South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-11-03
Letter from Colorado.
Special Corrcsposdeace.
Gusx,soS CITY. Cor . Oct /

GUSNlsoS CITY, Coz Oct ID.
MR- HARPER No part of Colora-
do Is attracting more attention or
experiencing more rapid growth and
development at this time than that
region known as the Gunnison coun-
try, which lies mostly In, and contin-
guous TO, territory formerly occupied
by the Ute Indians. The county nd
town Of Gunnison were organized in
1876, but not until two or three years
later, when prospectors fires b from
LeadviIle and San Juan found rich
gold and silver ores.did the region at
tract special attention. Since that
time over seven thousand mines have
been recorded, and new discoveries
are still being made. The perman-
ent population OF five hundred eigh.
teen months or two years ago has
grown to probably more than fifteen
thousand. An assessed valuation of
about one million dollars was created
here on the borders Of Indian land
within one year after the rush began.
Highways, upon which daily stages
run, traverse all parts of the country.
Seven or eight newspapers appear
weekly in field totally unoccupied
three months ago. How apprecia.
tive residents ale OF good home lit.
erature may be judged from the fact
that the first copies of three or four
leading journals sold at from $50 to
one hundred dollars each on the day
they were issued, and l hear $50
freely offered for complete file of
eight to twelve numbers. Substan-
tial churches, school houses, and coun-
ty buildings are being erected. A
| dozen streams are strung for miles
with houses OF prosperous ranchmen,
thousands OF cattle, sheep and horses
dot the hills, trains Of rich ores are to
be seen going to the railroad, and
other trains are unloading vast guam.
titles OF mining machinery and win
ters' supply OF groceries.
The Gunnlson country is larger
than some States of the Union, hav.
ing an area of not less than ten thou.
sand square miles, being 10 miles
long by so miles wide. The most
important part OF this territory is the
Elk mountain range, with its many
spurs and foot hills. This range is
one of the rockiest of all the Rockies.
Great granite shafts, sho. from some
mighty bow i'll the earth's centre,
have broken and re-broken the orr.
ginal surface, until now there are SC.
ven peaks in the range rising to n
height OF 1900 feet, and ma.
ny times that number reaching an al
titude or twelve thousand feet. Fis-
sure veins are hero the character is
deposit, and these are reinforced By
vast beds of coal and iron. The prin
| cipal streams are the Gunnison, I'm
compahgre, Cochetopa, Tumchi,
Rock, Roaring Fork and Slate, with
heir smaller tributaries, all empty
ing into the Rio Colorado. The Gun.
ni5on Is not an agricultural country,
but with irrigation much can be done
III this direction. For stock raising
purposes there are large areas of pc
renilial pasturage, where bunch grass
and other varieties furnish the richest
of grazing. Gunnison City is the
largest and most important town,
though Pltkin, Red Bluff, Tin Cup,
and half dozen other places are
quite respectable settlements, which
never could have existed bad the
Utes remainded in possession Of this
territory.
The Gunnison country may we'll
be termed Our newest West This.
too, in face of the fact that its entire
eastern boundary lies within 90 miles of
districts which have been important
producers of the precious metals for
from twelve to twenty years. Next
door to civilization, easy OF access,
fairly safe and open to development
as j now is, it deserves such frag-
ments of history 9s we can at this
period gather In the early days OF
Rocky mountain exploration this
whole region was vaguely defined az
'thc Grand River country ITS fine
stream, now called Guunison. being
then known as the South Fork of
the Grand. Our earliest tangible
knowledge of its geography and pro-
bal lie utility comes from Governor
VIM. Gilpin, who, in 1S45, a mere
stripping, returned from Oregon to
st Louis. crossing its entire length
from west to east. Crossing southern
Utah by one OF the old Spanish trails,
his course then lay through the val
leys Of the South Fork OF the Grand
and Uucompahgrc Rivers, thence o r.
yer Cochetopa Pass, at the southcas.
tern rim OF the Guunison country,
and thence 10 Bcnts old fort ON the
Arkansas. lie was enthusiastic in
his description Of the valleys aud tic
country generally, and although pur.
sued at intervals for one hundred
miles by savaUcs. embodied his