Gunnison news-champion., 1905-10-13
ITALIAN MOUNTAIN
fEN SxErCtsB
Noes on sh< MsAgrs Traaapor;A
tion FAeilit,cs OF Northern Cua-
nison Co~nty Vth Sosnx
Historical Items
Continues IRON last weed

As the mines on headwaters Of
Taylor river begin 30 develop, their
owners are anxiously discussing
nearest shipping points. The dis
tance from Gunhison rs 30 miles or
more, while 10 Aspen, though much
nearer, one must cross a high, bleak
range. For Italian basin, Home
stake basin aud the extreme head Of
Taylor river there is little doubt but
road down Cement creek is gener-
ally favored The distance to Gla-
cier siding as shipping point is
from l3 to l6 miles, nearly all Of il
a down grade aud comparatively
easy TO travel A road now extends
four or five miles ap Cement through
the first canon to the springs. Here
is an open park of two miles. then
another canon of mile and half
where sandstone rocks hug the creek
bed so closely that it would nndoabt-
edlv cost from $500 to $1,000 10 en-
large the trail into a wagon road.
Above the second canon is another
grassy park, from which a six per
cent grade on "a trail would catch
the top of Grassy hill, the divide be
tween Cement and Spring creeks
and lead around into Homestake
basin and to the Star mine very
nearly on a level. The miners fig
ure that if the wagon road were so
extended past the second canon 1t
would make round trip haul of
eight or nine miles and back with a
jack pack Of seven or eight miles
and return. In other words a two
days trip as against five or more to
Aspen.
Another ore route talked Of from
Taylor Park is past the Forest Hill
mime and through the gap along the
Doctor road down Spring creek.
This is direct line from the heart
of the park but again has the de-
cided disadvantage of a divide to
cross Just as there is TO Aspen or
Buena Vista or st Elmo, all of which
have been tried as shipping points
Now Engineer Bradburn Of the Ma
tlonal Good Roads association, who
spoke in Gunnison recently, makes
the statement that a horse can only
pull two-thirds of his full capacity
up four per cent grade ana only
one-half up a five per cent grade.
Is 1t strange then that Atkinson
four-mule teams, hauling Enterprise
ore to Aspen, take only three tons
over Taylor pass, double up on the
sharp grades and require FIVE days
for the trip, with often six, seven or
eight days? For that matter, for
four months of the year-from Feb
ruary to June they do not make
the stormy pass for a week at time
and then only by constant shoveling.
Yet the ore goes 10 Aspen and the
teams come back laden with sup
plies because thev say 'it is the only
outlet we have In a horseback
tour over POO miles of this section
we failed to find a prospector or
miner who did not openly express
his preference for Almont as a ship
ping point and Gunnison as sup
ply point If it were possible to get
through Taylor canon between Lot
It's creek and the park. The reason
for this is not far to seek. From the
Enterprise mine or the Star mine it
is but b miles to Almont as against
% or so to Aspen, but every foot Of
it is down grade where a set Of fours
could probably haul FIVE to seven
tons and make the trip in four DAYS
There would be no danger Of snow
slides. Teams could GO practically
every day in the year Certainly
strong factors in ore production
where a difference Of So or 81 per
ton is large profit The present
freight rate to Aspen for Enterprise
or Star ore is ten dollars a ton. To