Cincinnati
in 1876.  In 1877 he located in New Mexico and practiced his profession,
at the same time engaging in the mining and cattle industries, which he
conducted most profitably.  Subsequently he sold his interests in New
Mexico and moved to Mayville, Mo.  After eighteen months, in 1885, he
moved from there to Wray, where he has practiced his profession since
that time.

     The county was settled very sparsely, but as Dr. Bales' medical
skill in his profession became known, his practice grew until it
extended over a vast area of country and frequently taxed his physical
strength and energy to the utmost.  In 1886 he established the first
drug store in Wray, which he conducted most successfully for three
years, when he sold it owing to his increased medical practice.

     The gentleman's worth as a useful citizen and his commanding
position as a successful physician have received frequent recognition.
He was elected coroner of the county two terms, has been pension
examiner for many years and examiner for the old line life insurance
companies.  He has taken a deep interest in educational matters, having
served as school director for many years.

     As a result of the faith he entertained in the future of his chosen
home, he owns a ranch of 640 acres of choice land a few miles southwest
of Wray.  He owns also a block of property on which he erected a
beautiful home, situated in the most desirable part of the residence
portion of the city of Wray, where he and his accomplished wife dispense
the most generous hospitality to their host of friends throughout the
county.  Fraternally the gentleman is a Mason, being a member of the
Royal Arch Chapter, as well of the Commandery, and he was a charter
member of the local hive of Maccabees.

     Politically, Dr. Bales has always been a zealous and devoted
Republican, who has given generously of his time and means in advocacy
of his party principles.  In his party's darkest days in Colorado he
remained staunch and true, and he has always been recognized as a shrewd
and successful political leader.

     In 1899 the gentleman married Miss Anna Oxley, an estimable lady of
this county, and two interesting children have blessed the happy union.

     Modest and unassuming in his demeanor, Dr. Bales' kind disposition
and other pronounced qualities of mind and heart, have bestowed upon him
a popularity which is the good fortune of but few men to attain.

[37]=======================================

Alexander Haldon

One of the Most Intelligent and Progressive of Yuma's Merchants

     Alexander Haldon is a native of Forfarshire, Scotland, and, like
nearly all the canny Scots, he was the recipient of a liberal education.
When a lad he spent six months on the ocean, making trips to Russia and
coasting, after which he learned the tinsmith, gas fitting and
coppersmith trades.  Subsequently he engaged in business for himself at
Brechin, Scotland, but after eight years he sold out and came to
America.  In 1863 he landed at Montreal, Canada, and there he remained
eighteen months, after which he went to Chicago.  After three years he
engaged in business at Chenoa, Ill., in which he continued for fifteen
years.  Then he came to Yuma when the town was laid out and he has been
one of its most honorable and progressive citizens ever since.  He
carries a large stock of hardware, tin ware, stoves, etc., and owns the
fine building in which he does business, as well as other town property.
Mr. Haldon is an intelligent, genial gentleman, whose reputation for
integrity is firmly established.  He minds his own business strictly,
and is prospering greatly.  The gentleman is highly esteemed by all who
know him.

[38]=======================================

A Faithful Official

The Creditable Career of W.D. McGinnis, County Clerk of Yuma.

(Photo - W.D. McGinnis)

     Among the young men whose ability, energy and progressive qualities
have won well merited recognition in Yuma county, W.D. McGinnis, the
efficient county clerk, occupies a front rank.

     The gentleman, who is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. D.B. McGinnis,
of Wray, is a native of Iowa, where he was born on September 26, 1869.
Although raised on a farm, he received a liberal education, which he
finished at Creston, in that state.  In 1886 he accompanied his parents
to Nebraska, where they remained two years and then moved to Colorado,
locating in Yuma county.  After spending a few years on the range, Mr.
McGinnis obtained a homestead of 160 acres eight and one-half miles
southeast of Wray, where he engaged in the cattle business.  The energy
and untiring industry with which he devoted his entire attention to this
business were rewarded with a generous measure of success.  In 1899,
after six prosperous years, he sold his remaining cattle, rented his
ranch and went into the livery business in Wray.  In the campaign of
1901 he accepted the nomination for the office of county clerk on the
Populist ticket, and went into the contest with his well known energy
and determination.  The prospect of success was not cheering, but after
making a vigorous campaign, Mr. McGinnis' personal popularity won the
day, and he was elected by two of a plurality in the three cornered
battle.  He and Miss Cunningham, the candidate for county superintendent
of schools, were the only two Populist candidates who emerged triumphant
from the avalanche of Republican ballots.  After the election Mr.
McGinnis sold his livery business preparatory to assuming his official
duties on January 1, 1902.  During the past two years the gentleman has
made an enviable official record.  He has applied to his duties as
county clerk that energy, fidelity and integrity of purpose which marked
his entire business career, while the ability he displays in discharging
the trust imposed in him evokes general commendation.  Those who visit
his office on business are treated with the most genial courtesy, and it
would be hard to find an official who has more thoroughly ingratiated
himself into public favor than he.  While Mr. McGinnis has always been
consistent and honest in his political opinions, as he understood them,
he has never been a bitter political partisan.  Like many thousands of
others who became Populists from honest convictions, he became weary of
the vagaries and inconsistencies of the Populist leaders, and allied
himself with the Republican party, on whose principles the prosperity of
the nation and the welfare of the people seem to be founded.  However,
the gentleman displays no political bias in discharging his official
duties faithfully and well, as a result of which he is exceedingly
popular with all classes and conditions of our citizens, regardless of
party ties.

     In 1902 Mr. McGinnis sold his ranch but he owns valuable property
in the city of Wray.  His residence, which is situated in the western
part of the town, is fitted out with the modern comforts and
conveniences while the spacious lawn, shade and ornamental trees,
shrubbery and floral beauty surrounding it, indicate the refining
influences that permeate the pretty home.  In addition to this, he owns
two valuable business lots and five desirable residence lots in the
city.

     In September, 1893, Mr. McGinnis married Miss Alena May Shumaker,
one of the accomplished daughters of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Shumaker, the
happy union resulting in four interesting children, three of whom
survive - two sons and a daughter.

     The popularity of Mr. McGinnis is not confined to his official
life, because his admirable qualities as a kind neighbor and an
enterprising, useful citizen receives general recognition.  He has an
abiding faith in the future of Wray and Yuma county, and every movement
calculated to enhance their moral or material welfare receives his
generous support.  He and his estimable wife well merit the general
esteem in which they are held in the community.

[39]=======================================

John Cochrane

A Young Man Who is Achieving Success in Western Yuma County.

     That the same possibilities of success are presented in the western
part of Yuma county as are found in the middle and southern portions, is
illustrated by the experience of John Cochrane.

