The Elk Mountain pilot., 1882-01-12

luz UlE UVUNlNl.
| A Rush Of Settlers md Railroads Into the
Glorious Country Just Evacuated BY
The Ute Indians
Cor. Louisville CourierJonrnal]
GRAND JUNCTION, Gunnison coun-
ty, Colorado, December I5.-This
three weeks old town is located at
the junction of the Gunnison and
Grand rivers, and is one of four new
ones just started in the late Ute In
dian reservation. the opening of
which to settlers is almost equivalent
to the discovery of another world.
There are about II 1880, 900 acres of
this domain which is rich beyond
measure in al the natural resources
that go to make up a self-supporting,
prosperous and happy country. This
vast empire will, in few months, be
formally declared open to settlement
by a proclamation of the President,
but the Chief Executivei is being antic-
ipated; and at this time large areas
within its limits are being occupied
by industrious agriculturalists. They
are bringing with them their house.
holds, herds and flocks, and propose
making this the New Arcadia.
Surely this country contains all the
elements of fair and happy land.
The Ute Indian reservation occupied
very large part of the western halt
of the State of Colorado. The In
dians are at last gone forever, thanks
to Gen. Mckenzie and his gallant
officers and soldiers, who have Just
completed the task of removing them
to Utah. There are now none to mo-
lest, or make afraid. The white set
tier may literally sit under his own
vine and shade tree. The late reser-
vation embraces about 20, 900 square
| miles. Its waters flow to the Pacific.
sh BY sf { o:|s :4sos g 9irzd,v fiv'er; con-
sequeit'y it slopes to the west and
southwest. After the streams are
free from the mountain ranges they
widen to greater volumes, and pass
through grand mesas and broad val
leys; hence the commingling of the
rich mineral districts with the choice
agricultural and pastoral regions. The
Gunnison, Grand, Uncompahgre, DOL
ores, San Miguel, La Plata, White
river and their tributaries comprise
the main valleys, which some day not
far in the future will equal, and in
some respects be superior to, the Cum
berland, the Wabash and the Miami
for agricultural products. Until this
fall this country was occupied by the
Indians. 1twas, as they fondly hoped,
their permanent home, and they re-
luctantly left it to return no more.
Not all these Indians were irreclaim-
able savages. Some made fair pro-
gress toward rude civilization, and
Chief Shavaneux personally engaged
in tilling the soil. At the military
cantonment, more than a mile from
the river, at the Los Pinos agency,
and on Chief Ouray's place, were
grown all the ordinary vegetables, in
Guiding tomatoes and watermelons ;
also corn, wheat and oats. Without
doubt the natural conditions of the
soil and climate are such in these vail
leys that peaches, grapes and all other
fruits grown in Kentucky will succeed
here.
STOCK RANGES.
During six months of the year, be-
ginning with May, the stock range is
excellent in the mountains and foot:
hills thereafter stock is moved be.
low, where it can Craze all winter.
MINERALS.
The area Of mineral lands embrace
several thousand square miles, the
major part of which has not yet been
prospected, but its mineral locations
are already numbered by the thou
sands. Some of the mineral deposits
are phenomenally rich. The gold
quartz deposits of the San Maguel are
among them. A beginning has only
just been made in this country: the
| Indians harofoforo l1o.l..l1 ~ =,