Rocky Ford enterprise., 1905-05-26
DENOUNCE RESERVOIR
NEED CANON FOR moFFAT RoAc
Citizens of Grand and Routt countie:
Want the Railroad and Do Not
Want Gore Canon Reservoir.

Want Gore Canon Reservoir.
Denver. May GA dispatch from
Hot Sulphur Springs says: A mas.
meeting was called Saturday night b.
Mayor Adams to get an expression
from the people OF Hot Sulphur
Springs on the subject OF Gore canon
and the town hall was filled. An ami
mated but entirely harmonious meet.
ing was held.
Mayor Adams was elected chairman
and +. ]. Huntington. secretary. After
several speeches the sentiments OF the
meeting Were ordered put into the
form OF resolutions and committee
consisting OF Frank y. Briggs. ". =.
FarTis, David T.. Howard. Fountain Me
Auley and J. T.. Brown was appointed
to draw up the resolutions. which aTo
as follows:
Whereas, IL Is OF the utmost i'm
portancc to the entire state OF Colorado
that the Denver. Northwestern a Pa
citic railroad. known as the Monat
road. shall be built in the quickest pos
siblc time. from Denver TO Salt Lake
City. opening up. On 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 INSCRIPTIONS persons are trying
to prevent said railroad from being
finished by dcpriving II Of the Gore
canon route. the only feasible route II
can take. as has been determined by
competent and experienced surveyors.
after having examined all other routes:
and.
Whereas, II iH the puTpos. OF those
opposed to the MoiInt road To construct
an immense dam across Gore canon.
making n reservoir for the storage Of
water in the western portion OF Grand
county. such waters to be used for ir'
risniion purposes In Arizona and Cali
iornla and not in Colorado: be II
Resolved. by this mnSs meeting OF
the citizens OF Hot Sulphur Springs
and vicinity. that We are unaltcrabiy
opposed to the construction OF said
dam and reservoir. because:
First. II would SubmcrRc more than
200 acres OF the most productive
meadows and stock farms In Grand
county, every acre of which IL patented
and owned by private individuals: the
town OF krcIamllng. number OF
county bridges and miles OF county
roads. absolutely destroying the posi-
bility OF passing through Grand county
To the westward for all time TO come.
"Sccond-i, IL impractIcablc and un'
necessary. there being other and better
storage reservoir sites. unclaimed and
uncultivatcd. along the i.i0O miles OF
ditch proposed to re made. aEd nearer
the lands to be redeemed.
"ThIrd-Undcr the valuations placed
on the lands TO be taken. by options To
the New Century Light and Power
Company. over $1,000. 900 worth Of net
ual property would be destroyed by
this reservoir.
"Fourih-of the 1885 acres ai
land within the proposed lines OF this
reservoir. less than $500 acres are
government land. aud practically
worthless. while over 1900 acres are
patented and under cultivation.
Fifth-Tcn thousand head uf cattle
are now sustained by and upon this
land and these would be eliminated
after the land shall be submerged.
"SISih-Thc construction of tho pro
posed dam and reservoir would mean
bankruptcy to Grand county. and the
dissolution Of the commonwealth. ns
Il would destroy halI the taxable prop
crty OF the county and put n Nat"Ty
waste In place OF It.
"Seyenth-wc believe tho real In
stlgatlon of the Gore canon reservoir
to be certain railroad ana coal land in.
terests opposing the Moffnt 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. bituml.
nous and Ignite Goals will be avail
able to Denver and the markets OF the
world. II 1t shall be possible to crush
out this competition by closing Gore
canon to the Moffat road II will proft
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 VIC extend
to Mr.. d. II. Moffat and his associates
our earnest sympathy in this fight and
hope to see him win, and assure him
that not more than 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
ernment will pay the eXorbtant prices
placed on their land in the fake options
to the New Century Light & Power
Company
The resolutions were unanimously
adopted.