     Mr. Cochrane is a native of England, where he was born in August,
1872.  When nine years of age he came to the United States with his
parents and they settled in Illinois, where his father engaged in the
coal mining business.  When fifteen years of age the lad and his parents
came to Colorado and located in Yuma county, where they commenced
farming and stock raising six miles southeast of the town of Yuma.  When
the subject of this brief sketch had attained manhood he homesteaded 160
acres of land adjoining his father's farm and commenced operations on
his own account.  He prospered from the beginning and since then he
purchased 320 acres additional land near his homestead, making his
holdings 480 acres in all.  Some people were under the impression that
the western part of the county was not adapted for general farming, but
the experience of Mr. Cochrane and many others proves the contrary.  Mr.
Cochrane cultivates eighty acres and he grows fine crops of wheat, corn,
cane and vegetables.  His corn has yielded as high as thirty-two bushels
per acre and his other crops have made an equally good showing.  While
the young man owns a number of horses and a growing herd of cattle, he
is comparatively a new beginner.  With his energy, industry and good
judgment, coupled with his laudable ambition, the day is not far distant
when he will be one of the most important ranchmen in the county, vying
with any in solid prosperity.  While the gentleman is still a bachelor,
it may be possible that leap year will encourage some enterprising lady
to grasp a desirable husband and a comfortable home.  Mr. Cochrane is an
honorable gentleman and a good citizen who enjoys a wide measure of
popularity.

[40]=======================================

John G. Gerber

Made a Handsome Competence in Eight Years on a Yuma County Farm

     Perhaps one of the most pleasing illustrations of what can be
achieved on a Yuma county farm is presented in the career of John G.
Gerber, a prosperous farmer near Idalia.

     Mr. Gerber is a native of Switzerland, where he was born in 1862.
He came to the United States in 1885 and located near Leavenworth,
Kansas, where he engaged in farming on rented land.  In 1890 he
abandoned farming in Kansas and started on a tour of the Northwest, with
a view of finding some place in which to make a permanent home.  He
spent some time investigating Manitoba, across the Canadian line,
Washington, Oregon and Montana after which he came to Colorado in May
1892, and settled on a homestead a few miles north of Idalia, in that
portion of Arapahoe county that is now a part of Yuma.  At that time the
gentleman was in very moderate circumstances, and after he had finished
settling on his claim he did not have a dollar left.  He had plenty of
courage however, fortified by a spirit of untiring industry, and he
persevered in his laudable ambition to own a home of his own.  He raised
good crops and prospered, notwithstanding the two years of drouth, until
1896, by which time he had accumulated considerable property.  In that
year, however he was overwhelmed with dire misfortunes which swept away
everything he owned and left him penniless.  Undismayed by this
disaster, Mr. Gerber again commenced the battle of life with
undiminished courage, and from that time kind fortune has smiled upon
him.   Now he owns 800 acres of magnificent land in one block about four
miles north of Idalia, on which he has a handsome residence, good barns
and ample shed room for his stock.  He owns fourteen horses, fifty
cattle and a large herd of hogs, and he is generously supplied with the
latest improved farming implements.

     Mr. Gerber has well earned the reputation of being one of the best
and most successful farmers in Colorado.  As an indication of what he
does on this farm, he has harvested 2,300 bushels of wheat, 1,500
bushels of corn and 500 bushels of oats in one season, besides good
crops of cane and vegetables.  He has grown potatoes which weighed two
pounds each and harvested 150 bushels an acre.

     This is the property Mr. Gerber has accumulated in eight years of
energetic industry on a Yuma county farm, and the gentleman is in easy
financial circumstances.  How long do you suppose it would take a framer
in the East to commence with no capital in either money or property and
accomplish as much?  He could hardly do it in a lifetime.

     In 1884, Mr. Gerber married Miss Elizabeth Kammermann, an estimable
Swiss lady who accompanied him to America and has been such signal
assistance to him in achieving such creditable results.  They have seven
children.

     Mr. Gerber has been a member of the school board for several terms
and he takes a generous interest in every public movement for the
benefit of his community and the county.  He is an honorable gentleman
who stands high in public estimation.

[41]=======================================

Howard Klugh

An Enterprising Factor in the Progress of City and County.

(Photo - Residence of Howard Klugh)

     Among those who have taken a deep interest in the progress and
prosperity of Wray and Yuma county, few, if any, contributed more freely
of their time energy and means in aid of these objects than the
gentleman whose name heads this article.  In securing the county seat
for Wray, especially, the gentleman's wonderful activity and shrewdness,
coupled with his generous spirit, were most potent instruments in
accomplishing the result desired.

     Mr. Klugh is a native of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, where he was born
thirty-nine years ago.  He received a liberal education and after his
boyhood days he devoted his attention to mercantile pursuits, in which
he displayed pronounced ability.  In 1886 he came to Colorado and
located in Wray, then an insignificant hamlet.  He obtained a position
in a general store, but after three years resigned and purchased the
drug store on Chief street now conducted by Mr. Shumaker.  His genial
disposition and honorable business qualities made his new venture a
success from the beginning.  He not only retained the established trade
of his predecessors, but increased it steadily and he soon enjoyed a
very large and lucrative business.  After nearly ten years of unvarying
success, he sold his drug store to Mr. Shumaker on July 18, 1899, and
since then he has devoted his attentions to dealing in real estate and
loaning money.  The gentleman owns extensive property interests in the
city and county, and to every movement calculated to enhance the moral
or material interests of the community he contributes generously of his
time and means.  His qualities as an honorable business man and useful
citizen have received public recognition on several occasions, by his
election to membership in the city council, and his popularity is most
pronounced.  He is a member of the Masonic order and senior warden of
the Wray lodge.

     On October 27, 1889, Mr. Klugh married Miss Viola Shumaker, an
accomplished daughter of Mr. J.H. Shumaker, one of the leading farmers
of the county, and the estimable couple own one of the most beautiful
homes in Wray.

[42]=======================================

The Valley Stables

The Large and Popular Livery Barn Conducted by R.F. Aten.

     Among the enterprising livery firms of the city of Wray, that of
R.F. Aten merits special mention.  His barn which is situated on Chief
St., in the business heart of the city, is 34x90 in size and it is well
stocked with a superior class of horses and fine vehicles of all kinds. 
Indeed, in this respect it occupies a most creditable position, and, if
you state for what kind of a drive you want a team or single conveyance,
you will be furnished a rig that will give you satisfaction, and at
reasonable figures, too.  He keeps horses which are so gentle that a
lady can drive them with perfect safety, and others which display high
spirit and going qualities that would delight any lover of good stock.
Mr. Aten has thirteen fine horses and an ample supply of stylish
conveyances, furnishing careful and reliable drivers when necessary to
do so.

     Mr. Aten is a native of Illinois, where he was born on a farm
fourteen miles from the town of McComb, about thirty-five years ago.
After his school boy days he followed farming operations in his native
county until eight years ago, when he came to Colorado and located in
Kit Carson county.  There he homesteaded 160 acres of choice land and
engaged in the stock industry.  His means were somewhat limited, but he
gave his new business his careful and diligent attention and his efforts
were crowned with the most generous success.  Last spring he sold his
farm and stock in Kit Carson county and moved to Yuma county, where he
engaged in the livery business in Wray.  In his new business the
gentleman is meeting with a fair measure of success and the future is
very promising.

