Gilpin observer., 1900-01-18
DENVER GOSSIP.
ITEMS OF INTEREST FROM rhB
STATE CAPITOL.

longer owns its own telegraph lines.
AT midnight the title in the property
was transferred TO 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 Is 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 joint traffic agreement
under which the tolls on all messages
Will go entirely to the telegraph COM
pany. So far as the employees are con-
cerned there will be no difference ex-
cept in the fOrmality of reports and
checking business.
All the holders of leases on state min
eral lands in the Cripple Creek district
appeared before the land board on the
| 10th and told the board that they had
been intending 10 make further i'm
| proVements as soon as the snow was
off the ground that they already had
made many improvements, and that
their leases could not be cancelled, no
matter how much or how little work on
their claims they had done. The board
took no action. but the members admit
that the old leases cannot be cancelled,
as none of them contains any require
ment that any work be done on the
property. They say that the minimum
lease royalties have been paid, and that
seems to be all that can be secured un-
| der the law. Among those who placed
their opinions before the board We're
former Governor Davis H. Waite, who
has large holdings in the Cripple Creek
| district; Senators b. Clark Wheeler and
Philip, and Oscar Reuter-
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 100000
acres of land, a great portion of which
lies in the southern part of San Luis
valley. The tract is known In south
ern Colorado as the Valdez grant. 1t
dates back as far as 1888. 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 100000 and 100000 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 testi-
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 machine shops of the L. NJ. Da-
Wis Iron Works Company, at Eighth
and Larimer streets We're destroyed by
fire early Wednesday evening. The
total loss, including buildings and
material - roughly estimated by Man
ager w. c. Davis at $130,OO0. This
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
n machine shop and pattern room and
a story and half bricss building used
! as foundry room are the buildings
burned. The main foundry, however,
is separate building in the rear which
was untouched by the flames. Man
ager w. c. Davis said that he thought
$4,000 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
S3O,OO 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 u be
able to resume work In the new shop
recently completed at n cost of $4,000.
Mrs. Helen l.. Grenfell, state super
intendent of public instruction. has an
nounced the annual apportiOnment of
the school fund among the various
| counties and the normal. The money
Is distributed pro rata according to
school population. The total amount
reported by the auditor was $5S,61U.51.
but $13.99 was left over after the ap-
portionment had been made according
to the nearest practicable mathematic-
al ratio. Following are the figures by
counties: Arapahoe, $15,40S.90; Ar
chuleta, $15S.61; Baca, $500; Bent.
S710.S9; Cheyenne, $3S.24; Clear Greek.
$T93.4S; Conejos, $1,3T3.6l; Costilla,
S71G.GG; Custer, $37002; Delta. $3.50. 10;
Dolores. $S1.G Douglas, $iOG.T4; Ea-
gle, S255.44; Elbcrt. $il9GG; El Paso.
SO, 1OS.3S: Fremont, S1.773.39; Garfield,
$57S.5i; Gilpin. $500. 90; Grand, SG9. -:
Gunnison, S423.20: Hinsdale, SIG. .13:
Huerfano, S1,203.11 Jefferson, ST.
1GO.34: Kiowa, $73.00; Kit Carson,
S175.3O; Lake, S1.3i1.21; La Plata,
$S2O.OS; Larimer. Sl.469.66; Las Ami
mas, $2,565.69; Lincoln. $S5.37 Logan.
| S32S.OS; Mesa. S9S0.S2; Mineral, Si5l 90
MonteZuma. S32536: Montpose $6OS. IL:
Morgan. S35T.97; Otero, S1,2OO.9G: Ou-
ray. S37S.39: Park, $2G6.77; Phillips.
| $164.55; Pitkin. S732.35; Prowers,
s3s7.t9; Pueblo, S4,1G0.69; Rio Blanco.
S179.33: Rio Grandc, $5GO.79; Routt,
S855.22; Saguache, $5O6.s3; San Juan,
$11G.91: San Miguel, $2S2.14; Sedg,
wick, S113.46; Summit, S174.SO; Teller.
| S1,9OO.4O; Washington, S12S.13: Weld.
OF c1a1