The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-24
TAFT OPENS
 IMMENSE TUBE Gunnison Tunnel Now
 Compete. COLORADO PAYS TRB UIES Western Fafmers Royalty Enter
 tain PfesNent I. speeehss, Special Rsfsrsses =
 Made Ts Big Irrisatssn and Recisnatisn Projects AnA Their Results.

Montrose. Coio.., Sept 2s--Presidsnt Taft passed the day Ion the Western slope of the Rocky Mountains and amid e succession of scenes typicai>of
 the great Western country. In many
 respects. this day was one of the
 most interesting he has had since leaving Boston. Late this afternoon. Mir. Taft stood on the brink of the deepest irrigA- ton ditch in all the West and far ons in the foot hills with not . settlsmsut in sight. made the electrical connec- ton which started a flow of watsr through the Gunnison tunnel that will reclaim l40.oo0 acres of arid lands. It was the setting In operation of the greatest irrigation project the United States government has ever undertaken and the opening was mada the occasion of-a joyous celebration throughout the Valley of uncompeerss Before travelling out Co the West portal of the tunnel on little narrow
 gauge train. the President visitsd the Montrose county fair and after some formal speech-making in which the mayor. the governor and several others participated. he was given . real touch Of Western iife--a relay race of COW girls. C race was arranged espoctai~ | ly In honor of the President and was novel and exciting affair. A gtff of le was matched against two older
 riders and carrying the sympathy of the crowd with her from the start. won
 the two and . half mile race with
 three changes of horses by almost q
 quarter of . mile.
 Kniekerbeckers wsn. The little girl, Mss Bertha Elsie Hull, wore knickerbockers. whiie the two oiier riders wore undivided skirts.
 The impeachment of the latter turned the tide of the contest and when the
 second change of horses came. little
 Miss Hull was galioping along 60 fsf
 in front that the result was never again in doubt. An three of the riders
 were presented to the President, who climbed in the judge's stand op the fair ground track to witness the sAaez. | After his travels today the PreefAsnk l had ample opportunity ta stuAy the I effect of girrf9ation. For . ionx tinp~ his train would run through stretciS f of country where as far as the eyS could reach, the only vegetation in lsight consistsd of a few grease wood
 e rocky canyon, the train would sud-
 denly rush on veritabqe oasis. where
 waving green fields Of aifaifa and
 miles of orchards with trees laden
 with fruit told ,of the miracle wrought by the touch of water. E. At Grand Junction and here at
 Montrose. the President visited tho
 fruit exhibits at tho county fairs and was told the almost unbelievahle story of the seasons yields. .a sass
 At almost every stop. the bagsa@s car was laden with fruit One litsia
 box. yard long. was just big enough to hold ten peaches arranged In row. The scene attending the opening cE the Gunnison tunnel was picturesQue.
 On each side of the deep rayius lsAd- ing away from the portal of the great bore. several thousand people were gathered. A little stand had been
 erected for the President and his party
 at the edge of the cut and looking
 down 1s0 feet to the opening of the
 tunnel.
 Tunnel Six Miles Lang. The tunnel has been hewn through
 six miles of a mountain range and
 which. when the project is compless
 next spring, will divert the waters 0g the Gunnison river.l now flowing away
 in waste. to the valley on this side
 of the mountain. where minor pro- Jects of irrigation already have told the wonders of the soil.
 During the day. MT. Taft was pre-
 scented with a goljen key to the city of Montrose. a gold badge eosn-
 memorating his visit and a gold tabis bell. It was with this little bell that the President opened the tunnel. The weight of the bell was set upon a cop-
 per plate representing the district of
 reclaimed land. made the electrical
 connection which caused a squad og
 laborers several miles away to knock
 down the bulkheads which were hold
 ing back the waters of the river. AS
 the muddy wall of water rushed noleily out of the concrete hole. the crowd cheered.
 In all of his speeches today. inciud- ing the last one delivered at Q o,oluek tonight to a throng In Elks Park. fof- lowed an illumination parade and a display of fireworks. the President touched briefly upon the subiect of irrigation. He promised the people ae Grand Junction promptly to look into the matter of completing the Grand Valley, or High Line ditch project there. which was begun q year ago by Secretary Garfield on . partner. ship arrangement between the govern ment and the land owners. Secretary Ballinger ordered the work stopped and was upheld in this action by At torney General Wickersham. who de- clared the contract and the 'Garfseld currency certificates" which had been Issued for work performed. ''to be H. legal"
 Fight Mars Visit.
 But one little incident marrad the Presidents visit and that was at the conclusion of the tunnel opening this afternoon when one of the thirty-tw0 Colorado sheriffs who have aceompa- nied tho President across the state, got into an altercatIon with n. |. Dan ieis. superintendent of the tunnel, when the latter was trying to shake hands with the President. MT. Danieis was knocked down and for Q tuna trouble was threatened. as hia friends were quick to resent the action Of the officer. who during the scufrie. pulled an enormous pistol from his belt Tho President heard the quarreling ana stopped for a moment us he was mnk- ing his way to the train. He was told there was nothing serious. however. and proceeded.
 Secretary Ballinger. who is accom- panying the President. also spoke here tonight. He referred to the subiect of reclamation, howaver. only n a general way and his talk was brief owing to < bad throat