     Mr. Aten is a courteous genial gentleman, who treats his patrons in
such a manner as to win their good will and his business is making
satisfactory progress.  He is recognized as a public-spirited, generous-
hearted gentleman, who displays much interest in the progress and
prosperity of Wray and Yuma county.  Note his advertisement in this
issue of the Gazette, and give him a share of your patronage.

[43]=======================================

B. Metts

What a Native of Maryland Accomplished in Yuma County.

     B. Metts, one of the prominent and progressive farmers of the
western part of Yuma county, is a native of Maryland, where he was born
on a farm near Cumberland in 1844.  In October, 1861, when only
seventeen years of age, he enlisted in the Third Maryland regiment of
infantry, in which he rendered gallant service until September, 1862,
when he was mustered out of the service owing to sickness.  While in the
army he took part in some of the most important battles of the war.
When he regained his health he followed farming and other pursuits until
1882, when he moved to Nebraska.  After two years he went east and
located in Pennsylvania, where he remained until 1886, when he returned
to Nebraska.  Subsequently he came to Colorado and settled on a
homestead sixteen miles northeast of the village of Yuma, where he
engaged in farming and the cattle business.  Subsequently Mr. Meets
spent a few years in the irrigated section of Colorado, near Boulder,
but after a fair trial he found that he could make more money in Yuma
county under natural conditions than he could near Boulder with the aid
of irrigation, and he returned here.  Since then the gentleman has been
enjoying a generous measure of prosperity and he is recognized as one of
the most progressive of Yuma county farmers.  He cultivates about 250
acres of his ranch, and grows fine crops of wheat, corn, cane, millet
and vegetables.  Like that of many others, the experience of Mr. Metts
demonstrates that wheat and other cereals, as well as cattle, can be
made a source of much wealth in the western part of the county.  Mr.
Metts is a pleasant, industrious gentleman who merits the prosperity
that is smiling upon him.

[44]=======================================

Liquid Smiles

The Popular and Attractive Resort Conducted by C.T. Grant.

(Photos - Front view of the C.T. Grant Saloon.  Interior view of the
C.T. Grant Saloon.)

     One of the most attractive and orderly resorts for gentlemen in
Eastern Colorado is the saloon conducted on Chief street, Wray, by C.T.
Grant.  The building is an elegant brick structure 25x60 feet in size,
and fitted with every modern convenience.  The interior is furnished
most attractively, the bar especially being decorated with rich and
artistic furnishings of modern design.  In the vestibule are several
potted palms and other natural decorations situated near the windows,
which give a very inviting view from the outside.  There are an elegance
and attractiveness about the place which are most pleasing and especial
care is taken to maintain good order, neatness and cleanliness.  The
average man knows a good thing when he sees it, and this fact, in
connection with the superior quality of the goods he sells is the secret
of the pronounced success which Mr. Grant has achieved.

     The bar is supplied with only the purest domestic and imported
wines and liquors and the best brands of cigars.  So, if you have a
headache next morning, the chances are you did not bargain for it at Mr.
Grant's resort.  Of course, too much of a good thing is sometimes quite
as bad for a man as a small quantity of a bad thing, but every gentleman
ought to use discretion and judgment in partaking of even the good
things in life, and inebriety is not encouraged at this popular place.

     Mr. Grant is a native of Missouri, where he spent his boyhood days
and followed farming pursuits until 1892, when he moved to Colorado and
located at Wray.  He opened a grocery and gents' furnishings store which
he conducted several years and subsequently engaged in the saloon
business, in which he has been very successful owing to his pleasing
personality and careful attention to the requirements of his trade.  In
addition to the fine brick building in which he conducts his business,
he erected the large two-story Smith Hotel and owns considerable other
property in the city.  Mr. Grant is a good, progressive citizen, as well
as a pleasant genial gentleman, and to every movement calculated to
promote the prosperity of Wray and Yuma county, he contributes most
generously of both time and money.  Note his advertisement on another
page of today's Gazette.

[45]=======================================

J.J. Bond's Ranch

One of the Most Prosperous Ranch Men in Yuma County

     One of the most prosperous and progressive ranches in Yuma county
is that owned by J.J. Bond, twenty-three miles south of Wray.  Indeed
there are few cattlemen who display such an enterprising spirit in
making their ranches up-to-date in all improvements calculated to please
the eye and bring increased prosperity.

     Mr. Bond is a native of Staffordshire, England, where he was born
forty-eight years ago.  In 1876, after he had attained his majority, he
came to the United States and located in Philadelphia, where he engaged
in business for eight years, with gratifying success.  During his stay
in the Quaker City, he purchased 160 acres of land in Yuma county,
Colorado, which comprises a portion of his present extensive ranch.  In
1884 he moved to Nebraska, but after two years in that state he came to
Colorado and located in Denver, where he conducted a hotel and other
business pursuits most successfully for fourteen years, in the meantime
adding to the acreage of his Yuma county ranch from time to time, as the
opportunity presented. In 1890 Mr. Bond moved to Wray and engaged in
business, but sold out in 1892 in order to devote his entire attention
to his ranch industry.

     The gentleman owns 800 acres of choice land in one block and has
control of 1,000 acres of leased grazing range immediately adjoining,
all being enclosed by an excellent wire fence and suitably subdivided by
cross fences.  He cultivates 160 acres of his ranch, on which he grows
large quantities of corn, cane, millet and other feed for his stock, in
addition to which he harvests a great store of native hay for the same
purpose.  At present he owns nearly two hundred cattle and fifteen
horses.

     It is seldom a ranch is supplied with such an attractive residence
and fine barns and other conveniences as can be found here.  The
residence is a handsome building of seven rooms, elegantly fitted with
all modern comforts and conveniences, including plumbing for water,
which is supplied by an elevated tank having a capacity of 125 barrels. 
An inexhaustible well of absolutely pure water supplies this tank by
windmill power, and it is connected with drinking tanks for cattle,
situated in the yards.  From this elevated tank the spacious stone milk
house is also supplied with an abundance of water, arranged with a view
to convenience in handling the dairy products.  In addition to a
generous supply of sheds, corrals and other comforts for stock, Mr. Bond
is now erecting what is destined to be the most substantial and valuable
barn in Eastern Colorado.  The dimensions are 34x54 feet, with stone
walls two feet thick extending fourteen feet high on the sides and
twenty-eight feet to the gable ends.  Pipes extending from the elevated
tank will supply the barn with water as required.  Indeed, with the
valuable improvements made by Mr. Bond, he owns one of the most
desirable cattle ranches in the section of Colorado, from which he
obtains generous financial returns.

     In 1892, at Denver, Mr. Bond married Mrs. E.M. Mason, who is now
manager of a valuable rooming house the couple own of Curtis street in
that city.

     In addition to his ranch in this county, Mr. Bond owns two valuable
lots in the city of Wray.  Mr. Bond is a genial, whole-souled gentleman
who takes a generous interest in every movement calculated to promote
the city and county, and he is held in the most cordial and general
esteem in the community.

