The state herald., 1909-03-19

| of the barren and uninviting country
traversed came to be understood, the
people at large. interestingly overlook
ing the scenes of his operations and
the procession of great consequences
which followed in the wake of his en-
gineers and tracklayers through deep
canons and gorges-began to see that
new and prodigious force had come
among them for universal good.
They saw in him splendid epi-
tome of progressive vitality, who
raised millions abroad and spent them
here in n time when markets were
stagnant and confidence In the West
nearing its lowest stage. and winning
success with an untried experiment
which the orthodox builders of the
time regarded with doubt and suspi-
cion because it was radical innova-
tion OF their established usage. hav-
ing no part in their education and ex-
perience.
His original plan was to construct
base line from Denver to FL Paso.
Tex, and from it send out distributing
lines TO all parts of the Rocky noun
tains, bold and broad conception
based upon his comprehension of
the value of the region. Only the res
dents of the territory at the period
of its inception can fully appreciate
the magnitude of the undertaking or
realize the daring OF the mind that met
and mastered all the difficulties that
lay in the path OF his ambition.
ITO comprehend even approximately
d ha xuh lob h..
entered when the Denver & Rio Grande
railway was incorporated, we must ad.
vert to the original state of the coun-
try in 1871 and accept the fact that be-
tween Denver and Pueblo and west
and south of the latter point there was
little beside open, uncultivated, unde-
veloped plains and mountains; no
| Colorado Springs. no Manitou; not a
town nor hamlet save few struggling
cabins at Colorado City and Fountain;
no evidence of remarkable resources;
Pueblo but village Of a few hundred
inhabitants without commercial impor.
tance: no Bessemer or El Moro: no
coal or iron mines opened: Trinidad
and Walsenburg small Mexican settle
ments: Canon City scarcely more than
an abandoned townsite.
THE wonderful resources of Lead
vile were undiscovered: Durango,
Buena Vista. Salida, Grand Junction.
Mont"ose. Glenwood Springs and AS
pen unoccupied: the rich valleys be-
yond the Marshall pass a part OF the
! Ute Indian reservation: the San Juan
region. though known. comparatively
unsettled. the San Luis valley with
the exception OF the Mexican towns of
| Conejos and Costllla, In It's primitive
state: Santa Fe as remote and unap.
proachable by our lines of commerce
40 the City of Mexico itself. Yet Gen
| eral Palmer's doubtful experiment"
| In less than two decades Of time pro-
| luced the extraordinary, the almost be.
wildering contrast between the situa-
! ton Just defined and the present. a
/ country now dotted with brisk. most of
them beautiful and prosperous. towns.
| the greater part OF them presenting
scenes OF industry in manifold forms
creating commerce from the soil and
wealth for the people.
Then came, as we have seen, para.
lying financial embarrassment that
/ even palmer's versatile genius and
eNhaustless energy could not over.
come: the enforced surrender 10 the
Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fc: the
prolonged struggle with that power;
| the desperate strife for possession OF
! the Grand canon of the Arkansas. and.
nt last. victory; the restoration OF the
road. new era of building and cxten-
| sion. second submission TO the incv.
table and the final severance of his
connection with the company"
when the difficulty between the Rio
| Irande and the Atchison. Topeka a.
| Santa Fc was decided by the action of
| the Supreme Court In Washington on
April /. 1880. In favor Of the former.
! General Palmer resumed the prcsidcn-
/ cy of the road and held II until some
| time In 1888. when dlssonsion arose
between the directors and officers OF
the railroad and the Colorado Coal and
! Iron Company. which resulted In Gen.
crnl Pnlmcr's resignation. In this con.
neciion Il may be mentioned that Gen.
oral Palmer was the real founder OF
the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company.
now one OF the most powerful corpora.
tionR In tho country. The company
was originally projected by him In
! 1872 as the Central Colorado Mnnuiac.
turing Company end later came 10 bs
known as the Colorado Coal aud Iron
Company. which name was again
changed to the title the company holds
| Al present
| After his resignation M president OF
the Denver a Rio Grande. General
Palmer pushed with renewed vigor
| the construction OF tho Mexican Nm.
tionnl railroad from Laredo. Tex. TO
] hN nj nf "A IA
retaining tho presidency OF the RIO
Grandc Western. the road which he
built from Grand Junction. Colo. TO
Salt Lake and Ogden, l'tnh. and which
turned OUT eventually 10 be The most
profitable Of all his ventures from the
standpoint OF personal gnln