Cañon City record., 1907-06-27
COMMENDS THE PRESERVATION
OF THE ROYAL GORGE

The preliminary steps in the ces-
sion of the Royal Gorge to Canon City
by the national government have been
taken and soon the transfer will be
completed and the picturesque little
city on the banks of the Arkansas riv-
er will be able to boast of being the
possessor of a park the like no other
city in the country can call its own.
1t will undoubtedly be a great thing
for Canon City and incidentally for
the entire state of Colorado.
The Royal Gorge is one of the most
beautiful and picturesque parts of
the Arkansas valley and famous thro-
ughout the world for its scenic gran
deur and beauty. 1t is situated above
Canon City and extends about eight
or ten miles up the river to Park
dale. The Arkansas river, transform
ed into a mighty mountain torrent,
rushes noisily and turbulently through
its narrow and rockbound channel,
following the snakelike windings of
the gorge or cleft, cutting deep into
the mountain sides. At the present
time a single track of rails, accom-
panying the Arkansas river on Its tor
tuous way through the gorge, forms
the only means of communication
through that part of the valley. So
narrow is the gorge that in its mar
rowest part there was not enough
room for the track alongside the river
and hanging bridge had to be con-
structed to support the track above
the whirling and foaming waters of
the Arkansas.
A few years ago the national gov
ernment was petitioned to set aside
the district containing the Royal gorge
as national park or to make it a
forest reserve, SO as to preserve the
magnificent scenery to the people for
all time to come and prevent it from
becoming private property. The gov
ernment was at first favorable to the
plan. but later abandoned it when it
was found that there would be great
difficulties in the way of making that
reservation.
The citizens of Canon City showed
not only great enterprise, but also
good common sense, esthetic senti-
ment and public spirit, by asking the
government to cede the land contain
! ing the Royal Gorge TO their city for
park purposes. After the abandon
ment of the plan to make it national
park there was serious danger that
some enterprising people or some
large corporation would acquire title
to the section containing this magni-
| ficent piece of scenery and would eX-
plot 1t for their own mercenary BEN
eft The cession of the gorge section
to Canon City removes that danger
and insures to the people of Canon
City and Colorado and of the whole
country the free and unrestricted en-
I joyment of one of the most majestic
and beautiful scenic attractions to be
found in the United States.
1t would be a wise plan if a similar
disposition were made of some of the
other scenic attractions of which the
mountainous region of Colorado SO
largely abounds. They should not be
permitted to become private property,
nor should II be permitted that their
beauty be destroyed or defaced by
vandals, They form too valuable an
asset of the state of Colorado to be
wantonly sacrificed to private greed
for money. 1t is the duty Of the citi-
zens of Colorado to preserve the scenic
beauties of their state. which annually
attract many thousands Of tourists
from all parts of the world, for future
generations and to permit no en-
croachment upon Natures glorious
playground.-Pueblo Star-Journal.