[46]=======================================

W.K. Fisk

Proprietor of One of the Leading Mercantile Establishments

     Among the energetic and progressive business men of Yuma county the
above gentleman occupies a prominent position, and his general
merchandise store in Wray has won a most pronounced measure of
popularity.

     Mr. Fisk is a native of Iowa, where he was born thirty-five years
ago.  During his infancy his parents moved to Washington county, Kansas,
where the subject of this brief sketch grew to manhood on a farm.  In
1886 the family moved to Colorado and located in Yuma county, where they
continued farming operations.  When twenty-two years of age Mr. Fisk
engaged in mercantile pursuits for several years after which he resumed
farming in Dundy county, Nebraska, for three years.  Subsequently the
gentleman came to Wray and established a meat market on Pawnee street,
which he conducted most successfully for two years.  On August 1, 1902,
he bought the general merchandise business of Harger & Harger, in which
he is now engaged.  He keeps a large and complete stock of dry goods,
groceries, clothing, shoes, etc., and he is making gratifying progress. 
Of a genial disposition, the gentleman has established a flattering
reputation for business integrity and this, in connection with the
excellent values he offers in all kinds of merchandise, is one of the
secrets of his large and growing trade.  He is recognized also as one of
our most public spirited citizens, and every movement calculated to
enhance the material and moral welfare of Wray and Yuma county receives
his generous support.  The gentleman is an honored member of the Odd
Fellows and Modern Woodmen fraternal organizations.

     In 1898 Mr. Fisk married Miss Lena Drummond, the accomplished
daughter of Mr. James Drummond, a wealthy Nebraska farmer who lives near
the Yuma county line, and they have an interesting family of four
children, two boys and two girls.  The estimable couple well merits the
general esteem in which they are held in the community, of which they
are such worthy members.

[47]=======================================

A Successful Career

The Marked Success Achieved by B.D. Prentice in Yuma County.

(Photo - Residence of B.D. Prentice)

     A most pleasing illustration of what an energetic and industrious
pursuit of the cattle industry can accomplish in Yuma county, can be
found in the career of Burton D. Prentice, one of our progressive
ranchmen.  He came to this county eighteen years ago in moderate
circumstances and today is regarded as one of the most substantial
ranchmen in Eastern Colorado, surrounded by every desirable comfort and
the owner of a handsome competence, the results of his own intelligent
management and untiring industry.

     Mr. Prentice is a native of Ohio, where he was born in 1860.  When
twenty-three years of age he decided to "pitch his tent" in the West,
where his laudable ambition would find room to expand.  First he located
in Kansas, but after a short time, in 1886, he came to Colorado with a
team of horses and a small herd of calves, selecting Yuma county as his
permanent home.  He secured a homestead, pre-emption and timber claim -
480 acres in all - three and one-half miles northeast of Wray and there
he engaged earnestly in the battle of life.  From the beginning the
gentleman bestowed upon his cattle business that intelligent management,
close attention and untiring industry for which he is now noted and
prosperity smiled upon his efforts.  In 1892 he bought 200 acres of land
in the valley of the Republican river, seven miles east of Wray and
immediately adjoining the village of Laird, on which he moved his
family.  He utilized the rich soil of which this tract of land is
composed to the best advantage, and he has converted it into an
exceedingly valuable ranch.  He cultivates 120 acres, all under
irrigation, devoted principally to alfalfa, of which he harvests four
crops each season.  His extensive sheds, corrals and stock yards are
models of neatness and convenience.  The yards extend into the bed of
the Republican river which flows through his land and in close proximity
to his home, and the entire arrangements facilitate the easy care and
handling of stock.  The residence is a handsome two-story structure,
beautifully situated and provided with every comfort requisite for a
delightful home.

     Almost a year ago, Mr. Prentice purchased an additional 160 acres
of choice land three miles south of Laird.  All of this is under
cultivation and upon it he grew excellent crops of wheat and corn last
season.

     On an average the gentleman keeps 600 cattle, twenty horses and 200
hogs, although he has grown as many as 700 of the latter some seasons.
His cattle are exceptionally well bred, Shorthorns and Herefords
predominating.  On his home ranch he keeps his calves and 120 cattle he
is preparing for market.  The latter are fine animals, two years old,
which would average 1,300 pounds in weight at the present time, but they
will continue to feast on corn and alfalfa for a few weeks more before
being shipped to market.  The hogs, too, are large fat animals.

     Mr. Prentice uses his original 480 acres strictly for pasture, and
his cattle have not only plenty to eat, but are furnished with
protection from excessive cold weather.

     One year ago Mr. Prentice encountered a serious loss by fire.  A
new barn 140 feet long, his sheds, corrals and 330 tons of hay were
entirely consumed.  The fire is supposed to have been caused by a spark
from his residence chimney igniting a hay stack.  He was insured for
$1,850, but, unfortunately his policy was issued by one of the mutual
frauds, as a result of which he has not been paid a dollar of his loss
yet and probably never will be.  While the loss was a heavy one, the
enterprising gentleman was not dismayed, but immediately commenced to
replace the destroyed property with new buildings, which have arisen to
replace the old.

     In 1882, shortly before he came to the West, Mr. Prentice married
Miss Ideliah Knight, a charming and accomplished Ohio lady, whose sunny
disposition has brightened his home, while her industrious spirit has
materially aided him in his successful career.  They commenced their new
career in the West together, they endured trials and overcame obstacles
cheered by each other, and now surrounded by the comforts and luxuries
of life, they are enjoying the well merited rewards of honorable
endeavor and untiring industry.  They have an interesting family of nine
children.

     It is not alone as a successful ranchman that Mr. Prentice commands
wide recognition is Yuma county.  He is known and respected as a kind
neighbor, as well as an honorable, progressive citizen, and he and his
estimable wife and family enjoy the cordial esteem of the community.
Fraternally, the gentleman is a member of the local camp of the Woodmen
of the World.

[48]=======================================

A Prosperous Farmer

The Progressive Career of Jacob Cox in Yuma County.

(Photo - Residence of Jacob Cox)

     Eastern home-seekers in the West ought to find food for earnest
thought in the great prosperity achieved by Jacob Cox in Yuma county.

     Mr. Cox is a native of Ohio, where he was born in 1842.  When nine
years of age he accompanied his parents to Illinois, where he spent the
balance of his boyhood days on a farm.  In 1862 he enlisted in the
Ninety-ninth Illinois infantry, which was assigned to the western army
for service.  Mr. Cox and his regiment took a gallant part in the
Vicksburg campaign and the capture of that Confederate stronghold.  In
1863, however, the young patriot was incapacitated for service by reason
of sickness incurred in the army and he was mustered out of the service.
He returned to Illinois, where he remained until 1877, when he moved to
Nebraska.  In 1886 he came to Arapahoe county, now Yuma, filing on pre-
emption and timber claims seven miles south of Wray, and engaged in
farming.  Owing to his energy and industry, combined with his through
knowledge of farming pursuits, he prospered from the beginning, and ere
long he bought 1,000 acres more of land, making his real estate holdings
in the county more than 1,300 acres.  He cultivates over 600 acres, on
which he grows wheat, corn, barley, oats, rye, flax and vegetables.
Like the rest of Yuma county, the soil on Mr. Cox's ranch is very
productive and he has harvested as high as 6,000 bushels of wheat,
alone, in one year, in addition to thousands of bushels of corn and
other crops.  He has had wonderful success in growing vegetables, and
one of his many exhibits at the county fair a few years ago was a squash
that weighed 120 pounds.  He made the stock business, in a small way, a
success also, and he owns now sixty-five cattle and thirty-five horses. 
He has a good residence and requisite buildings of all kinds on his
ranch which presents every appearance of prosperity.

