The state herald., 1909-10-01
TAFT PRESSES
The BUTTON
GREAT UNcoMPAHGRE VALLEY
RECEIVES BAPTiZING THAT
MEANS REDEMPTION.
GREAT REJOICING
THE PRESIDENT PAYS TRIBUTE
TO ROOSEVELT FOR HIS PART
IN THE PROJECT.

Montrose, Colo.-President Taft
turned the water Of the Gunnison into
the Uncompahgre valley at 5:1S
o'clock Friday afternoon September
"a. by closing an electric contact with
bell of pure Colorado gold. Cheers
of thousands mingled with dynamite
blasts in valley beyond to signalize
enc of the most important events in
the history Of Colorado.
Chairman +. D. Catlin, as soon as
Taft had pressed the silver plate with
the golden bell, announced to the null
titude that the water which would
irrigate 100000 acres Of the most
fertile land in the world would
begin to flow from the west
ern portal in the next five min
utes. /. w. Mcconnell, consulting
engineer, had been speaking only
three minutes, however, when a voice
was heard shouting, Here 1t comes"
Then a hundred. then 10000 took up
the refrain, and all eyes were directed
toward the portal, which is seventy
five feet below the speakers stand
and about 100 yards away in plain
view of nearly the whole multitude.
At the edge Of the open portal there
was premonitory ripple, then
stately wave and then a rush and roar
of waters. Through the gigantic CO.
ment ditch far below It hurried on its
glorious mission while the bands
played and the crowds renewed their
cheering.
President Taft smilingly enacted
tho rNIn ~ MAaac In hn I
was q serious business for the prophet
and leader Of the Israelites. for all of
his followers were complaining and
despairing. On the other hand 1t was
one Of the happiest tasks Of the Presi-
dents life as he stood amid a con-
tented and prosperous people to strike
water from the mountain OF rock pnd
wed one river to another.
President Taft spoke as follows:
This is the fourth or fifth speech
that have made today on the remark
able character of the event which he
witnessed-the opening OF the Gunni-
son tunnel-and | am sure you will
not expect me to dilate upon that sub
ject further. 1t was considered with
eloquence and with great deal Of in
formation In respect to 1t at the tun-
mel itself.
But your active fellow citizen,
Brother Catlin. would not give me any
chance to say anything at the tunnel.
He concluded that all had TO do was
TO act. and that | could say what
had TO say tonight.
AS have to use my voice n great
deal during the coming two months. l
have to be little careful about speak
ing out OF doors at night because II
is apt to make itself felt the next day.
All I want to say In respect to the
opening of the tunnel Is that there
came over me ms looked ut taht re-
markable occurrence a feeling that
some men SOW while others reap.
THAT tunnel was begun under the
reclamation act which was passed at
the instance and urgent recommenda'
ton OF Theodore Roosevelt. tGreat
cheers and applausc.) Under him the
reclamation service was created and
organized. and under him that tunnel
has been built. and II his name were
not attached with n great many other
works OF usefulness Il might well be
associated In some way with the com.
pletion OF this great work.
1T was u great satisfaction to look
at this completed work. II has been
my fortune In the Philippines and
elsewhere to be in at the beginning
OF the work and to wonder when the
conclusion In coming. When the cul.
mination does come. when the end is
before you, when the structure In
ready to be used. then all the other
trouble and all the labor and all the
doub, and all the burdens that had TO
be undergone In order that the work
might completed disappear In the &C.
stasy OF Joy mt Its full fruition OF com.
plction and that was tue feeling that
we had today.
THAT this work means n great deal
to Colorado everybody who knows
anything about II says II In import.
ant also In that Ia the greatest work
OF the reclamation service thus Tar
completed. II reflects great credit on
those Of the reclamation servic. who
were connected with Its construction,
The forcing OF tunnel six miles lons
through that mountain has not been
nm easy work. |, was referred 10 by
your distinguished orator. Judge Bell
ms n mountain Of granite. Well. I sup
pose II II partly OF granite. n II had
been all granite Il would have been q
great deal easier 10 make the tunnel
ilinn 10 make Il aa u Ia. because there
ARE q good many materials there. un
derntnnd. that are difficult 10 shore M
and mako hold the fem that tho tun
mel must hu'i.
1T IN great engineering work
That II may last and never give any
one trouble and furnish all the water
that you reed and all the life and NIL
the wealth that yol can possibly es
pend In my fcryont wish. Goodbye
Aibor, Mocllcr. who committed sui
eide In Denver recently. bcaucathcd
$4,000 20 tho cause OF Socialism.