The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1892-06-24
WESTERN COLORADO.


y
The third meeting OF the Western Colorado
Congress took place at Ouray, beginning on
the l4Lh. The town was decorated In an at
tractive manner and the citizens cxerted
themselves to the utmost to please their
guests. Fifty members Of the reception COM
mittee were at the dep8t with hacks md car
riaEes Va Escort them to their hotels, and the
Streets were soon throngcd to almost impasss-
billty. Among the guests were President
Jeffrey Of the Rio Grande and Otto Mcars.
At / O'Clock the miners drilling contest
was announced to commence, and the crowd
surged in the direction of Ohlwiler's park,
where large stand had been erected and i'm
mense blocks OF Gunnlson granite and other
hard rock placed thereon, to be drilled by the
experts. The prizes offered aggregate $500,
At 8 O'Clock the drilling contest ended, aud
the prizes were awarded as follows First to
Donavan and Braley; second to Mannion and
Lynch, and the single-handed prize to Al.
Lindquist Following are the number Of
Inches drilled by each In fifteen minutes, the
allotted time:
Doublc-Mannion and Lynch % 3.26;
Donovan and Bradley, % 7,10, Kennedy and
Hill, 81 S.i0, LaPiant and Mooney, 22h;
Reagan and Jones, 22SS ;Lindquist and Croth-
ers, 2ah.
Single Misunderstanding, i4as; Brown,
ION; Billisback, 1lsi; Farsman, IA 7-l8;
Johnston, 1917; Anderson, l2 $40; G. F.
Lindquist, 11A; A. l.. Lindquist, IA.
The first session Of the congress opened at
8 o'clock and addresses of welcome were
made, responded to by the president, Judge
Theron Stevens.
The next morning the committee on credcn-
tials reported, and handsome badges were dis.
tributed to the delegates,
After the report " other committees, Hon.
| G. L. Hall Of Onray was introduced, and spoke
Tor mn hour on the subject Of mining and
free coinage. Mr.. Halls speech was received
with great enthusiasm and he was given
vote Of thanks ut the close. A resolution In.
dorsing the free coinage Of silver was read
and passed.
| Rev. O. 4. Ostcnson OF Grand Junction
nett read paper which was replcte In stats-
ties, showing all the great resources OF the
San Juan country. 1t was very able docu-
ment and n resolution praislng 1t highly was
passed by the congress.
| President Jeffrey being called upon spoke
|
which he called attention to the mutual In
tcrests OF the railroads and the citizens. He
also spoke Of the lowering Of freight rates
| during the last twenty years.
Judge John Bell Of Montrosc then spoke al
length on the subject Of railroads, and pre-
sented In an able manner the opposite side
from that taken by Mr.. Jeffcry. He said that
when the interstate railroad law was In effect
| In this state the Western slope prospcred and
| nourished as Il never had before, and never
has since and never will until II becomes In
force again. He showed how the population
Of Montrose county was dwindllng away, and
said that thousands Of tons Of alfalfa and
thousands Of bushels Of potatoes were rottlng
and going to waste because the farmers could
not pay the freight rate asked by the railroad
to take them to market. This he attributed
largely to the pooling arrangement the Den
yer Il Rio Grandc road has, or is supposed to
have, with the Midland.
Judge Bell was followed by delegates from
Grand JuntIon, 0uray and many other locali-
ties, who said their section Of the county had
kicks to make because Of discrimination
against them and In favor OF Denver
The railroad g ....u would not down. and
% .,.nued the subject Of discussion the entire
afternoon session until adj ournmcnt After
half the delegation present had turned It
over from their point OF view and the kicks
from all sections seemed 10 be about all 10,
President Jefiery again took the floor and
spoke In answer TO the grievances which had
been presented. lie said that the matters
brought out from Montrose and Grand Juno
ton seemed to him TO be Just causes for com
plant; that he had never heard Of them be.
fore, but would Immediately proceed to inves-
tIgntc them and would see that II such
wrongs actually existed they should he rightcd
at once. lie desired to treat the people, high
and low, rich or poor, from one locality OF
another, with respect and attention, and only
asked for his road the same rights and priyi.
leges which II should accord 10 the people
His promise was received with great saiisfac-
tion.
At the evening session the resolution APP
proprlating $500 for the purpose Of endcavor.
Ing to enforce the Interstate commerce law In
Colorado Was passed after much discussion
pro and con, As was also the anti.pool resoiu.
tion offered by Colonel Brown at the las, scs
sion OF the Congress at Aspen.
Hon. II. II. Eddy delivered an address on
The cattle industry.
Mr. Eddy gave the following interesting
statistics:
In ls,6 the four counties embracing then
the Western slope were assessed rs follows
Horses 5i5, valuation tst,0l5; ca,il. ana,
valuation t45,s,5; sheep $3.50, valuation
ta,G'a. In 1891 the Western slope embraced
eighteen couniie. and was assessed; IIorses
h5,6ao, valuation q ,6as,g s9; cattle eG9,i1
valuation ti,di9, $50; sheep &, s9a, valuation
t,s,tCs.
The western slope Of Colorado contain. ~.
600 square miles 81 territory. II Is two
thirds as large As England, Larger than Scot
land and a, large rs ircl,nd. There are In.
cludci In 1t twice n. many miles a. Denmark
possesses, and Denmark supports popula.
tlon Of a,is5,i59
Al the Thursday morning session u re>oiu.
tlon was passed indorsing Grand Junction n.
II site for n smelling plant. DR.. ". ". Roam
Of ouray, delivered an address on .Profcs.
| sIonal Men Of Colorado" The address was
characteristic II the doctor ani drew round.
u applause, Judge John Gray Of Monsso,c,
then read paper upon agriculture aud horti.
culture, aud Major y, H. Cooper Of Cor,cs.
| delivered an address on the resources mud
productions OF Mon'eruma county, which
was rcplrir with valuable information.
The congress rrasscmbled at . y, M. and
the subject 81 public park. aud forest reserve.
was taken UP and discussed Mt length. The
| proposed reserves now being under consiiera.
ilon by the United States government for
establishment IN Colorado were bitterly on.
posed by u majority ~ the delegates aud
speeches relative To the matter we're made by
w. II. Eddy. Adair Wilson aud many Others,
A resolution was finally passed placing the
congress On record as being opposed and rn.
tifcly against the establishment by the gov.
crnmcn, In Colorfi Of any r'.sryr whatever.
| A pounmitirr was apponlsd Ia confer with