The Dolores star., 1905-05-26
DExoUNcE RESERVOIR
NEED CANON roR MoFFAr RoAr

Citizens Of Grand and Routt Counties
| Want the Railroad and Do Not
Want Gore Canon Reservoir.
Denver. May 23.-A dispatch from
Hot Sulphur Springs says: A mass
meeting was called Saturday night by
Mayor Adams to get an expression
| from the people of Hot Sulphu.
Springs on the subject of Gore canon.
and the town hall was filed. An ami
mated but entirely harmonious meet
ing was held.
Mayor Adams was elected chairman
and F. l. Huntington, secretary. After
several speeches the sentiments Of the
meeting were ordered put into the
! form of resolutions and committee
consisting of Frank N. Briggs, w. P.
Farris, David p. Howard. Fountain Nc
Auley and ]. E. Brown was appointed
to draw up the resolutions, which are
as follows:
Whereas, 1t is of the utmost i'm
portance to the entire state of Colorado.
that the Denver. Northwestern & Pa
1 cific railroad, known as the MOffas
road, shall be built in the quickest pos
sible time, from Denver to Salt Lake
| City, opening up, en- route, Grand and
| Routt counties, with their vast wealth
Of coal, precious metals, timber, agri-
cultural lands and live stock interests;
and,
Whereas, certain selfish, designing
and unscrupulous persons are trying
to prevent said railroad from being
finished by depriving it of the Gore
canon route, the only feasible route it
can take. as has been determined by
|
after having examined all other routes;
and,
Whereas, 1t is the purpose of those
opposed to the Moffat road to construct
an immense dam across Gore canon.
| making a reservoir for the storage Of
water in the western portion of Grand
county, such waters to be used for ir-
rigation purposes in Arizona and Call
fornia and not in Colorado:' be it
Resolved, by this mass meeting of
the citizens Of Hot Sulphur Springs
and vicinity, that we are unalterably
opposed to the construction Of said
dam and reservoir, because:
First, 1t would submerge more than
1900 acres of the most productive
meadows and stock farms in Grand
county, every acre Of which is patented
and owned by private Individuals; the
| toWh VI oA
county bridges and miles of county
roads, absolutely destroying the possi-
bility of passing through Grand county
to the westward for all time to come.
"Second-It is impracticable and un-
necessary, there being other and better
gtorage reservoir sites, unclaimed and
uncultivated, along the 1,400 miles OF
ditch proposed to be made, and nearer
the lands to be redeemed.
"Third-Under the valuations placed
on the lands to be taken, by options to
the New Century Light and Power
Company, over $1,000,O00 worth of act
ual property would be destroyed by
this reservoir.
"Fourth-Of the 1885 acres OF
land within the proposed lines of this
reservoir. less than. $500 acres are
government land. and practically
patented and under cultivation.
Fifth-Ten thousand head of cattle
are now sustained by and upon this
land and these would be eliminated
after the land shall be submerged.
"Sixth-The construction of the pro
posed dam and reservoir would mean
bankruptcy to Grand county, and the
dissolution of the commonwealth, as
1t would destroy half the taxable prop
erty of the county and put watery
waste in place of it.
"Seventh-We believe the real in
stigation of the Gore canon reservoir
to be certain railroad and coal land in
terests opposing the Moffat road.
These interests are aware that only
the Gore canon stands between the
Moffat road and the immense coal de-
posits OF Routt county. Once this new
railroad shall tap these coal fields.
millions of tons of anthracite, bitumi.
nous and Ignite Goals will be avail
able to Denver and the markets of the
world. If it shall be possible to crush
out this competition by closing Gore
canon to the Moffat road it will profit
the owners of other coal lands and rail-
roads many millions of dollars and de-
prive the people of the state of the
great benefits that would accrue to
them by the opening up of this vast
wealth of coal.
For these reasons and others too
numerous to mention here we extend
to Mr. D. H. Moffat and his associates
our earnest sympathy in this fight and
hope to see him win, and assure him
that not more than a dozen people in
Grand county see the matter in diff
ferent light, and those twelve are
blinded by having been hoodwinked
into the folly of believing that the gov
eminent will pay the exorbitant prices
placed on their land in the fake options
to the New Century Light & Power
Company"
The resolutions were unanimously
| adOpted