The Arvada enterprise., 1917-05-24

p!OrerS, prOSpectOrS and adventurous
who sought what they craved in the
wild hills. There were one or two good
hotels for tourists. unusually extensive
general stores Of the Better class.
where hunting and prospecting parties
'Ould be outlitted, and the high-llving
extravagnnt cattle ranchcrs could get
what they demanded. Besides all
these there were the modest homes Of
the lovers OF the rough but exhilarating
and hcalth-giving life OF the Rocky
mountains. OF course there were nu-
inerous saloons and gambling halls,
and the town was the haunt of cow
boys, hunters. miners, Indians-the old
frontier witt a few touches Of civilian
ton added!
What waa left of the river. which
had made the valley-and during the
infrequent periods OF rain too brief to
be known aS the rainy season. 1t really
lived up to the name Of river-nowci
mcrrily through the town, when it
flowed at all, under the name Of Picket
Wire. When the railroad came the
the hope Of finding practicable way
over the mountains. but the ravine on
the other side OF the mesa had been
found to offer a shorter and more prac-
tlcahle route. And, by the way, this
rnvirc, taking It's name from the little
brook far down In Its narrows, was
known as the "Kicklng Horse"
So the railroad ran up the ravlne
and the Picket Wire was left still vir-
gill to the assaults of man. But the
day came when it was iespoiled of its
hitherto long standing, unraviShed in
hocence. Shouts of men, cracking of
whips, trampling of horses, grooming
Of wheels, wordlcss but vocal protests
Of beasts of burden mingled with the
ringing Of axes, the detonatlons Of dy-
Mantle. The whistle Of engines and
the roar OF steam filled the valley. Un-
der the direction of engineers, huge
mound OF earth arose across Its mar
rowcst part. nearest shoulder, or
spur, Of the mesa reaching westward.
No more should the silver Picket Wire
flow unvexed on its way to the sea. 1t
was to be damned.
All that the huge, hot Inferno OF
baked plain, where sage brush and
buffalo grass alone grow, needed to
make 1t burgeon with wheat and corn
wns water. The little Picket Wire,
which had mcandercd and sparklel
and chattcrcd on ut Its own sweet will
was now to be held until II filed a
great lakelike reservoir In the hills
back of the new earth dam. Then
through skillfully located irrigation
bitches the water was to be given to
the millions of hungry little wheat tlets
and corniets. which would clamor for
drink. The fierce sun was no longer to
work its unthwartcd will In burning
up the prairie.
With the promise OF water or the
plain beyond. Coronado sprnng into
newer and more vigorous life. In the
language OF the West 1t "boomed." The
railroad had been fOrlorn branch
running up into the mountains and
ending nowhere. Its first builders had
been dauntcd by difficulties and lack
Of money, but ns soon aS the great dam
was projected, which would open Scv-
cral hundred thousand acres for caltI-
walton and serve rs nn Inspiration in
Its practical results to other similar
attempts, people came swnrming into
the country buying up the land, the
price for acreage steadily mounting.
The railroad accordingly found 1t
worth while to tnke up the long.uban-
doned construction work OF mounting
the range and crossing It. Men sud.