The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-07-15
DRIFTING AWAY.

ton in Colorado in the night. 1t
is just as well that the tourist and
sight-seer should not be completely
Frustrated by dreary scenery. There
is enough of the monotOnous kind
between Castle Canyon and Lower
Price River crossing to satisfy any
| body VINO is rot swine. There are
last three interesting objects be-
tween the point just mentioned and
Grand Junction. and these are
G. cen River, the Roam Mountains
and Grand River. a very fair view
! of the mountains is obtained from
Castle Valley. The rivers are noble
stTeams-mucht the larger rivers in
the West, and in fact the only ones
that are entitled to be called rivers.
It's a pity they do not dow through
country that could be made uss-
| full in some other way than as banks
LOT the rivers. Grand JUNCTION is
| destined to become the great town
| of Western Colorado. 1t is charm
liDgly situated at the junction Of
the Grand and Gunnison, and while
litis surrounded and hedgei about by
mountains, it is il the centre of a
vast mineral, agricultural and graz
ing district, and if maps indicate
anything, another railway line will
touch at Grand Junction one of
these days. For fifty miles south
east of Grand Junction, the railway
follows the east bank OF the Ganni-
son. By the way, Gunnison is no
insignificant brook, but for ali this
distance is a rapid, rolling. seethlng
fl BOD of muddy water, two or three
times as large as oar own
raging Jordan. 1t has its
source somewhere over in Middle
Colorado, and is fed by score or
more canyon streams, forming a
drain for wide scope OF mountain
Gus country. Canals and irrigating
bitches convey water from the Gun
nisOn to many new farms and re-
cent clearingS along its banks. 1t
may here be- remarked that artifc-
ial irrigation is resorted to in both
Colorado and New Mexico, but in
neither has the system reached the
high stale of perfection arrived at
lin Utah. The Centennial State is
fast coming into our way of furnish
ing growing crops with the neceS-
saEy moisture, but it will virtually be
lsome years before the system OF
lcsnals and bitches becomes general,
and the Colorado agriculturlst be in
a position to depend upon artificial
irrigation with the confidence nov
enjoyed by the U tab farmer. Wher
the time does arrive our Utah
granger will have to struggle even
harder than he does to-day to VIII
subsistence from lie soil, for his
market will nece aaIily be mar.
! rOWed, and the competition lively
colorado seems "a undantly sup
| piled with water. This is especially
true of the western part oil the state
where broad valleys Of rich virgin
lsoil are awaiting the hands of the
husbandmaN to make them yielC
grain and vegetables to feed a king
dom. The Uncompahgre valley
alone, which until a few months
ago belonged to the Indians and was
one Of their herding grounds, il
capable of feeding 100000 people
lSuch a valley in Utah, with it,
grand opportunities for irrigation
would soon be noted for its pro
ductiveness and wealth. 1t was il
this valley, on the banks of the
Uncompahgre River, three Or foul
miles only from MOntr0se station
that the late lamented coed Indial
OuTay lived and ruled his natioI
and titled his farm. The old chief
mansion, barns, servants quarters
outhOuses and corral5 remain as h.
left them when he passed to TIT
happy hunting grounds. The farm
is a broad tract of rich arabic ant
meadow land, substantially fenced
and portions set aside for gaIdel
patches and convenient cattl
pastures. 1t was no inSlgnlfcan
house that the chief occupied, bu
a Well-built one-stOry dwelling
that is in every respect better thar
many hardWorking and compar
atlvely thrifty farmers can claim
His heWers Of wood and drawers 0
water were poor Mexicans, or NOR
properly ''greasers, for whom com
Portable quarters were provided il
the shape of low, flat-roofed adob
huts, such as are common amOn
the Mexicans Of Colorado, NeN
Mexico and Arizona. Here Oura.
lived like rich country gentleman
loving, and enjoying the love an
confidence Of Chipeta. They dreSse
in the clothes of civilization
sat on chairs, ate from table
rode in their own carriage, benin
their own span, and were altogethe
respectable and Weli-behayed PEG
pie. Ouray was tn friend Of th
whites and his influence was eve
for good. Many " hite man owe
his life to the humane spirit Of th
old caieftain, Who,if he were not a
WAYS able to restrain his' braves, dl
at least check many OF their IL
tended murderous raids and kes
them in frLn subsection, c0nsiderln
that they were one OF the most ban
. barols and warlike nations. 1t
8 said that Chipeta, like some high
e. civilized Christian wive with the
husbands, sometimes Subjscte
Ouray to pretty severe curtain le
! ID E,-r