The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-04-25
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

The Rocky Mountain News on the
18th said: 1t was reliably learned last
evening that deal was closed in New
York on last Saturday whereby the
Midland Terminal Railway Company,
the Florence & Cripple Creek railway
and the Florence Reduction Works at
Florence had been sold to London
syndicate for SS,0O0,OOO. The deal has
been on foot for the last six months
and was consummated in New York
on Saturday by Messrs. ID. III. Moffat
and Eben Smith. Details of the deal
are meager, but it is intimated that it
means great deal for Denver. as 1t is
thought the syndicate will build the
long contemplated air line to Denver.
connecting with the Midland Terminal
near Divide and Colorado Springs will
thereby be cut out of large amount OF
business from the Cripple Creek dis
trict. The Florence & Cripple Creek
road extends from Florence to Cripple
Creek. 1t has paid large profits since
the day it was built. Mr. Moffat and
his associates are reputed to have taken
out of it about all that it cost them.
The Midland Terminal extends from
Cripple Creek north to Divide and is
about twenty-five miles long. To con
meet 1t with the South Park line, in the
vicinity of Symes or Deansbury, about
forty miles of new rails must be laid.
Except for the windingS necessitated
by passing through the mountains,
there will then be an air line from Den
Yer to Florence, passing through the
Cripple Creek district. The distance
from Denver to Cripple Creek will be
about ninety miles, or little more than
the distance from Denver to Colorado
Springs. There will be created a new
.1,.th nd lin Of rntl
ming behind the front range of the
mountains.
Senator Evans bill No. al, prescrib-
ing the method of assessment, collec-
tion and division of taxes received
from itinerant live stock, has been We
toed by Governor Thomas. The bill
was strongly backed and indorsed by
live stock dealers. The Governor
quotes the general statutes OF 1888 in
justification of his refusal to approve
the bill, and cites the Pueblo county
case in support of his position. The
Governors conclusions are as follows:
by the general statutes relating to
revenues the personal properties, mon
ey and credits of taxpayers are sub
ject to taxation on the list day of May
of each year. To exclude n specific
class of property from the general op-
GRAFTON of this law is, in the language
OF an eminent jurist, a departure from
the constitutional rule of uniformity in
matters of taxation and, rs declared
by our Supreme Court, a clear and
palpable violation of n fundamental
constitutional principle Any other
class or description of personal prop
erty may be brought into the state
for any purpose after the LIST of May
and Is exempted from taxation unless
it remains there until the list of May
succeeding. On the other hand, the
identical class of property affected by
this bill escapes taxation when brought
into the state or removed from one
county to another for any other than
grazing purposes. If cattle in transit
through the state are fed they would
not be subjected TO taxation. If they
are permitted to Craze. even for one
heeting hour of time, they are subject
to all the requirements of the law. l
am satisfied that to approve 1t would
only to be to invite successful resist
ance and that the courts would not
hesitate to declare the bill unconst-
tutional."
Denver. April 2O.-A special dispatch
from New York to the Republican
says:
The American Smelling and Refining
Company, the new corporation COM
prising the eighteen big smelters of the
United States, just consolidated, will
make Denver the center for the pur-
chase and distribution of ores and the
headquarters of its metallurgical
works.
Messrs. Dennis Sheedy. Anton Eiler.
A. r. Meyer, A. NJ. Towne, Il. w. Nash,
ID. NJ. Hyman and Barton Sewall, rep
resenting western interests, have been
in conference all day formulating 4
system of conducting the new business.
The above decision has been settled
upon, and from the same source that
this information has been acquired 1t
is stated that the directors have settled
upon Ex-Governor James b. Grant aud
Anton Eilers as the heads of the op-
Grating departments of the business.
purchasing and metallurgical, respect
lively. Not later than May 1st the ne "
system will be in active operation.
! The eastern capitalists, it is asserted,
want none but western men, who
have been brought up with the busi-
ness" to be in charge of the operating
departments of their interests.
1t is positively stated that miners or
employees, in so far as their wages is
concerned, will not know that any
change has taken place. Their checks
will be signed differently, that's all.
The smelters in the new combine,
which must do business in Denver, are:
San Juan Smelling and Refining Com
pany, Durango.
Pueblo Smelling and Refining Com-
pany, Pueblo.
Colorado Smelling and Refining Com
pany, Pueblo.
Arkansas Valley Smelling Company,
| Leadville.
Bimetallic Smelling Company, Lead
vile.
Omaha and Grant Smelling Com
pany, Denver.