     Recently Mr. Cox decided to enjoy some well-merited relaxation from
the exacting activities of ranch life, and he moved to Wray, where he
owns a cozy home and twelve valuable city lots.  He leased his ranch and
from it derives a handsome revenue.

     In 1864 Mr. Cox married Miss Elvira Hickerson, an estimable
Illinois lady, and they have had sixteen children, nine of whom survive.

     Mr. Cox is blessed with a sunny disposition and he is an
exceedingly companionable gentleman.  He is recognized as one of the
most progressive and prosperous farms in the county, as well as one of
the most honorable, and he and his interesting wife and family enjoy
general esteem.

[49]=======================================

Payne Bros. & Vogel

An Extensive Mercantile Establishment in the Village of Idalia

Keeps a General Stock and Does a Large and Growing Business

     Among the enterprising and progressive merchants of the county, the
above firm merits generous mention.

     The firm, which is composed of N.J. Payne, W.B. Payne and Henry
Vogel was established in January, 1902 and its place of business was
established at Idalia in the southern part of the county.  The active
management of the business is in charge of N.J. and W.B. Payne as Mr.
Vogel has other extensive business interests requiring his personal
attention.

     N.J. Payne, who is twenty-four years of age, is a native of Kansas
where he received a liberal education.  He spent eight years in a
railway office at Topeka where he acquired a thorough knowledge of
correct business principles.  His brother, W.B. Payne, who is twenty
years of age, is a native of Colorado and he too is enjoying the
benefits of a generous education and good business training.  They are
both affable young gentlemen who have won already a flattering
reputation for integrity of purpose and honorable dealings.  In
conducting their business they are guided by the golden rule and they
will accord a child just as honorable and generous treatment as could be
obtained by one of mature years.  They keep a large and well assorted
stock of dry goods, groceries, clothing, shoes, notions gents'
furnishings, provisions and, in fact, everything usually found in a
general store.  They own their own store building and pay cash for their
goods, thereby obtaining the most favorable terms, with the usual
discounts for cash, as a result of which they are able to sell goods at
very low prices.  This, in conjunction with their courtesy to customers,
is one of the chief secrets of their marked success and explains how
they secured such a large and profitable trade in such a comparatively
short time.

     Mrs. Vogel, the bright and accomplished mother of these two young
men, has charge of the Idalia post office, which is situated in the
store and admirably managed.  It receives daily mail from Wray and all
outside points, and is the distributing point for Lansing and other
country postoffices in the southern part of the county.

     Payne Bros. & Vogel buy butter, eggs and produce and as a business
factor in the progress of that part of Yuma County they merit generous
consideration.  The indications are that there is a brilliant and most
successful future before them.

     In another article in this edition we discuss the busy and
prosperous career of Mr. Vogel, the third member of the firm.

[50]=======================================

Elijah Bohrer

A West Virginian Who Found Ample Prosperity in Yuma County.

He Has Made General Farming and the Stock Business a Success.

(Photo - Elijah Bohrer)

     Elijah Bohrer, who owns a fine ranch a few miles north of Idalia,
presents another illustration of what can be accomplished on the fertile
prairies of Yuma county.

     Mr. Bohrer is a native of West Virginia, where he was born on a
farm in 1836.  He pursued farming operations for many years in that
state, but the conditions were not satisfactory, and in the autumn of
1886 he came to Colorado and filed on homestead, pre-emption and tree
claims five miles from Idalia, in what is now Yuma county.  At that time
he was in very moderate circumstances, and the expense of moving and
settling on his homestead left him almost penniless.  However, with a
courage and industry that well merited the success he achieved, the
gentleman vigorously applied himself to the work of improving his
claims.  He engaged in general farming, devoting part of his attention
to cattle and horses in a small way, and he prospered gradually, but
surely from the beginning.  At first he grew corn, millet, cane and
flax, subsequently extending his operations to embrace wheat and rye,
which he found very profitable.  While the gentleman grows abundant
crops every year, as a rule, in a favorable season he has harvested as
high as 2,000 bushels of wheat alone, with the yield from other crops in
proportion.

     He owns 480 acres of as fertile land as could be found in Eastern
Colorado, with a comfortable residence, good barns, sheds, etc., and he
is liberally supplied with agricultural implements of all kinds.  In
addition to his deeded land he has 640 acres of leased school land, all
being under a good wire fence.

     He owns twenty-five horses and a herd of twenty cattle, many of the
latter being milch cows.  The horses, which are well bred, are of a
superior quality, and it is very seldom a herd of such fine animals can
be found on a ranch.  Mr. Bohrer never fails to obtain exceptionally
high prices for his horses.

     Naturally, after accomplishing the above results, the gentleman is
well pleased with Yuma county and could not be induced to change his
residence.  He realizes that a man can make much more money on the same
amount of capital, and easier, than he could in the East under the most
favorable conditions.

     Although in the evening of life, Mr. Bohrer looks much younger than
he is, and he displays as much vigor and activity as many men do at
fifty.  He is an intelligent, broad-minded gentleman and a splendid
citizen who takes a deep interest in everything calculated to benefit
the country.  The gentleman is highly esteemed because of his many
estimable traits of character.

[51]=======================================

W.J. Kennedy

Conducts a Growing and Prosperous Furniture Business

     The above gentleman, who is a native of Pennsylvania, is a
progressive factor in the advancement of Wray.

     Mr. Kennedy, who had taught school for several years in the
southern part of the county, came to Wray nearly four years ago and
engaged in the restaurant business.  He achieved marked success and last
year erected a handsome brick business building near the corner of Chief
and Kiowa streets which he occupied last January.  His business kept
increasing, but in order to relieve Mrs. Kennedy of so much arduous care
over the culinary department, a few weeks ago Mr. Kennedy abandoned the
restaurant business and started a second hand store, with furniture and
other household effects as his chief lines.  In his new departure the
gentleman is meeting with success, as he enjoys public confidence to a
marked degree.  Those who have superfluous furniture for sale know that
Mr. Kennedy will pay them the highest prices possible, and he sells on
very close margins.  If you want to buy furniture that is practically,
as good as new, you will save considerable money by calling on Mr.
Kennedy, and he will treat you right in every respect.

