The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-04
AYS GREEN RIVER
lean Be AAv|GATED
aver Capitalists Claim That
River Can Be Placed in
+ Navigable Form.
E0ULD OPEN FINE
MINERAL SECTIONS
ritter Calls Uintah Country a
Region of Never ClOuded
Skies.

lsInee the DAYS when the early Spanish
Eplorers utilized the great waterways
H Ncrth America in their adventurous
u,eats for tabled treasures and magic
ul.oIying waters, our rivers have grown
H.su in commercial estimation as a
Ieans of transportation, says the Paoi-
/, Miner Thin lines OF steel have sewn
0r whole country together and have
uhbed our wonderful streams OF their
Hmmercial heritage. The big. busy
1srld hears only the shrek Of the loco
Ubfive or the roar OF the fast mail as IL
Ishes along the placid river bank, 1t
the Victory OF the new way over the
IA But sometimes 1t Is necessary 10 go
Dck to the usages of former times.
f,metimes the antiquated river trans
Nestled among the mountains OF north
pstorn Utah is a land OF rich valleys.
hrfIIe platsaus. and wonderful mineral
Isources II is the land OF the uintah
Ndlan. or rather was, as practically the
hole OF the two and one-half million
res has been thrown open to the set
III BY the Government. This great ter
I.ory Is known 10 be wonderfully Yalua-
Ie for farming, mining, and grazing
Irposes, yet 1t has few settlers. Why
lad OF ver-clouded skies, Of rushing
Iountnin streams that give themselves
nsdily 20 irrigation of rich ores, and
nmi-tropical climate. is not flled with
lie hundred thousand people IL is abun-
untly able 10 support? There Is but one
nsyer There are no railways for trans
rting the harvests OF the farmers or the
les OF the miner to the outside world.
Uyo railroads, IT is true are headed IN
II the territory and will eventually tap
but in the meantime these marvellous
IportunIties and resources lie idle With
ne very means OF reclamation at hand,
lone hundred miles from the heart OF
Ills land Of promise runs the Denver and
ID Grande railway. Connecting the
/ zen River station on this line with the
\ &kr Cintah Indian Reservation Is
Il ~ waterway known as Green River,
4 Idh tradition has long fillcd with i'm
Nseable reefs and unnavigable rapids.
pllB belief has been so prevalent that
Be Government has never surveyed the
uFeam and in the history OF the Indians
liz two men are known 10 have at
Imptsd Us passage and they, so the
ugepd goes were dashed TO death in the
Hplds and their spirits yet haunt the
1Eiranse to say. the truth Of these re-
Irts touching on the nayigability OF
heen River has never been questioned.
len In the land of the progressive West.
Itil very recently. Men were willing to
lie as facts the statements Of Indians
lid the few white men that knew, any
awever, body Of Denver capitalists
71o were interested in the development
\ this tract of country determined TO
Pertain at first hand just what was the
sndltion OF this waterway. They made
Ie trip In frail boats. Not one Of the
4 fnber suffered in any way from the eN-
Irience. Myths, they call those old
|hrsome reports. "a survival OF Indian
Ipersti,ion and Ignorance" They de-
IAre Green River TO be an admirable
M fra.N fDr IN he
Ilnthh country. and are endeavoring TO
Iterest the Government In the task of
Ieanihg from the channel such obstruc-
Pms es now render the river useless
Bould be comparatively light and that
n Ideal highway would be formed. with
/ resultant influx OF thousands OF set
Ers INTO this great district.
~ James +. Birch. who is promi-
U)ityA Interested in the project was the
fsaHs and we copy from an article
hira relating the results Of his in
Etigation:
"The former UIntah Indian Re.
Evaton with its great wealth Of
neral and agricultural resources. al
lpugh some time ago opened TO settle
ent is tied up in A very great measure
lack or transportation facilities. The
lintsh MARROW Gauge railroad runs from
'Pck. Colorado. 10 Dragon, Utah, ana
ulntah railway cover the reservation
lnts: The Moffat road is expected to
Esnn into THIS territory in about two
Isfs. These are the only actual or
respective means OF transportation.
F'These conditions induced me to in
lsugate the feasibility of navigating
Eeen River, and with my party consist
OF four men in two rowboats, we left
plsy Sub-Agency at a. m October
lot Green River station on the Den
~.
without mishap In seven days Corty
Iurs OF actual traveD. reaching Green
Cer station AT p. m, October 81. The
E.snce travelled is certainly close 10 one
Enared and eighty miles. The stream
EIies large body OF water at all sea-
ns; lts average width is between two
bndred and twenty-five and three hun
10 and twenty-five feet. there is a fall
sie'stlon Of about five hundred feet
.ne one hundred and eighty miles. but
80 evenly distributed that there is
I ewIt water except where the rapids.
partlal obstruction of the stream, have
LEO The elevation.
Lwhlle Desoiation and Gray canyons
oGx. canyons, the walls are very wide.
E.ainy exceeding five hundred feet at
poin,s except one. where the width Is
E9ul three hundred feet for n distance
isss than one hundred feet, The rap
sE commence near The head OF Desola-
~ canyon and continue at intervals for
hr-f
Esolttiou and Gray canyons. There are
ply rapids seventy eight OF which
Ese run with our boats and the other
could have been run with some great
mezard of striking rocks than we
E"snt advisable All OF these rapids
one are caused entirely by boulders
H. sand washed In from side canyons
10 entirely practical TO put the RI
L.. m shape for navigation by power
1,s OF good draft at moderate expense
INC Government opened the reserva-
~. why should 1t not for the same rea-
open the river 10 settlers, or. IL the
E,vrAl government viii not. what is the
EseI with the State OF Utah doing it?
rppose II costs 100000 or even 5000 600
put the river in navlgable condition.
ssne latter figure Is very high. can
K STATE or the people OF tho reserva
~, nnd any investment OF greater val :
e. pr, Birch and his associates are
VI Keen Judgment in matters OF pub
lfse en.erpriFe and WELD great influence.
n"t improbable that the Government
rne state OF Utah Will rehabilltate at
Erc,.o1he one waterway in It's old-timc COM
IMlsE E1l