The Delta independent., 1909-06-18
Committee Gather at Mont.
rose to Arrange for the
Opening, Sept. 28th.
Opening to Be in Form Of Great
Exposition, and All Products
Of Valley to Appear in
One Grand Display.

The Gunnison Tunnel Opening Com
mittee met last Saturday at Montrose,
and made arrangements for the big
event which will take place Septem-
Der 2Sth.
1t was decided that the celebration
should be on the order of big expo
sition and all the products:of Montrose
and Delta counties be exhibited. A
suggestion was also made that the
counties of the San Juan district be in
vited to exhibit display of their min
erals
From Olathe Messrs. Casner, Hor-
ton and Ellicker represented that town.
Messrs. Stockham, Seaton King and
Taylor spoke for Delta They were
all enthusiastic in the matter of max
ing exhibits and stated that each would
do its best to carry off the prizes. In
the language of Mr.. Seaton: I'VE
will come up and exhibit against you if
you will permit US to beat you on your
own ground"
That was the kind of spirit the Mont
rose men liked to see and told them to
come on, Montrose would give them
run for their money. 1t will be
Delta county against Montrose county.
A representative from the Payne
Fire Works company wanted to make
a pyrotechnic display of fireworks dur
ing the celebration, asking for 81, $50
for this purpose and promis I'd hum
mer but the committee thought it was
too much money and took the matter
under advisement.
On motion it was ordered that the
5000 pamphlets which are now being
printed, be distributed in proportion to
the amount of the subscriptions paid in
toward the celebration.
A button badge has been approved
by the committee and these are to be
sold for 50 80 per 100 5 cei Is each.
They are oval and contain a picture
of President Taft, the Gunnison tun e.,
and the words Meet Taft at the Cum
nison Tunnel Opening Celebration. "
Very reat. A meeting arranged for
Delta next Monday night with the
Delta Business Mems association. the
object of which will be to formulate
general program for celebration. A
number of our people will go to Delta
at that time. F. D. Catlin will deliver
speech on the Uncompahgre valley.
Inasmuch as on the night of the 22nd
instant bunch of 25 are to be initiated
in the Elks lodge here, mostly Delta
| ,,aopla q cnp,nittaa was appnipta1 m
see if a big meeting of the tunnel
celebration committee could not be held
in this connection and also arrange for
a little spread. The following COM
mittee was appointed: w. D. Redding,
]. B. olinger. Lynn Monroe, W. H.
Fleming and ]. Mccarthy.
The Gunnison Tunnel, one of the first.
largest, and most costly of the enter
prises undertaken by the United States
Government, will be formally opened
next September. President William H.
Taft will press the button that will
turn into the Uncompahgre valley the
water from the Gunnison Tunnel. BY
the expenditure of about SIS, 900, 0OC
} the government will in this manner
provide permanent homes for not
, less thah 10000 people. The land
which will be watered is exceptionally
fertile and capable of great production.
The tunnel is six miles long and has
capacity of 1900 second feet OF
water. Government engineers investi-
gated the water supply for four years
and determined that there would be nc
diminution. 1t took another four years
to bore the big hole through the heart
of the mountains. The canal at the
outlet of the tunnel where the water is
distributed to the bitches. is wider than
the Erie Canal. and when filled is deep
enough to accommodate battleship.
The big bore will be the greatest tun-
mel ever built in the world for irrigat-
ing purposes.