Arizona republican., 1909-09-24

 GAVE SIGN Which Set Waters Rushing Through Gunnison Tunnel IA ACRIMONIOUS EVENT MT. Taft Reveled Amid the Display of Varied Fruits at Colorado County Fairs. Was Given a Glimpse of Western Life

1 Taft spent today on the western slope of the Rocky mountains amid a sue cession of magnificent scenes. In
 many respects the day was one of the
 most interesting he has had since
 leaving Boston.
 Late this afternoon MT. 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 a settlement in sight, made the
 electrical connection that started the
 flow of water through the Gunnison
 tunnel that will reclaim 10000 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 oc-
 casion Of a joyous celebration through
 out the valley of the UEcompahgre-
 Before travelling out to the west
 portal of the tunnel on a little narrow
 gauge train. the president visited the
 Montrose county fair and, after some
 formal speech making in which he and the mayor and the governor and sev-
 eral others participated, he vas given
 q real touch of western life-a relay
 race of COW girls. The race was ar
 ranged especially in honor of the
 president and was a novel and eXcit
 ing affair. A girl of sixteen 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 quar- ter of a mile. The little girl, Miss Bertha Elsie Hull. wore knickerbock- CTS, while the two older riders wore divided skirts. The impediment of the latter turned the tide of the contest | and, after the second change of horses, | little Miss Hull was galloping along | so far in front that the result was never a minute in doubt. All three | riders were presented to the president. | who had climbed into the judges stand | on the fair grounds track to witness | the race.
 At Grand Junction and Montrose | the president visited the fruit exhibits | of the county fair and was told al- | most 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 attached to his train were laden with fruits.
 The scene attending the opening of | the Gunnison tunnel was most pie | turesque. On either side of the deep | ravine, leading from the portal of | the great bore. several thousand peo- pie were gathered. A little stand had | been erected for the president and | his party at the edge of the cut and | looking down 15O feet to the opening | of the tunnel. The tunnel had 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.
 During the day Mir. Taft was pre- | sented with a golden key to the city | of Montrose. a gold badge commemor- ating his visit and a gold table bell. | It was with this little bell the presi- | ueIt opened lne tunnel. The Dell, | when set upon copper plate repre- | senting the districts reclaimed land. | made the electrical connection which | caused n squad of laborers several | miles away to knock down the bulk | heads which were holding back the 4 waters of the river
 In all his speeches today, including | the last one. delivered at 9 o'clock to- night to a throng in Elk park follow ing an illuminated parade and display | of fireworks, the president touched | briefly on the subject Of irrigation.
 Secretary of the Interior Ballinger, ] who is accompanying the president, l made a speech here tonight. He re- | ferred to the subject of reclamation | only in a general way. however, and | his talk was brief owing to a bad | throat
 At Grand Junction the president | shook hands with several Indians. In | his Grand Junction speech MT. Taft | said: Tt seems to me. as I look back | upon my course since reached Colo | radO, that there has been nothing but 1 a flow of speech; but as the wonders | of your country open. it is very diff