PUEBLO, Colo., city, county-seat of Pueblo County, and second city in the State, on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Colorado and Southern (Burlington Route), the Denver and Rio Grande, the Missouri Pacific and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific rail roads, also on the Colorado-Kansas Railroad, about 120 miles south by east of Denver. Within its corporate limits are several former villages: North Pueblo, Central Pueblo, South Pueblo and Bessemer. It is in a valley on the eastern foothills of the Greenhorn Range of the Rocky Mountains. The old fort at Pueblo was built about 1840, and here came the agents of the American Fur Company (John Jacob Astor's Company) to trade with the white trappers and Indians for their furs. In 1846 there were 100 white people located here en gaged in raising crops and a real trading post was established in 1850. In 1854 the Ute In dians massacred the residents of the post. In 1859 the present city was laid out, and in 1873 it was chartered as a city. The region of country east is largely devoted to agriculture and stock-raising. In the vicinity of the city are extensive coal and oil fields and deposits of limestone and ores. The silver and copper ores are brought to the smelters of Pueblo ; and lead, gold and zinc are here prepared for the metals of commerce. The iron and steel indus tries have become quite extensive. The Colo rado Fuel and Iron Company (steel plant) have 6,500 employees; the railroad car-shoos and yards, 3,200 employees; the smelters, 2,200; the foundries and other manufactories, 6,000. There are invested in manufacturing industries a capital of about $18,000,000, and the products are about $65,000,000.
The principal public institutions are the State Insane Asylum, Saint Mary's Hospital and Sanatorium (1,000 patients annually), Minnequa Hospital (cost $300,000), and private sanatoriums. There are two systems of public
schools, one on each side of the river; two high schools, public and parish schools (16,000 school children), Loretto Academy, the lan public library with 14,000 volumes, law libraries, school libraries, and the State Mineral Palace and Park. A complete collection of the minerals of Colorado are in the Mineral Palace. The five banks have a combined capital of $800,000 and deposits of over $15,000,000. The government is administered under a special charter, adopted 19 Sept. 1911, amended 4 Nov. 1913 and again on 2 Nov. 1915. The charter provides for three commissioners, who select appointees from lists furnished by a civil service commission, which holds examinations twice a year. The civil service commission sists of three members, who are elected by the people. The police judge and city comptroller are appointed by the civil service commissioners and are not civil service officers. Their term of office is four years. The city clerk, city attorney and city engineer are appointed by the council, which is made up of the three city sioners. They are not protected by civil ice and are appointed for four years. The city commissioners are elected for four years and the civil service commissioners for six years. Elections are biennial; one city missioner is chosen at one election and two at the succeeding election. The city owns two systems of waterworks, which are operated by trustees elected by the residents of those water districts. The large majority of the population are native-born Americans; about 2,000 are Italians; 1,000 are Austrians, and 1,500 are colored. Pop. 73,000. P. A. GRAY, — Secretary of Pueblo Commerce Club.