Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-24

NEONTROSE, Colo, Sept. 23.-
WI President Taft spent today on
AAA the western slope of the Rocky
mountains amid a succession of mag
niflcent scenes.
In many respects his day was one OF
the most interesting he has had since
leaving Boston.
Late this afternoon Mr.. Taft stood
On the brink of the deepest irrigation
ditch in all the west and far out in the
foothills of the mountains with not q
settlement in sight made the electrical
connection that started flow of water
through the Gunnison tunnel which
will reclaim 100000 acres of arid land.
The greatest irrigation project the
United States government ever has
undertaken was thus put in operation
and the opening was the occasion of q
Joyous celebration throughout the val
ley of Uncompahgre.
Before travelling out to the west por-
tai of the tunnel on a little narrow
gauge train, the president visited the
Montrose county fair and after some
formal speechmaking, in which he and
the mayor, the governor and several
others participated, he was given a
real touch Of western life-a relay race
OF COW girls.
The race was arranged especially in
honor of the president, and was a
novel and exciting affair
Cow Girls IN Race
A girl of 16 was matched against
two older riders, and carrying the
sympathy of the crowd with her from
the start, won the two-and-a half mile
race, with three changes of horses, by
almost a quarter of a mile.
The little girl, Miss Bertha Elsie
Hull, wore knickerbockers while the
two older riders wore divided skirts.
The impediment of the latter turned
the tide of the contest and after a
second change of horses little Miss Hull
was galloping along so far in front
that the result was never minute in
doubt
All three of the riders were present
ed to the president, who had climbed
into the judges stand on the fair
grounds track to witness the race.
During his travels the president has
had ample time to study the effect of
irrigation. For a long time his train
would run through stretches of country
where as far as the eye could reach the
only vegetation in sight consisted of a
few greasewod bushes or sage brush.
Oasis Greets Vision
Then out of a rocky mountain the
train suddenly would rush upon a YER
of alfalfa and miles of orchards with
trees laden down with fruit told of the
miracle wrought by the touch of water
At Grand Junction and here at Mont
rose the president visited the fruit ex-
hibits of the county fair, and was told
almost unbelievable stories of the sea-
sons Yield. Enormous peaches, apples
pears, plums, Vari-colored grapes, and
almost every other known fruit, as well
as enormous samples of the vegetable
growth of the district, were shown to
the president who had an admiring
word for all.
At almost every stop made today the
presidents car and baggage car at
teched to his train were laden with
fruits One little box, yard long, was
Just big enough to hold ten peaches ar
ranged in row.
The scene attending the opening of
the Gunnison tunnel this afternoon was
most picturesque. On either side of the
deep ravine leading from the portal of
the great bore several thousand people
were gathered.
A little stand had been erected for
the president and his party right at the
edge of the cut and looking down 150
feet to the opening of the tunnel.
Hewn Through Mountain
The tunnel has been hewn through
six miles of mountain range. When
the project is completed next spring it
will divert the waters of the Gunnison
river to the valley on this side of the
mountains.
The vista of rolling hills and barren
mountain ranges, the mesas and table
lands stretching along the hazy hori-
zon. the surrounding acres of sage ana
greasewood, the red light of the slant
ing sun, the black clouds of curling
smoke from the "double-header' train
climbing up the winling pathway of
rails to the 600O-foot elevation at the
tunnel mouth, all contributed to make
the scene one to be remembered by
the president as unique in all his
travels.
During the day, Mr.. Taft was pre-
sented with a golden key to the city
Of Montrose. a gold badge commem-
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