Greeley is now a town of some seven thousand inhabitants; the seat of the State Normal College, which its president, Dr. Z. X. Snyder, has made one of the great educational institutions, not only of Colorado, but of the United States; a college that draws students from almost every section, even from New England, so able is President Snyder's course of instruction and so admirable are the opportunities it affords for subsequent connection with the fine public school system in Colorado. A position in any of these offers a higher salary than can be obtained in the East, to say nothing of many other advantages associated with the work. Dr. Snyder was one of the eminent educators of the East; and when some sixteen years since he accepted his present responsible office, he brought to it the best traditions of Eastern culture and united them with the zeal and freedom and infinite energy of the West. The Normal campus of forty acres on high ground, overlooking the town, with President Snyder's residence in the grounds and other college buildings near, comprise a beautiful feature of Greeley. The western view, both from the college and from the home of President and Mrs. Snyder, over the mountain range including Long's Peak, is one of almost incomparable beauty. The faculty of the State Normal comprises thirty specialists; there is a library of thirty thousand volumes; the laboratory has the latest scientific equipment of the day; the art department and the music course are admirably conducted; French, German, and Italian are taught according to the latest language methods; and athletics, domestic science, nature studies, all receive due recognition. The "Training School" of the State Normal College has an attendance of nearly five hundred, and the graduates of this institution begin work on salaries ranging from five hundred to twenty-five hundred dollars annually. The tuition is free to all citizens of Colorado.
The many churches, the excellent public schools, the clubs and societies for social enjoyment and improvement, indicate the high quality of life in Greeley. There are three newspapers; and of these the "Greeley Tribune," founded by Mr. Meeker and now under the able editorship of Mr. C. H. Wolfe, has created for itself more than a local reputation. Financially, Greeley stands well, with its several banks and its solidity of resources.
There is hardly a shabby house to be found in all the town, whether of residence or business. Every building has a neat and thrifty aspect, and the art of architecture has been especially studied, for almost without exception every house, whether large or small, is tasteful and attractive. A bay window is thrown out here, a little balcony there, a piazza, a loggia, an oriel window, and the eye is gratified. But, besides this dainty and tasteful architecture, the one great feature of Greeley is her beautiful streets. These are due directly to the taste and the direction of the founder, Mr. Meeker. The streets are one hundred feet wide, lined invariably—every street in the town—with a double row of shade trees, giving coolness, beauty, and contributing much to the modification of the temperature. Every deed granted in Greeley forbids the sale of any intoxicating liquor. There is not a saloon in the place. There is not a loafer or a criminal, nor are there any poor in the unfortunate sense of the large cities. No police are needed. The jail is locally known as a mere ornamental appendage to the fine forty thousand dollar courthouse.
For many years it has been felt that some expression should be made in honor of the memory of the founder of Greeley, and this has now taken form in the project for the "Meeker Memorial Library," which is in preparation. The beautiful young city is itself, however, the best memorial of its noble founder. It is a living monument of perpetually increasing greatness and beauty; and who to-day can wander under the shade of the beautiful trees which in a double row line every street and boulevard—trees planted in 1870 under Mr. Meeker's personal superintendence—without hearing amid the rustle of their whispering leaves the poet's words, that fall like a benediction:
"Be of good cheer, brave spirit; steadfastly
Serve that low whisper thou hast served; for know,
God hath a select family of sons
Now scattered wide thro' earth, and each alone,
Who are thy spiritual kindred, and each one
By constant service to that inward law,