     In 1888 Mr. Kennedy married Miss Rozella Royce, a brilliant and
accomplished Nebraska lady, and the union has been blessed by an
interesting daughter.  Since they came to Yuma county Mr. and Mrs.
Kennedy have displayed such admirable characteristics as kind hearted
neighbors and exemplary citizens that they have won the cordial esteem
of all who know them.  In promoting the material and moral welfare of
the community they are earnest, active factors and are especially
prominent in good works.  Mr. Kennedy is a zealous and popular member of
the Knights of Pythias and Court of Honor.

[52]=======================================

The County Commissioners

Three Gentlemen Who are Making a Most Wonderfully Creditable Record

(3 Photos - Commissioner H.J. Wells, Chairman; Commissioner J.A. Conley;
Commissioner John S. Gardner)

     Yuma county has been exceedingly fortunate in being served by
faithful officials, and its present commissioners, especially, merit the
commendation of the taxpayers.  The commissioners are Henry J. Wells,
John S. Gardner and John A. Conley, the former gentleman being the
chairman of the board.  While the entire official records of the members
of the board are clean and display marked ability, the erection of the
court house, alone ought to inspire a feeling of deep gratitude in the
hearts of the taxpayers.  Elsewhere in this special edition we describe
the fine building and its attractive interior, and how they erected such
an imposing structure for $12,000, including the lots, seems a deep
mystery, considered from the standard of cost which governs the erection
of the ordinary court houses.  The writer has seen more inferior court
houses that cost $20,000.  The Yuma county commissioners employed no
architect but superintended the construction of the building themselves,
exercising the most rigid economy justified by prudence, and they may
well feel proud of what they accomplished.

     The gentlemen bring no sectional feeling into their deliberations,
and each of them displays an earnest desire to promote the interests of
every section of the county faithfully and well.

---------------------------------------

County Attorney

     In Jo A. Fowler, of Denver, the county has an excellent attorney.
He has been county attorney since 1893 and he has displayed high legal
ability, as well as integrity and fidelity to the best interests of the
county.  As legal advisor to the board, his opinions have been sound and
his judgment regarding county matters excellent.  The commissioners
place the most implicit confidence in Mr. Fowler and the gentleman is
exceedingly popular in this county.

[53]=======================================

                         The Wray Gazette
                      The Paper That's Different
A Newspaper Among the                             Covers the County in 
Best in the Central West                          Particular, and the
                                                  State in General With
                                                  A Splendid New Service

(3 Photos - J.W. Cloyd, Editor and Publisher; C.E. Cunningham, Asso.
Editor; Oscar Pierson, Compositor)

     Perhaps no county paper has ever been established that has met with
such a hearty, spontaneous reception and warm continued support as did
The Wray Gazette, which was established on March 6, 1903.

     From its inception to the present time The Gazette has enjoyed a
steady growth in circulation and influence, as well as continued
increase in advertising patronage, until now it ranks, in popularity and
prosperity, with papers in cities four and five times the population of
Wray.  In traveling over Yuma county, it is seldom a home is found in
which The Gazette is not a weekly and welcomed visitor, and nearly every
business man of the town is a patron of its columns, recognizing its
superior worth as an advertising medium.

     Aside from a most generous reading clientele at home, which of
itself is the envy of more pretentious papers, its outside circulation
is phenomenal, there being but few states in the union in which from one
to twenty copies are not sent each week.

     The Gazette maintains a staff of ten able correspondents at inland
districts of the county, outside of its own capable force that covers
the town of Wray.  This insures to readers all the local happenings in
the most remote portions of the county, fresh each week, and its
telegraph and telephone service covers the entire state up to the day
before going to press.  This makes it an ideal county paper for the
general reader.

     The paper is also equipped with all the latest appliances for doing
modern, down-to-the-second job work.  That this department of the paper
is appreciated is evinced by the fact that its patronage is considerably
larger than that of the average country office, and a source of
gratification to the proprietor, J.W. Cloyd.  When Mr. Cloyd, who is a
retired merchant of Wray, and a pioneer citizen of the county, conceived
the idea of establishing a paper, he decided to equip the office with
strictly first-class material and machinery, and to issue a paper that
would, as far as possible, cover the entire field of news, giving the
same in an unbiased and unprejudiced manner, and that he succeeded
admirably is shown by the fact that he brought the paper up to his
ideal.

     As regards the machinery of The Gazette, it is all operated by
gasoline power, giving satisfactory results.  This illustrated edition
is the product of its presses.

     While it is a superior paper of itself, yet, the price of
subscription is very low - within the reach of all - only $1.00 per
year.

     We also have clubbing arrangements with all the leading
publications and can, in nearly every instance, save you money when the
same is taken in connection with our paper.  Write us about it.

[54]=======================================

Charles D. Shields

Natural Conditions Render it an Exceedingly Valuable Property

     One of the Yuma county ranches that present most favorable natural
conditions for carrying on the cattle industry profitably, is that owned
by the above named gentleman, on the Arickaree river, thirty miles
southwest of Wray.  Although but a young man, the gentleman vies with
men of mature years in the ability with which he conducts the cattle
business and the financial results achieved.

     Mr. Shields is a native of Kiowa county, where he was born twenty-
six years ago.  He spent his boyhood days on a ranch and, as a result,
obtained a thorough knowledge of the cattle business in all its phases. 
In his boyhood days he moved with his parents to that portion of
Arapahoe county which is now a part of Yuma, where they continued in the
same business.

     On the death of his father a few years ago, Mr. Shields became heir
to 320 acres of land and he bought 320 acres more adjoining, making a
ranch of 640 acres.  The ranch is largely composed of valley land, with
the Arickaree river running through it.  It is peculiarly adapted to the
stock industry, as, in addition to the abundance of water at all
seasons, cattle obtain complete shelter from the storms of winter under
the bluffs and in the deep ravines that line the river valley on either
side.  In this respect it is an ideal ranch of exceptional value.  On
the ranch are a comfortable home 26x30 feet in size, a good stable and
all requisite sheds and other buildings.

     Mr. Shields cultivates 100 acres, on which he grows profitable
crops of corn, cane and spring rye for feeding purposes.  He owns twenty
horses and over 300 fine cattle, although he made several large
shipments to the Eastern markets last fall.  For winter feed for his
stock he generally grows 100 tons of feed, in addition to corn.

     Besides his section of deeded land, Mr. Shields has the benefit of
a vast area of free range for his stock, embracing many thousands of
acres of fine pasture.

     In 1899 Mr. Shields married Miss Lizzie Riedesel and they have one
child as a result of the happy union.

     Mr. Shields is a young man of great energy and industry, whose good
qualities as a kind neighbor and useful citizen have rendered him very
popular in the community.

