The Delta independent., 1919-10-24


them now. Other communities get
them. We would have had them our
selves IL we had not for so long a
time drugged ourselves into in
efficiency by feeding ourselves on
promises and branding as pessimist
any man bold enough to look facts
in the face.
Now, what are these facts? The
facts regarding Delta County roads
are that for unmitigated badness they
have never been surpassed in any
land at any time since the days Of
Charles the Second and the only .ev-
ii that cursed the roads of Charles
which can not be duplicated on our
own was highway robbers. These We
do not have. We do not have them
for two reasons. The first is that no
highwayman was ever hardy enough
to pursue a victim over Delta Coun-
ty road, and the second is that any
habitual traveller of Delta County
roads has already spent SO much for
repairs and gasoline that he has moth
| ing left that is worth stealing. Our
roads are not thoroughfares of travel
but barriers against aggression or in
vasion.
Furthermore they are linear land
marks of considerable historical val
ue. Opposite the old Anton Frank
place there is an elevated culvert
with an abrupt depression at the top
of the elevation that has been there
ever since Caesar crossed the Rubi-
con- Normally there is, on the south
side of this elevation, an extensive
lake covering the entire width of the
road to a depth sufficient for motor
boats, but in exceptionally dry seas
ons and when the Gunnison Tunnel
is closed for long periods on account
of repairs this lake sometimes drys
up. In the sedimentary deposit at
the bottom of this lake can be found
the fossil remains of Ford cars and
other marine quadrupeds that have in
habited California Mesa in different
geologic periods.
Proceeding outhward-preferably
on foot-to the Pink School House
the explorer notes twenty-seven deep
and dangerous chuck holes which, al
though they are of somewhat less
antiquity than the lake mentioned
above are represented on all good
maps of the Uncompahgre Valley
published since l74o A d
Having reached the Pink School
House the traveller seeking adventure
1 should turn west. He Will note the
steep crown of the narrow roadway
the top OF which is always so rough
when II is not muddy-that II can
not be traversed. Natives can oc-
casionally be seen driving cars and
other vehicles along the sides of this
steep, round crown. This is thrilling
adventure until It has been rendered
commonplace by repetition. and is
much like riding a bicycle along the
side OF hogshead lying on the
ground.
At the bottom OF the second de-
cliyity is an ancient bridge concern
! ing which there is no authentic hist
ory of an earlier date than 1870. but
the traditions and myths concerning
this bridge extend back to Aztec
times. According to these traditions
the victims chosen for sacrifice in AZ
tee rites sometimes sought refuge un-
der this bridge and used the large
holes in the top Of the bridge as vents
for the escape of smoke.
West OF w. II. Jones place is a
rather pretentious little bridge with q
guard rail at each end of It. II the
guard rail was intended by its an
: cient builders for protection and not
| for ornament It should have been built
across the road in front of the bridge.
for strangers travelling in cars do not
notice till they are almost upon the
bridge that the roadway makes pre-
cipitate descent OF fourteen inches to
the surface OF the bridge and an equal
ly perpendicular ascent of the same
length at the other side.
Having survived the perils OF this
bridge one comes to a steep hill
around one side OF which the narrow
roadway winds to the morass at the
bottom. There is an ancient tradf-
ton that in prehistoric times drain
was built on the inner side of this
roadway to catch the seepage coming
rom the hill and prevent 1t from
| forming glacier across the roadway,
| II this tradition Is true the drain must
have filled up centuries ago. and ev-
cry trace OF It since been obliterated.
for the glacier forms across the road
way every winter now just as 1t did in
| the Tertiary era.
Beyond the morass Mt the bottom
of this hill the roadway makes anoth-
er descent mt the bottom of which is a
bridge covered with ridges and
mounds of exceedingly intricate de-
sign and durable material. History
is silent regarding these curious
| strnctures but I know of my own OBJ