The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1881-12-22
FROM rHs eusH1sos COUNTRY.
10 the Editor Of the Eagle:

TO the Editor Of the Edg<:
IRWIN. CAMP RUBY, Gunnison Co.,
Colorado, December 10th. 1881.
Since the election IL over, and Sedgwick
county Is restored to her wonted quietude,
l thought perhaps 1t might be of interest to
your readers to know something OF the Won
derful changes which are being wrought in
this country. When last wrote you this
was, comparatively speaking, bowling will
derness but this has passed away, and in its
place We lave those modern improvements,
the railway, the telegraph and the telephone.
One year ago and the end of the track OF the
Denver & Rio Grande was more than q hun
dred miles distant, and over almost impassi-
BILE mountains. To-day it is only eight miles
from Irwin, at Cedar Butte, which place the
first passenger train entered on the 25th OF
last month. Irwin is connected with Crested
Butte both by telegraph and telephone. Bar
low Il Sanderson run daily stage line be-
tween Irwin and the railway. They who
have been chased from the Missouri river by
the iron horse are nearer being corralcd this
winter than ever they were.
While the Denver & Rio Grande have been
pushing across the Marshall pass, anu down
the Gunnison or Utah, during the past sum-
mer, the Denver, South Park Il Pacific part
Of the Gould system,) has been blocked at
the Alpine tunnel for more than year.
They having accomplished the herculean
task Of piercing the back bone Of America,
they are now making rapid strides to over
take this fast recediBg rival. The D., S. z.
& p. viii be at Gunnison City within the
next sixty days, while the Denver & Rio
Grande, the pride of Colorado, will be well
on its course to Salt Lake City. They hav-
ing reached the lower valley of the Gunni-
son, will be able to push on during the VIM
ter months.
As is usually the case, a vast immigration
has preceded the building of the road, and
this time, in spite Of the fact that the settlers
reservation, it is said that every foot of avail
able land fit for ranches has already been
taken up on the Gunnison, Grande and Rio
Dolores.
At the junction of the Gunnison and
Grande ditch company has some valuable
land. This ditch company is formed of some
parties from Ruby, and some from Gunnison
City. Prominent among the latter is ex-
Governor Crawford, of Kansas, he of "gen-
tie zephyr" fame.
A year ago the Ute reservation was as an
unopened book. But two or three explor-
ing parties had entered its boundaries,
hence, on the opening of the spring of 1881,
the country was filed with eager crowds Of
prospectors, who were all 'bound for the
reservation" 1t was yeritable "Oklahoma
BOOM" only there were no United States
soldiers to hinder the boomers.
The past eighteen months has shown the
future Of the Gunnison country to be one Of
the richest mineral and coal countries in the
United States. Here there are. not only
rich deposits of gold and silver, but vast
bodies Of iron and both bituminOus and an
thracite coal, than which there is no supe-
rior in the known world; and last, but not
least. party near Irwin are boring near Ir.
win for petroleum. The indications are of
of the most fiattering character, and the in
tention is to sink 1900 feet, unless the de-
sired quantum is found at a less depth.
Near Irwin, but in the reservation, there
have been some very valuable anthracite coal
mines opened. which are sufficient in guam
tity and quality to supply the markets of the
western half Of the United States. Part OF
these mines are held by individuals, and ,ch
of the above mentioned railways have Sc
cured tracts OF it. At Crested Butte the d.
& X. G.. X. r. is operating some very fine
banks OF bituminous coal, and the product
finds ready sale both in Denver and Lead
vile, competing with the Goals Of the east
ern portion of the State. The coke from the
Crested Butte bituminous is very fine, and
has been shipped to Leadville by wagon for
two years for smelling purposes.
While the ID. & II. G. and d. & S. p. are
pushing westward, the Denver & New Or
leans has been getting under Roadway to
build in the opposite direction. This is an
other project Of a man commonly called
Gould. The scheme is to build road down
the Arkansas valley from Pueblo to the
mouth thence to New Orleans, as its name
would indicate. As this road would give a
connection with the mountains for
Sedgwick county, it might be well for the
nagnates Of the county to look the matter
up. NJ. X. DAVIS.