[55]=======================================

Fritz Soehner

     The above gentleman, who is a native of Germany, is one of the
successful ranchmen of Yuma county.  He came to America in 1881 and
located on a ranch in Nebraska.  After three years he went back to
Germany and married.  In about three months he and his wife returned to
Nebraska where they remained until 1893, when they moved to Colorado and
located on a ranch twenty-four miles southeast of Wray.  Mr. Soehner
owns 320 acres of excellent land and he makes general farming as well as
the cattle business a great success.  He raises good crops and owns ten
horses, fifty cattle and a large herd of hogs, from all of which he
obtains generous financial returns.  The gentleman has a comfortable
residence and good barns, sheds, etc., his ranch presenting every
indication of the prosperity he has achieved.  He is quite popular with
all who know him because of his good qualities as an obliging neighbor
and progressive citizen.

[56]=======================================

The Smith Hotel

An Interesting Home in Which the Comforts of Life are Found.

     What the Brown Palace is to Denver the Smith Hotel is to Wray - the
leading house in the city.  While it was opened for business only last
September, it has already attained a popularity among the traveling
public which it generally takes many years to acquire.

     J.W. Smith, the genial and whole-souled proprietor, has had many
years' experience as a successful hotel man and he is exceedingly
popular with commercial men and others who have enjoyed his tender care.
Under the admirable management of the Smith Hotel, an air of cleanliness
and comfort which is very pleasing to weary travelers or pleasure-
seekers pervades the house, and the cordial, hospitable welcome received
inspires the restfulness that is clustered around the genuine home.  The
culinary department and dining room are under the personal supervision
of Mrs. Smith, and the tables are furnished with the substantials of
life, as well as the delicacies of the season, prepared so deliciously
and served so invitingly as to tempt the appetite of an epicure.

     The bedrooms are kept scrupulously clean and neat, and in them
weary pilgrims never fail to obtain that peaceful and refreshing rest
which weary humanity covets.  The house is a new one and its popularity
is attested by the fact that its capacity for guests is taxed to the
utmost almost continuously.

     Mr. Smith, the prince of good fellows who edits the hotel, is a
native of Illinois, where he was born bare-footed many years ago, but he
still retains a buoyant activity that would do credit to a thoroughbred
maverick on a Colorado range.  Commercial men maintain that he was
designed for the ministry in his young and innocent days, but we think
this is a base calumny inspired by the fact that the gentleman has done
so much towards reforming and evangelizing the knights of the grip.  For
twenty-three years Mr. Smith lived in Benkelman, Neb., where he was
engaged in the hotel and other profitable business.

     In 1888 the gentleman married Miss Harriet A. McMurry, an estimable
lady whose pleasing personality and admirable qualities of mind and
heart have won such pronounced popularity in social circles.  They have
one child, Miss Jessie B. Smith, a charming young lady who is in her
fifteenth year.  She is now finishing her education and her refined
instincts and careful training give every promise of a brilliant and
noble womanhood.

[57]=======================================

(3 Ads on this page)

Payne Bros. & Vogel

---- Dealers In ---- 
Dry Goods, Groceries, Shoes,
Clothing and Notions.

Idalia, . . . . . Colorado

The Highest Prices Paid for Farmers' Produce.

We Sell Goods at the Lowest Prices Possible
and you will find Our Goods Just as Represented.  
Your Patronage is Respectfully Solicited

---------------------

This Space Belongs to W.E. Wofle & Co., Dealers in
General Merchandise,
Wray, Colorado

---------------------

  Yuma 
Barber Shop
F.J. Nutter, Prop.,
An Easy Shave and Stylish Haircut is Assured
Yuma, . . . . . . . . Colorado

[58]=======================================

The Dairy Interests

Destined to Become an Important Factor in the County's Prosperity.

Magnificent Free Ranges Where the Most Nutritious Grasses Grow
Luxuriantly.

(Drawing - A Cream Separator)

     The dairy interests of Yuma county, which are yet in their infancy,
are destined at no distant date to become one of the most profitable
features of the county's progress.  In the early history of the county,
when raising cattle for the eastern markets was so profitable, the dairy
received but little if any attention, only in so far as to supply the
family needs of the stock men with the milk and butter required for
domestic purposes.  Of late, however, especially since the marked
decrease in the market value of cattle, the possibilities presented by
the dairy have commanded much attention and deep thought.  It has been
demonstrated by other counties in the state that the buffalo and other
native grasses, which grow so luxuriantly in Yuma county, are
exceedingly rich in butter producing qualities, and the ranch butter of
Colorado is famous among western products, commanding almost as high a
price in the local markets as the eastern creamery article.  An
investigation of the results obtained in Phillips and other counties
where dairying has been conducted for years proves it to be a very
profitable feature of farm life.  The farmers use separators to obtain
the cram from the milk, selling the former at a profitable price and
feeding the latter to their calves and pigs.  The creamery stations at
which the cream is delivered two or three times each week, owing to the
season of the year, pay for the cream received once each month, and the
revenue derived by the farmers from this source alone, not only nets
them handsome profits on the labor and capital invested, but furnishes
them ready money for current expenses every month in the year.  The
experience of men who have been engaged in the dairy business in
Colorado for many years shows that one cow properly cared for will
produce an average of $3 to $4 worth of cream each month during the
entire year, and that a herd of ten cows grazing on the rich buffalo
grass of eastern Colorado in the summer, with extra feed during the fall
and winter, will yield $30 per month during the entire year.  Remember,
too, that this revenue does not include the value of the skim milk which
the farmer feeds to his calves and pigs.

     It is the testimony of those who have been engaged in the dairy
business and selling the cream, that it does not interfere but very
little with the farming operations, as nearly all the labor is embraced
in milking the cows.  Separating the cream from the milk involves but
little time or labor, and the separator obtains one-third more cream
from the milk than could be procured in the old way.  It eliminates the
churning, worry and work of old methods, and the financial returns are
much more satisfactory.  Especially at this time when the market for
cattle is so very unsatisfactory, it would seem that the rich grazing
resources of Yuma county should be developed on the most productive
basis.  When you sell a steer on the Kansas City market you may receive,
perhaps, $25 and your animal has vanished from you possession; but when
you utilize a milch cow you sell $36 worth of cream in a year and still
own the cow.  Which is the more profitable seems easy of solution.

     Last June the Beatrice Creamery Co. established a cream receiving
station at Wray and in December a second one at Laird.  O.L. Mitten has
chare of the company's creamery interests in this county, and it is his
intention to establish a third cream station at Eckley at an early date.
From the encouragement already bestowed upon the new departure, Mr.
Mitten expects to pay not less than $20,000 for cream in Yuma county
during the current year.  In some seasons of the year, full New York
prices are paid for the cream, and in no month will the price be lower
than four cents less than the New York market, which assures a
profitable price for Yuma county cream.

     It is significant that a large percentage of the new comers from
the East - men who thoroughly understand how profitable the dairy
industry can be made - are outspoken in their appreciation of the
superior dairy opportunities presented by Yuma county and are making
milch cows a prominent feature of their farming operations.

     The compiler of this special edition has investigated the dairy
interests in other Colorado counties and he feels confident that Yuma
county presents profitable dairy conditions that surpass those found in
any other part of the state.  When more of the vast areas of rich
grazing lands in Yuma county is devoted to the creamery industry, it
will add materially to the wealth and progress of this favored portion
of Colorado.

