The Springfield herald., 1900-01-19
DENVER GOSSIP.
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM Tss0
STATE CAPITOL.

ner given Monday night. He and Gov
ernor Thomas spoke on TRUSTS"
The Colorado & Southern road no
longer owns its own telegraph lines.
At midnight the title in the property
was transferred 10 the Western Union
company, under whose management 1t
will be operated. The status OF the
operators, SO far as their difficulty
with the railroad company IL con-
cerned, will not be affected as they will
continue in the roads employ as be-
fore. While the Western Union will
own the lines and keep them In repair.
the railroad company will operate
them under n joint traffic agreement
under which the tolls on all messages
will so entirely to the telegraph com
pany. So far as the employees are con-
cerncd there will be no difference ex-
cept In the formality Of reports and
checking business.
The United States Land Court is
about to undertake one Of the most
important land cases ever heard by
the tribunal. The case involves the
ownership of not less than 1,5OO.OOO
acres of land, n great portion of which
lies In the southern part of San Luis
valley. The tract is known in south
ern Colorado rs the Valdez grant. 1t
dates back as far as 1898, when the
governor of New Mexico presented
princely gift of real estate to several
of his friends and admirers, of whom
Caledonia Valdez was the leader. The
area in controversy Is anywhere be
tween 1,50OO0O and 2,OOO,OO0 acres and
covers some highly mineralized tracts
as well as great bodies of grazing land.
The case Is in many respects similar
to that of the Trinchera grant, and
the latter terminated favorably for the
contestants. 1t will require many
months to take the voluminous test-
mony. In the meantime the progress
Of the case will be noted with great
interest by thousands OF residents of
southern Colorado. This is the last
of the large land grant cases affecting
the southern part of this state.
The Order of Railway Telegraphers,
through its grand officers, has decided
that further attempt Mt treating with
the Colorado & Southern railway is
useless and 1t will make no attempt at
settling the difference with the rail-
way until the officers OF the road make
some proposition to its officers, Presi-
dent w. v. Powell of the telegraphers'
organization has arrived In the city
from st. Louis. and he at once set
about Strengthening the hring lines of
the order. He Will make the fight
against he road, he says. more than
ever aggressive calling to the aid of
the telegraphers all affiliated labor or
ganizations, the Travelling Protective
Association, and the station and local
agents of all North America. He de-
clares that 1t is not n boycott that they
are placing on the Colorado road, but
they are simply asking their friends,
including shippers and those that
handle the shipping and travel of
others, to help them In the fight to
bring the road to their terms in the
matter of wages to station employees.
The machine shops of the F. NJ. Da-
Wis Iron Works Company, at Eighth
and Larimer streets, were destroyed by
fire early Wednesday evening. The
total loss. including buildings and
material is roughly estimated by Man
damage is fully covered by insurance.
The fire originated in the boiler room,
and spread with great rapidity. A
large two-story brick building, used as
a machine shop and pattern room and
a story and half brick building used
as foundry room are the buildings
burned. The main foundry, however.
is a separate building in the rear which
was untouched by the flames. Man
ager w. G. Davis said that he thought
$4,000 u conservative estimate of the
value of the destroyed wooden patterns
OF machinery, some of which present
the labor of fifty or sixty men for
twenty years. The company has draw
ings of most of these patterns, how
ever and can replace them. The build
ing Mr.. Davis values at $4,000, and
the machinery and other fixtures at
$4,000. In consequence of the fire 200
workmen will be out of employment
for two or perhaps three weeks. Man
ager Davis hopes by that time to be
able to resume work in the new shop
OF 1872 leases of school land in the
Cripple Creek district, only twenty are
worked in compliance with the terms
of lease from the State Land Board,
and the rules of the board. This dis
covery was made by Register Chipley
of the board during an investigation
made last week. and was reported to
the board ut its meeting. The sections
are known as rhyolite. section SO, town
ship ii south, range 20 west; Grassey,
section 16, township 10 SOUTH range 60
west and Grouse, section 36 township
15 SOUTH range 20 west. The lands are
not directly in the Cripple Creek min
ing district. but are close to some Of
the big mines that are working, the
Grassy section being contiguous to the
Isabella property. DIR. Chipley report
ed to the board he found but two OF
the siIty-fOur leases In the Rhyolite
section worked in accordance with the
terms of the lease and paying the re-
Quired royalty, only eight in Grassy
section and eight in Grouse section.
The register reported that 1t is plainly
the purpose of the holders of the leases
to hold them for speculative purposes.