The Elk Mountain pilot., 1909-01-07


less make mines not unlike the old
Camp Bird has done for Thomas
Walsh. Thousa sands of mines are
still in the embryo state which only
require longer peri,d to put them
in production and pay. No person
having a knowledge of tue past and
present conditions of the mining
interests upon the Western Slope,
can doubt but that the future will
be greater than the past has been,
and in which will be seen more big
enterprises going, more men EN-
ployed and more satisfactory re-
suits obtained. The old time pros
pector is now being supplauted by
generation better qualified TO tax .
the field through having practical
and theoretical knowledge Of the
requirements necessary to insure
the highest success. The up-to-
date miner and prospector is the
only one who can hope for success
in these times when new metals
and new uses for them are before
the public. as also, new methods
for testing aud treating all classes
of ores and metals.
Second in order, to the natural
resour ;es OF the Western Slope,
may be mentioned the coal depos-
its, which comprise an area III ex-
cess of that found in any other
state in the Union. In addition to
the extent of coal measures We may
add that outsite OF the state Of
Pennsylvania, no other state pro-
duces as good a,quality OF bitumi-
NOUS or anthraalt- conl as Gunui-
son county on the Western Slope
of the state of Colorado. Fer more
than twenty years ~ there been
going from this se not less
than thousand tot daily and
during much Of this SlFiod this
amount has been doublA. With
the advent of the double tracking
OF the Rio Grande and the Colo.
RADIO & Southern lines. which is
now considered to be but a few
months off. it is safely predicted
that the coal shipment from Gun.
nison county will 20 up to many
hundred car loads per day and that
the Missouri river will not see the
further end Of it's transportation
Eastward, while shores of the Pa
sifi: ocean will alone limit it's traf
tic Westward. Relative TO the fu-
ture demand and production Of
OF coal from the great coal msnsur-
es oil the Western Slope, we can
predict that this matter rests en-
tirely with transportation facilities
furnished to the producers.
There are the great stskrd plains
lying between the Rocky monnt-
aims and the Miseippi river East
ward, and now given over entirely
to teeming population, while on
Westward, seen from Utah to
the coast, are hundreds OF new
mining camps sprincing into life
and with no fuel supply save that
which must come from the great
Western Slope coal mines. No
possible doubt remains respecting
our coal mining industries. The
supply is inexhapstable, the de.
mand unlimited, so consequently
the business must be enduring.
Comparing the natural advsnt.
cges, pertaining to the Agricultural
resources of Western Colorado, as
against those held by the Eastern
portion of the state, it will only he
necessary to see bnth sides during
the Spring or Summer season, to
determine which has most fsvorin2
conditions. After crossing over the
Continental divide at Marshal pass
or elsewhere. it becomes apparent
at once to the observer, that he
has entered a coDntry presenting
far different aspects from that seen
on the plains or upon the foothil