     To the eastern farmer who understands the diary industry and its
benefits, Yuma county presents a magnificent field for engaging in this
occupation extensively and successfully.  With the cheap, productive
lands of this county and its rich grazing ranges it presents easy
possibilities of acquiring in a few years a handsome competence that
would require a life-time to obtain on the high-priced lands of the
East.

[59]=======================================

(Half-page ad)

.. Clothing ..

Hats and Caps, Men's Shoes
Cowboy Boots, Fish Brand Slickers,
The Monarch $1.00 Shirt
"Kazoo" Pants & Corduroys,
Every pair guaranteed not to rip,
Duck and Leather Coats
Underwear and Hosiery,
Overalls, Work Clothes,
Umbrellas, 
Trunks, Telescopes and Dress Cases.

Clothing for the Men of Yuma County . . . 

Have you heard about us? Are you acquainted with us?  
Perhaps not, as we are only a little over a year old.
But we want you to come and see us.  
We can save you money on what you wear.
Having spent eighteen years in Colorado we know the 
needs of the Western man far better than any Eastern merchant.

Low Prices, But High Quality,
is our only Motto.
Your Money Back if Goods are not Entirely Satisfactory.

We carry a complete line of Clothing and Furnishing to 
fit the two-year-old boy or largest man. 
- Suits for the Large Man - Small Man - Fat Man 
   - Slim Man - We can fit YOU!  
We want to sell you your Clothing and your neighbor his Clothing.

Remember we are the only Exclusive Clothing House in Eastern Colorado.

F.M. Sisson & Son, Wray, Colorado

[60]=======================================

Joseph A. Miller

The Postmaster and Pioneer Merchant of Village of Vernon.

(Photo - Residence of Joseph A. Miller, Vernon)

     The above gentleman, who is so well and favorably known, came to
Yuma county at an early day and contributed in no small degree towards
the progress of the community.

     Mr. Miller is a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1840
and grew to manhood on a farm.  On August 2, 1862, he enlisted in the
Union army and had won the rank of Corporal when discharged in August,
1863.  In September, 1864, he enlisted a second time and served until
the end of the war.  He had won the rank of quartermaster sergeant when
mustered out of the army, after taking part in the grand review at
Washington, in June 1865. In the following month the gentleman married
Miss Emma Whitenack and the young couple moved to Iowa to face the stern
realities of life.  Mr. Miller engaged in farming in the Hawkeye State,
but after four years he moved to Nebraska.  He farmed in Nebraska until
1889, when, owing to the impaired health of his wife, he decided to try
the more health-giving climate of Colorado.  He located in that part of
Yuma county which was then a portion of Arapahoe, and filed on pre-
emption and tree claims about twelve miles south-west of Wray, near the
present village of Vernon.  He engaged in farming and stock-raising, in
both of which industries he was very successful, obtaining rich returns
for his labor.  In 1892 the town of Vernon was founded and in the
following year Mr. Miller was appointed postmaster of the new post
office.  At the same time he established a general store in Vernon,
constituting himself the pioneer merchant.  He is still postmaster and
it would be hard to find one who gives more general satisfaction.  A few
months ago he sold his ranch and now he and one of his sons devote their
entire attention to the post office and the growing mercantile business.

     Mr. Miller has taken an active, intelligent part in public affairs,
and for many years he served as justice of the peace, school director
and notary public.  Of course, he is an enthusiastic member of the
G.A.R. and is adjutant of the Vernon post.  While the gentleman has been
exceedingly prosperous in Yuma county, what is of much more importance
is the fact that the climate has fully restored his wife to health and
strength.

     Mr. and Mrs. Miller had ten children, eight of whom survive.  The
popular couple own a very attractive home in the village of Vernon,
where they are passing the evening of life surrounded by every comfort
and enjoying the genuine regards of all who have the pleasure of their
acquaintance.  As a gallant soldier, a kind neighbor and a useful
citizen Mr. Miller has well earned that generous share of the prosperity
and happiness of life in which he is basking.

[61]=======================================

Chester B. Hoppin

Has Made a Success of the Farming and Stock Raising Industries.

     Chester B. Hoppin is a native of Illinois, where he was born in
April 1867.  He was educated in that state and farmed one year when he
went to Maryville, Mo., where he remained two years.  In 1886 the young
man decided to come to the West, where he hoped to find more favorable
conditions for people in moderate circumstances than the East presented.
He located in Yuma county, first filing on a pre-emption claim of 160
acres on the Black Wolf Creek.  Subsequently, when he became of age, he
filed on a homestead of 160 acres, situated nearly eight miles south-
west of Wray, composed of very fertile soil.  He engaged in general
farming and stock raising with an untiring energy and industry met with
a generous recompense.  He not only made extensive improvements on his
homestead, but he bought additional land, making his entire deeded
holdings 400 acres.  He cultivates 100 acres of his deeded land and 160
acres of leased land and he grows large crops of wheat, corn and cane.
He has harvested 1,500 bushels of wheat and an equal quantity of corn in
one year, besides a heavy crop of cane.  The gentleman thoroughly
understands the farming business and his diligent efforts have
accomplished splendid results.  In the stock industry he has been
equally successful and at present he owns ten horses and herd of twenty
cattle.  That portion of Mr. Hoppin's ranch that is situated on the
Black Wolf Creek is exceedingly favorable for the stock business.  There
is an abundance of water and good grazing while the high bluffs and
ravines on either side of the stream constitute a perfect shelter for
stock during stormy weather.  In fact, it presents an ideal location for
the business and is a very valuable property on that account.

     Mr. Hoppin owns a comfortable home, good outbuildings for grain and
stock, and he is well supplied with agricultural implements of all
kinds.

     Mr. Hoppin is still a bachelor and his venerable mother presides
over his home, the object of her dutiful son's tender devotion.  Mr.
Hoppin is greatly esteemed in Yuma county because of his excellent
qualities as an honorable gentleman and useful citizen.

[62]=======================================

(Four ads on this page)

---------------------------------------
Emigrant Barn

Lou C. Blust, Proprietor

Handsome turnouts, Reliable teams and careful drivers.
Our rates are reasonable.  Special attention given to 
care of farmer's teams.  Having purchased the above 
barn and rolling stock a share of your patronage solicited.

Satisfaction guaranteed and courteous treatment assured.

Wray, . . . . . . . Colorado

---------------------------------------
C.T. Grant

East Side of Chief Street,
Wray, Colorado

Dealer in the Best . . .
Wines, Liquors and Cigars
on the market.

---------------------------------------
Valley Livery, Feed and Sale, Stable

R.F. Aten, Proprietor

Teams and Single - Drivers

Are our specialties; Our rates are very reasonable.
Special attention given to feeding farmer's teams.
Horses boarded at reasonable rates.

Give us a trial.
Wray, Colorado

---------------------------------------

Wm. Pyle
- Dealer in -
General Merchandise,
Wray, Colo.
A Large Stock and Good Values Assured

===================================================
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