Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-04-13
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

ing survey OF branch line OF road
proposed to be built from Sidney, Ne
braska. into eastern Wyoming by way
of Crawford, Nebraska. This extern
sion is planned to secure the stock and
farm shipments from the valley OF the
North Platte In western Nebraska and
eastern Wyoming as against the Bur
lington system, which has a corps of
surveyors in the field surveying pro-
posed line into the district from Brush,
Colorado. The district has u number
Of prosperous towns which have been
built up without railway communica-
tion, which will be connected with out
side markets should the proposed lines
be built.
At the executive meeting of the Sol.
dIers' Aid Society OF Denver held Fri
day It was decided after much delib-,
GRAFTON that the funds Of the orgnniza-
ton would not permit 1t to continue
after the period stated, and the board
has resolved not to ask for any more
funds which have been contributed by
popular subscription since 1t was or
ganized last spring. The treasurer re-
ported that from the first day OF the
society's organization up to date the
total receipts received were $7,57S,
with balance. in the treasury ut pres
ent OF $50. The society has Mt pres
ent thirty-four families on the benefic-
larry list. The care of these families
will be transferred to some OF the char
ity organizations which have express
ed n willingness to assist as much as
possible. ...
The annual meeting of the Utah
Wool Growers Association was held mt
Salt Lake on the 9th Ind was well ut
there was nn extended discussion on
the proposition OF the railroad COM
panies Of the TrnnsmissOuri Freight
Association to abolish the feed-in-
transit rates on live stock. Resolutions
were adopted protesting against the or
der recently issued nbollshing the priv
ilege May 25th, and the association
announced that 1t would stand by the
line that succeeded In breaking this
agreement, to the extent Of throwing
the bulk OF Its shipments to such road.
Local railroad lines nre standing with
the stockmen In their effort TO prevent
the withdrawal Of this rate next month,
md 1t Is said that Its withdrawal prac-
tically means an advance In nll live
stock from SIS to $25 per car.
The Ice gorges In the North Platte
this season are Unprecedented. That
at the Cheyenne and Northern bridge,
mile south of Orrin Junction, is on n
level with the track. Superintendent
Rasbock has sent out force OF men
with dynamite to blast 1t away. The
bridge built over the Platte last season
by the Platte Valley Sheep Company.
of which Governor Richards IL presi-
dent. has already been partially
wrecked by gorged ice, and Its total
destruction Is said to be inevitable.
Higher up the river, at Fairbanks. the
county commissioners have had men Mt
work for a week fighting the forma-
tion of n gorge. and they nre now there
personally superintending the work.
This latter bridge IL of vital import
ance. ms II connects the iron mines at
Hartville with the Cheyenne & North
ern railroad Mt Badger, over which the
teams are hauling ore.
The removal of United States troops
from camp Pilot Buttes nt Rock
Springs, Wyoming, causes considerable
apprehension among citizens Of that
place. The troops were stationed here
In accordance with m agreement with
the Chinese government. following the
Chinese massacre of 1885. for the pro-
lection of the Chinese miners employed
In The mines here. There are more
laborers employed In the mines here,
for whom there Is no love shown by
the other nntionallties employed. The
presence of troops Inns prevented any
serious demonstrations against the
Chinks, although scarcely day passed
without one or more Of them having
their cues clipped OF or getting beat
Ing. 1t Is feared that, under the in
fiuencc of drink, raid may be started
against the Chinese quarter, which
without the restraining Influence of the
troops may be serious affair. Efforts
are being made to have the War De
pnrtment replace the detachment of
troops recently removed with others.
Fl G, p. Hoyt. the newly appointed war;
den of the Colorado penitentiary, says:
''As the Legislature has given the
state penitentiary only $145,OO0, which
Is 100000 less than Is necessary to op-
crate that institution for the next two
years, 1t will be necessary for me to
put the prisoners to work. There are
about 600 convicts at the penitentiary,
and they must be self-supporting. In
nv opinion 1t Is absolutely cruel to
keep prisoners in idleness. They should
be made self-suppOrting, and be put
TO work at something that will bring
in n revenue. There are many indus
tries these men can engage IN without
competing with any private enter
prses. l would rather TAKE care OF
1000 prisoners who are working than
100 idle ones, there Is so much differ
ence in their dispositions. The state
reformntory nt Bucna Vista will utilize
its appropriation of $500 for building
this year, and l will put many con-
vlcts mt work cutting the stone that
will be used. Others will make the
lime used in the reformatory addition.
In governing the prisoners Mt the peni-
tentinry shall favor corporal punish
ment, as l have always done. l am
not at NIL in favor of the ancient prac-
tIce of using the ball and chain. / find
corporal punishment is much more ef-
fectiye. 1t Is the best method, in my
opInion, of maintaining discipline, so