Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1882-11-07
LETTER FROM COLORADO.
From our regular Correspondent.
GuNNIs.,N CRY, Oct. 10, 1882,

rapid growth and development at this
time iIan that region known az the
Gunnison country, which Les mostly
in, aud contiguous to, territory form,
orly occupied by the Ute Indians. The
country aud town OF Gnnnison were
organized IN 1876, but not until two or
three years laler, When pros prc,ors
fresh from Leadville and San Juan
found rich gold and silver ores, d the
region attract special attention Since
that time over 1000 mines have been
record d, and new discoveries are still
be ne made. The permanent popula-
tion of 500 ephteen months or two
years ago has grown to probab' y more
than $4,000. An assessed valuation
of about 81 100000 was created here
on the borders Of Indian land within
on: year after the rush began. High
ways, upon which daily stages run,
traverse all parts of the country
Seven or eight newspapers appear
weekly in a field totally un"ccnpied
three months ago. How apprecialive
residents are Of good home literature
may hc judged from the TACT that tie
first copies IF three or four leading
j ,urnals sold at from $50 to 500 each
on the day they Wee issued, and
hear $50 freely offered for IA complete
file OF eight to twelve numbers. Sub
stantial churches, school houses, and
county buildings are being erected.
dozen streams are strung for miles
with houses of prosperous ranchmen,
thousands OF cattle, sheep and horses
co The hills, trains Of rich ores are tn
be seen going to the railroad, and
other trains are unloading vast guam
titles II mining machinery aud IL win
ters' supply of groceries
Tie Gun lison country is larger than
some States oil the Union. having an
area Of not less than 10000 square
miles, being 10 mileslong by so IN los
wide The most important part of
this territory is the Elk mount in
range, with Is many spurs and foot
hills. This range is one OF rock
lest of all The Rockies. Great granite
shafts, shot from some mighty bow in
the eartil's centre, have broken aud re.
broken the original surface, until now
there are seven peaks in the range
rising to a height OF $4,000 feet, and
many times that number reaching all
altitude OF $4,000 feet Tissue veins
are here the characteristic deposit, and
these are reinforced by vast beds OF
coal aud iron. The principal streams
are the Gunnison. Uncompahgre, Go.
chetopa, Tamicli, Rock, Roaring Fork
and Slate, with their smaller trlbuta-
ries, all emptying into the Rio Coora-
tio. The Gunnison Is not an agricul-
tural country, but with Irrigation much
can be done in this direction. For
stock raising purposes there are large
areas of perennial pasturage. where
bunch grass aud other varieties furnish
the richest Of grazing. Gunnson City
is the largest and most important
town, though Ptkin, Red Bluff, Tin
Cup, and half dozen other places are
quite respectable settlements, which
never could have existed had the ltes
remained in possession OF this terri
tory.
The Gunnison country may we'll be
termed "Our west West" Tins, too,
in face OF the fact that its entire boun-
dairy lines within twenty miles of dis
trlcts which have been important pro-
duce,s of the precious metals for from
twelve to twenty years. Next door
10 civilization, easy of access, fairly |
safe and open to development as il now
Is. IL deserves such fragments of his
tony as we can at this period gather.
In The early days of Rocky mountain
this whole re non was
vaguely defined as the Grand River
country its fine stream, now called
being then known as the
South Fork of tue Grand. Our earli-
rst tangible knowledge of its geogra.
ply aud probable utility comes from
G"vegnor Wan. Gilpin, who, in 1915,
a II ere STRIPPING, returned from Oregon
10 St. Louis, crossing its entire length
',om west to east. Crossing southern
Utah by one Of the old Spanish trails.
lis course then lay through the valleys
# the South Foya of the Grand and
'nconpahgre rivers, thence over Co.
n