The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-03-14
DEATH CLOSES
NOTED CAREER
\ Of GEN. PALMER
Soldier, Railroad Builder and
PhiIanthropist Called to
His Reward.
FOUNDED COLORADO
SPRINGS YEARS AGO
WELL KNOWN IN THIS CITY AS
PRESIDENT OF r. G. w.
SOME OF HIS GOOD DEEDS.

Colorado, Springs, Colo, March 49,
General William J. Palmer, founder OF
Colorado Springs. died at his country
seat, Glen Eyrie, west of the city, at
O'Clock this afternoon. Death came as
p. result of a fail from a horse in Octo-
Der, 1906, which resulted in breaking
his back. General Palmer has often
been called the foremost citizen OF
Colorado. He leaves an estate valued
at $l5,O00,0 600
General Palmer was distinguished as
a soldier in the civil war. but his great
est fame came as a railroad builder
Immediately after having been mus
tered out of the service in the summer
of 1866, General Palmer. at the request
of John Edgar Thompson, Thomas A.
Scott and other Pennsylvania railroad
, friends, was elected secretary and
treasurer of the Kansas Pacific Rail
road company. 1t was his connection
with that road which brought him into
Colorado and resulted in his long and
conspicuous identification with the de-
velopment of the resources of this state
and with its upbuilding
Carried Out Many Enterprises.
Besides General Paimer's connection
with the building of the Kansas Pacific
railroad to Denver in 1S6e-7O he con-
ceived and carried out several connect
ing enterprises
General Palmer remained president of
the Denver & Rio Crande system and
its directing personality until August.
1889, when he resigned to give greater
attention TO his railroad enterprise in
Mexico, the Mexican National railroad :
h1rt hc. y.
Rio Grande Western road extending
from Grand junction to Salt Lake City,
until April. 1901, when he withdrew
from personal participation in its af-
fairs.
connection with his inception aud
ccGuuctiOn OF the Denver & Rio
Grande railroad, General Palmer con-
ceiEed and founded upon a beautiful
site near the eastward base of Pixies
Peak, the city of Colorado Springs. near
which. at the foot of the Rocky noun
tains, he has lived since that city came
INTO existence in the summer of 1871.
Father of Colorado Springs.
General Palmer has been justly called
"the father of Colorado Springs" the
city being indebted to him for not only
fks- very existence, primarily. but the
faa that il is one of the cleanest and
most beautiful cities of the west The
broad. well paved streets. lined with
magnificent shade trees; the AntIers'
hotel, and the thousand and one mod
ern buildings and improvements. COM
bine TO make an everlasting monument
to the memory of the one man who.
most OF all, was responsible for them.
The Garden of the Gods. Colorado's
show place. and a spot amply Justify
ing its name. was improved by General
Palmer at enormous expense. and the
landed so decided in perpetuity that the
city will, for all time, be sharer i'm its
glory.
In addition TO a magnificent mansion
within the city proper, a magnificent
country seat, Glen Eyrie. was erected a
few miles west of Colorado Springs. at
the top of the first range of foothills.
During the recent financial depression
in Colorado, hundreds of men We're
thrown out of work and considera Bile
suffering was anticipated. General
Palmer at once hired every available
man, paying them out of his private
funds and. in order that they might
be saved from starving. put them at
work upon the streets and avenues of
Colorado Springs. as we'll as the road
leading TO Glen Eyrie. AS a result of
this action, but little actual suffering
was felt among the labOring classes.