La Junta tribune., 1904-11-05
GOV. EATON DEAD
GRAND OLD PIONEER GONE
Former Governor and Leading Farmer
CT Colorado Dies at His Home in
Greeiey 4, the Age Of sesenty-Tss
Tears.

Denver. Oct. s0.-A Greeley dispatch
last DiEti says. Hon. benjamin Il
Eaton. ex-governor Of Colorado. fore
most representative Of Its agricultural
and irrisatIo@ Interests. successful
farmer and publie-spiiitei citizen. died
at his residence. $50 Twelfth street. al
40 O'Clock taIs afternoon. after . lin
seTing Illness. Of diabetes Mrs. Eaton.
his two sons Bruce q. Eafon and a J.
Eaton; his daughter. Irs. Jennie Eaton
Fetrtkin: bis Son-iE-lag. John NJ. B.
PetrilGin: his brother, A. 5. Eaton:
Mss Blanche Middleton. his niece. and
AIRS Il. q. Eaton were at his bedside
when he died. He was seyenty-lso
years Of age
Last December Mr. Eaton and his
wife went to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
where the waters benefited him fer q
time. When they returned In the
spring he became more feeble and sell
dom left home. For the last month he
had been confined to his bed. He had
been III three months. but did not retire
from business until last winter.
Probably no man In the state wa,
better known than Benjamin II. Eaton.
From the first he was Identified with
Colorado's three great inte.ests-min-
Ing. agriculture and stock raising
In the days Of 80" when be shout
6ered a pick and shovel to mine fer
gold on Pixies Peak; In the pioneer era
on the Cache la POudTe, where he
plowed the iirEt fIrrow to carry water
for the uplRnds, and later demonstrated
by mighty system OF waterways that
upon irrigation depended the success Of
agriculture In Colorado: in hts political
life. vixen the highest honor OF the
state was conferred upan him. in his
later year. when he harvested the
fruit OF his labors. his name stood for
ali that was enterprise and upright
ness.
SIR. Eaton built the first ditch for
Union colony at Greeley. 1t proved sat
isiactoIy and he began to construct
other dItches. Among these was the
I-arimer and Weld canal. commonly
called the Eaton ditch. This ditch.
when completed. mdde detour Of ntty-
two miles. cost $500. 900. and watered
10000 acres Of land.
Ar. Eaton's reputation as big ditch
builder was established. Soon he was
called to build the Merino ditch near
Sterling and the High Line ditch south
and east Of Denver. which Is taken
from the Platte tiyor and which cost
$500. 600.
Mr.. Eaton advised reservoirs as aur-
iliaries 10 the ditches. for the purpose
of storing water to irrigate potatoes
late In the season when streams and
rivers are almost dry. He illustrated
the practicabIlity of his suggestion by
building the Windsor reservoir. This
reservoir covers 800 acres, representing
an outlay OF $4,000 and Is one OF the
largest In the country.
s. Eae l4N ".
Mr.. Eaton was interested In ditch build
ing. and lately Invested $4,000 TO bring
water from the riyers over the range
to supplement. the irrigation OF the
Poudre valley.
In 1872 he was elected to represent
his district in the Territorial Legisla-
ture. In 1875 he was elected to the
Senate. where he served one term. do
ing effective work on various commit
tees. In 1884 he was elected governor
by his party lie sold his mining in
terests in 1890. After his retirement
from the governors chair be applied
himself to the his extensive farming
and irrigation interests.
Being of broad and liberal views he
gave others the benefit of his expert
ence and wealth and the thriving town
OF Eaton stands a monument to him
Last year he and his son Bruce cult
waited 1000 acres Of land.
When the dome OF the state capitol
was nearing completion. 1t was de-
cided to place In IL portraits Of six
teen Colorado men who had given the
most effective service to the state.
Frontier life was typihed by noted
scout. the development of mining by
well-known miner. statesmanship by
the portrait of an honored son. and
Benjamin II. Eaton was chosen to rep
resent those who had brought about
the high development OF Colorado's
agricultural and irrigation interests.