The Grit-advocate., 1902-07-25
HOLDING THE CANON
MoFFAT ROAD MAKES SEIZURE.
Denver, Northwestern & Pacific Will
Try to Gust Denver, Utah & Pa
cifc in South Boulder Canon.

tb.N Iibi ilHs SiyS.
Twenty-Five men have taken posses
sion Of the right of way and grade OF
the Denver. Utah & Pacific railway. in
4 narrow canon one mile east of Rol-
linsyille in Boulder county. and are
holding it for the Denver, Northwest
cru X Pacific railway. Two new par
ties of surveyors left Denver last
night for Rollinsville. and work will
b. rushed in the vicinity of the canon
and AT the tunnel. The twenty-five
men will remain on the ground until
relieved by the forces working toward
them from Denver Their instructions
are TO hold the canon.
The territory that has been occupied
is very valuable. us it is necessary to
the MOtfat line as it is the best for Il
short line to Salt Lake City, and was
held by the Denver. Utah x Pacific
previously for years. The company is
still in existence. although the rights
Of way, franchises, grades. property
and the portion Of the line in operation
that from Denver to LOngmont and
Lyons-s in the possession of the Bur
lngtUn railroad.
John q. Thompson, formerly of Den
yer, who has been prospecting in the
region of Rollinsville came to the city
yesterday in the interest Of a company
he is organizing to take over some
mining claims near Rollinsville, and
brought the intelligence that Italian
guards had taken possession of the
canon and permitted no one to enter
t.-f,,
he was going through, and was not
there in any other than private
capacity.
The canon, according to Mr. Thomp-
son. is very narrow; it is half a mile
in length and with steep. almost sheer
walls. 1t is the upper end Of South
Boulder creek canon, proper. and as
the Motfat road heads westward
through the canon, it is essential that
the old grade be used. Should the
canon he held by another and antago-
nistic corporation. any new railroad
must spend millions in constructing
a road along the sides. above the can
on bed. or must seek another route.
On the theory that possession is nine
points of the law" the engineering
force of the MOifat road quietly ship
ped out u force of twenty-five Italians
to hold the canon.
While the men are holding posses
sion of the ground they will be ell
gagged in grading and doing the neceS-
sary work to conform the road bed to
the requirements of the engineer The
old grade was built fifteen years ago
and, hastily constructed. follows
South Boulder creek, in some places
reaching Il grade as high as four and
one-half per cent. The entire grade
to the west is Il sharp one. and eX-
tends from Denver north of Rollins
vile.
John w. Smith of Denver and his
associates, who We're the projectors of
the Denver, Utah 4 Pacific. after eX-
pending hundreds of thousands on the
line through the mountains and build
Ing from Denver north to Lyons, sold
the property to the Burlington system.
From time to time in the past ru-
mors have been current that the Bur
lington would build to the Pacific coast.
using the graded portion of the Denver.
Utah Il Pacific Company. and the
statement was made yesterday that no
portion of the line to the West had
been abandoned. The road to Lyons
was designed only as a branch. the
main line leaving the northern tracks
beyond Denver and heading for the
mountains. going up South Boulder
creek canon. The surveys of the Den
yer, Northwestern & Pacific take the
road up Coal creek canon for twenty
miles, when it enters South Boulder
canon.
An officer of the new company stated
Yesterday while the grade stakes of the