Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-02-02
OH Stree Dress.
BEYOND THE RANGE,
A Pleasant Letter from n former Bur-
lingiOninn, who followed Horace
Grcclcy's advicc-KcsOurccs OF Color
adO-sOmc College "Reminiscences.
GEASD JUNCTION, COL, Jan, 1888.


GRAND JUNCTION, COL, Jan, 1888.
To the Editor Of the Free Press AMI Times.
Your readers may or may rot have hear
of this new region of Colorado, where $
lately the Ute held undisputod sway. Yo
have all heard of the Ute aud his horribl
outragcs such as the Meckcr massacre, an
otheis-tn which your attention has bee
again and again directed by the recent dc
cease of the unfortunate josie Mcckcr, VIII,
was carried into captivity among the savage
and suffered such wrong as the min,
reyolts from contemplating. Blu. doub
very much whether you have heard of thu
country in its newer phascs-undcr the sway
OF the non horse the telegraph aud western
push and CGcrgy. Grand Junction, the new
metropolis of the Western slope, lies at tho
junction of the Gunnison and Grand rivers
in the extreme western portion of Gunnison
County, Col, but II short distance from the
Utah boundary. The town is really not yet
a year old though the site was selected a
year and n half since. The city has now
seven hundred souls, and good judges esti-
mate the population year hence at 5000.
Choice lots are selling nj $500, and although
the cold season is upon us real estate 10 ac-
tive aud men are showing their faith by their
works-n investing against the rush that Is
sure TO come this spring.
The question arises at once and very prop
erly, what is there at Grand Junction to build
and maintain town In the first place the
city lies in valley as broad and fair as ever
the sun shOnc over. Here are thousands of
acres of the finest farming land on earth
all open to the preemptor and promising the
richest returns. Thirteen hundred pre-
emptOns are filed in the Government land
Office representing POS, 900 acres already
occupied, needs no further comment as our
source OF wealth. Then, too if YOU will
take down your map and trace the Grand
towards its head, you will see that the entire
valley and all the tributary valleys must pour
their united wealth into Grand junction
as the centre of this section. Why must
this be SO Simply because the back bone
of the continent lies Just to the east and even
with the marvellous narrow gauge railroad,
which has climbed nearly every heretofore
inaccessible range of the Rockes-cvcn with
this means of transportation, still the
natural trend Of business will he down the |
river to Grand Junction, where the farmer
will find himself within eight hous ride of |
the great Carbonate Camp, Iealvile, or
within twenly-four hours' ride Of Denver. If |
he should choose to go the other way he is |
also in direct communication with Salt Lake |
City and Ogden, and hence with the Union |
Pacific and Central Pacific railroads.
This is all secured by the energy and push of |
the Denver and Rio Grande railroad, which
is already beyond here lar towards Green
river and will he at Ogden by Mach. So
much IN brief abou, the agricultural lossibil-
tiles of the valley.
Within mile of the town site are great
beds of coal, from the Uwawcep can N to
the southwest, and from southern Utah
come rumors Of rich mines of gold, silver
and copper only recently discovered. If
these develop as is likely, smcltcis will lie
erected at this point. About the bed Of the
Grand are abundant indications of coal oil
for shich vigorous prospecting is going on
now. The Denver and Rio Grande will
make this the end of division of the rail.
road AMI will erect here the round houses,
etc.
could 20 on indefinitely with h, S, de-
tails but will spare YOU any more dry facts
alone.
reached this place only few days since
and the evening after my arrival was boast
ing that | was the only Ncrmonter in the
camp. 4 by,tnndcr said he guessed not, for
there was one down on Colorado avenue
keeping II drug store proceeded at once
in that direction and soon discovered the
place Of business 1t WAS "A log cabin about
seven lons HIGH with dirt roof and niece
of cotton cloth nailed above. very ricketv
looking door on which was scraw lrd, cyi.
IDENTITY by an amateur painter. "Drug
Store"
entered and looked around. The walls ,
were covered with cotton cloth aud orna. ,
mcntcd with some very dilapidated looking
pine shelves, on which were displayed to {
the best possible advantage Warmers Safe
Kidney and Liver Cure. lost. jacobs ON" ,
and the thing that told him "A NcrmonttrI
Ginger"
Ii was cold day and walked IN to the
stove, if stove it could be called. for it was
made of the smoke stack of a defunct s,eun
engine, with the fire built in the inverted
funnel and the pipe serving as flue. | saw
no one | knew but leard voices lehind the
or curtain across the rear Of the
store.
Out from this room now stepped man
whom had last seen in the full glory of a {
senior silk hat. a rosewood cane and a q
spring girl. In spite of his changed gnrb, q
unshaycn face and SLOUGH hat | rec, nilcd c
him at once. '''''N' q
"IIello, Nj" said |.
A puzzled look came over his face and n /
very doubtful "hcllon in reply,
walked IN to him when his eve caught ,
sight of college society badge. and his face l
cleared at once and as quickly clouded s
again.
81 know that Ladge,n said lie. .you arc l
L. V. NJ. man. hut III be BANKED if | can !
call your name"
When | had fully made mys.lf KIN ,wn the
first oyprcssion was GLOW in creation did |
YOU ever ret ont here ~ II was n nieasani I
surprisc 10 ms b,th Twen,v.fvr hundred 7
miles from the old college ma The good neo.
Die of Burlington. We sat down and had l