The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-10-14
THOSE PROPOSED TUNNELS

We are in receipt of letter from
our old friend, Alva Swain, touching
the tunnels we are asked to vote for
this fall Mr.. Swain always writes
entertaingly and convfncingly ii he
has a subject that is possessed of
merit. We are going to.prfnt his en-
tire letter because it gives us just
the background for what we wish to
say in opposition. Please read it
carefully and then if not too much
trouble, we ask for hearing on this
most important question:
Denver, Colo, Oct. z, 1920.
Mr.. C. T. Rawalt.
Gunnison, Colorado.
My Dear Mr.. Rawalt:
notice by the clippings that you
are opposing the building of the tun-
nels l have no interest whatever in
them, save the interest of citizen
of Colorado. believe, Charlie, you
are making a mistake. think that
the State has come almost to the
parting of the ways where it must
either go forward or slip back. The
transportation facilities through COL
orado are abominable. The Union Pa
sire to keep them i'm that condition.
Whereas ten years ago sixty percent
of all western travel went through
Colorado, now only about thirty-five
percent goes through. They get the
Western Trans-contfnental travel.
l understand the Nonpartisan
League is fighting the tunnel. I can
hardly fathom it's program because it
favors State ownership of coal mines
and the only place left to get coal is
the western slope. l grant you, Char
lie. that every criticism against the
tunnels along the line that they will
benefit some particular individual or
corporation may be true, but never
theless the broader view compels me
to believe that Colorado will be bet
ter twenty years from now for hav-
ing built them The loss of crops
and cattle through failure to get
transportation facilities during the
last fifteen years would more than
build either two of the tunnels. The
great San Juan section is at a stand
still because of it's inability to get
transportation for it's stuff.
Just now the Government is plan
ming the construction of a reservoir
in the Imperial Valley. If it starts
to construct that reservoir it will
w.
Colorado, the streams of which are
tributary to the Colorado River. Un-
less we can show that we are trying
to- utilize the water on our own lands
the Government will go ahead with
that project. Certainly the construc-
tion of three tunnels would Indicate
that we are trying to utilize that
water on our own land. To me the
same proposition presents itself to
Colorado that presented itself to the
nation when the latter was proposing
lending its aid towards the construc-
tion Of the Union Pacific Railroad
The same arguments are used against
building the tunnels that were used
against the railroad project. The
building of the Union Pacific Railroad
developed the central west, peopled
our western coast and in fact settled
once and for all the American Geog-
raphy Of the world Had it not been
for the building of that railroad Ja-
pan would long ago have been nib
bling off the western coast of our
hemisphere.
Today man on the Eastern slope
of Colorado is as isolated from the
San Jaun and from the western slope
as can be imagined Especially is
this true in winter. The construction
cost five times as much as is proposed
and If the State never gets a dollar
back, will be a good investment for
the future. Either the people of Col
orado must rise to the occasion that
presents itself today, or this State
should be divided into two common
wealths, western and eastern Colo
RADIO.
May I, without the least intention
of causing you embarrassment, recall
to you the 18th and the 18th general
Assemblies when you and Mr.. Meade
Hammond pied for state building OF
the Gunnison Canal. remember well
the powerful arguments the two OF
you put forth, the pictures you drew
of that great empire which lay un-
developed and which needed the kiss
of the water to the sand dust plains
| to bring further civilization it's most
beautiful fruition. Colorado respond
| ed to your call and started the work.
To be sure Colorado did not finish it.
but is was the elouuence of yourself
and Mr.. Hammond that finally result
ed in the Canal being built.
Today the water has kissed those
dust land plains and last year in your
county alone over twelve hundred car
loads of products spoiled because
Lncro WAS iio eiuhoPoi 20 asfoh AoSiisiS~
to get it to market. The building of
the Gunnison Canal developed that
empire, but like all great projects it
imposed new responsibilities upon
the State. One of those responsible
ties is the providing of means of
Transportation whereby the products
raised can be gotten to marset. The
construction of the three tunnels will
practically solve that problem.
A quarter of century ago you
started the agitation for the Gunni-
son Tunnel The situation today is
the natural result of that work Are
you going to hold back on the breech
straps?