Gilpin observer., 1900-08-09
COLORADO NOTES.

l
A tornado caused considerable dam
age at Sterling on the 4th. 1t demol
| ished the Catholic church, unrOofed
several buildings and injured many
others.
The comptroller of the currency has
issued statement showing the condi-
ton of the national banks of the state
of Colorado on June Doth last, showing
the following: Loans and discounts,
S12321 ,317; money reserve in banks.
$29O7 ,903: surplus, $635, 1856; undivided
profits, $434, ,450; individual deposits,
500, 3,04S,256. At the time held an aver
age reserve on hand of 42.53 per cent.
The Rio Grande railroad has let the
contract for the construction of its line
from Texas creek to Silver Cliff to Or
man 4 Crook. Work will be begun at
once. and the contractors promise that
it will be completed by December 1st.
The contract calls for twenty-six miles
of heavy grading, but the contractors,
it is said, will have few problems to
solve in its construction, as most of the
survey is over level country. The
bridge department of the road has
gangs of men now at work near Texas
creek erecting buildings for the bridge
builders and preparing for the begin
ming of active work on the road.
Stringent orders have been issued to
| train crews on Colorado roads to be ON
the lookout for train robbers. The
| crew was told to carry revolvers and
to use them if robbers attacked the
train and there was any prospect of
killing one of the bandits without en-
dangering their own lives. The orders
We're the result of the robbery of the
Union Pacific near Hugo. Colorado,
D,lx To-, 1T
liam ]. Fay was killed. While it is
realized that the crew would have had
no chance, perhaps, to prevent the
Hugo robbery, it is argued that had
the men been armed they might have
shot one of the robbers.
| George Shepperd was killed Friday
afternoon while chopping timber on the
Solomon ranch, mile and a half west
| of Greenland. His uncle and cousin
were with him when the accident oc-
Cured. Mr.. Shepperd was cutting on
a large log when n silver flew from the
wedge, cutting open one of the large ar
teries in the right leg above the knee.
The injured mans uncle ran to the
Noes ranch to get aid in caring for the
dying man, but the rescuing party re-
turned too late. The man bled to death.
Some think that sudden death was the
| result Vi Iue SlOck, as tue man was
suffering from heart disease.
Additional plans for the Twin Lakes
reservoir dam have been filed with
| State Engineer McCune by Secretary
| w. l.. Hartman of the Twin Lakes
Reservoir Company. The plans are in
! accordance with the original scheme,
and will entirely close up the water
way. Mr.. Hartman states that the
reservoir scheme is an entire success in
| every way and will fully meet all de-
mands. The reservoir covers an area
of !, 400 acres and the water will be
run through the Arkansas. distance
of 200 miles, to a point near Rocky
| Ford. There ii will be taken out by the
company's ditch and distributed
through the valley. a test run which
I was made from the 10th to the 26th of
July was most successful, the flow be-
ing equal to the estimates.
Gilman. the mining town on Battle
mountain, near Red Cliff, suffered
destructive fire at an early hour We'd
nesday morning. The entire business
psrtiOn of the place was wiped out.
Both sides of Main street from the
west end of the Iron Mask hotel, on
| the south side. and TO w. n. Buell's
residence on the north side. was laid
desolate Fire was discovered at two
o'clock in the upper rooms of Matthew
Lackner's residence, although there
had been no fire in the house since
the evening before. The room was Oc-
cupied by Miss Mary Lackner and
Frank Martins little child. Both We're
slightly burned and We're rescued with
difficulty. The buildings We're very
dry, and under strong wind the
, flames spread rapidly in the face of
an heroic fight put up by the citizens.
Except the hotel the buildings destroy
ed include every business house in
town. The Congregational church.
postOtice and sever0! residences, to-
tai of thirty-three buildings, We're de-
stroyed. The estimated loss is $751;
45O and the known insurance is S4,-
100 About ten business houses were
burned out and about fifteen families
lost their homes, very little being saw
ed in any case.
The development of the oil fields of
Routt county will be in full swing
during the month of August. The
noutt County Improvement Company
of Florence has complete plant OF
boring machinery on the way. A ear
load has been sent from Florence,
while more is coming from Pennsylva-
mia. The first well is to he put down
on Elk river. seven miles from Steam
boat Springs. The company has leas-
ed nearly 1000 acres of patented land
from ranchmen in that vicinity. They
figure upon having to 20 down to n
| depth of 1,5OO or 1000 feet before the
oil stratum is struck. Six or eight
miles further and in the vicinity of
the oil springs the Stukey brothers
have located about 10000 acres OF oil
placer land, which Is to be worked by
| Hon. B. Clark Wheeler, and he Is eX-
/ pected to be IN there with machinery
/ during the month. There is no ques-
| tion in the minds of expert oil men
who have been here that oil will be
| nirunL Al Inn oil snrlnwS IL nnn Is