Gunnison news-champion., 1920-06-25
SlanRk18 WRALTH CiTED

ooks0o W8A6lo O118V
Accnrate ngun. compiled By n. D.
MeEniry, chief 81 the Denver held
division Of the United States general
land once; A. s. Peek. district for
ester; Horace w. Havens, minernl
superintens;,nt for the stste boerd q
land commissioners, and c. l. Ckst-
field, chief clerk for the same board,
have been issued rs giving . final
clinching argument in favor Of the
speedy construction by the peop2e Of
the three railroad tunnels thru the
Rocky mountains, As proposed By the
state railroad commission
The narrow-gauge route over Mon
arch pass to Gunnison. which would
be shortened and improved by the
Monarch tunnel, taps q territory with
l,354, ,S25 900 feet Of green timber, Mr.
Peck points out.
Even q larger total, the figures
show is within reach of the narrow
gauge line from Elwood pass to Du-
rango and Lizard Head, or 2,a2l PA
900 feet Of standing timber and 1O6,-
OOO, 600, Of the dead species
Millions In School Lands
Colorado owned 522, 5lS.22 acres of
school lands on Nov. 80, 1918, in the
nineteen counties which the three
tunnels would affect, Mr.. Chatfeld's
report indicates, Of which 1856, 959.A8
acres are vacant. Included in the
total are 1928, 1926 acres of grazing
land. 7,066.56 of agricultural lands,
and 3S5, ,559l2 acres under lease. On
a valuation of SIS an acre the states
are estimated to be worth $3.50, 900
Mr.. Chatfield informs the commission.
Mr.. Haven shows q total coal land
acreage owned by the state in this
western territory, Of 242, ,62977 acres
with an estimated possible tonnage of
2,4O2 1854 ,253.
The Monarch Pass tunnel would
benefit 3,5S9.953 acres of public land
in the nine counties to which it would
send it's railroad. Mr. McEnery points
out; the San Juan tunnel would bene-
fit 672 ,l95 acres in four counties; and
the Moffat tunnel would aid 4,125, 1888
acres in nine counties.
When the last report was issued on
July l, 1919, Mr.. McEniry informed
the commission there were 9,547 ,97S
acres of vacant public land in Colorado
exclusive Of the 14,748,943 in the ma
tional forests, and of this total g.
?SS,13I acres lay west of the portals
of the proposed tunnels. Eleven mil
lion acres of the national forest area
are likewise to the west of these por-
tails, Mr.. McEniry said.
Opens Up National Forests
The Moffat tunnel project would
reach 3,704 ,029 acres of national for
est lands the Monarch Pass tunnel
3,449,24S acres and the San Juan
tunnel, 3, 49,, 2,24O acres, the field divi-
sion chief points out.
In citing the estimated value of the
coal and timber in the national for
ests, Mr.. McEniry said: "The greater
part of the cattle and sheep industry
of this state, which has added such
great wealth to the citizens of Colo
RADIO, is largely dependent upon these
national forests. More than half of
the metal mines of the state are with
in these same areas"
A scientist of the United States
geological survey recently told the
writer that in his judgment one Of
the largest tracts of high-grade btu
minous and semi-anthracite coal in
the United states lies along the coun-
ty line of Delta and western Gunnison
counties, and can be made available
by a short spur from the Somerset
branch of the Denver & Rio Grande
railroad. These lands are classified
ut from $3.50 to $40O an acre under
the old coal land law.
100000 Acres in Southwest
The San Juan tunnel would make
available the coking Goals of the La
Plata county and rather large area
of steaming and domestic Goals in that
and adjacent counties. There are
more than 100000 acres of coal land
in the southwestern part of the state.
Would Aid Sugar Beet Industry
Completion of the Monarch Pass
tunnel would mean rapid development
of the sugar beet industry in Mont
rose, Delta and the Mesa counties, he
added because of the lower railroad
grades which would permit a more
economical marketing of the farmers
profit than at present over the d. e.
Il. G. route over Tennessee pass.
In closing Mr.. McEniry said prob
ably 100000 acres of the 5000, 900
acres OF public land west of the di-
vide in this state are fine farming
lands available to citizens under the
enlarged homestead law in 320-acre
tracts, or under the desert land act,
not requiring residence.
"The building Of the three proposed
tunnels in my Judgment" Mr.. Nc:
Entry told the commission, twill
greatly enhance the values of all the
lands on the western slope and bring
greater prosperity than ever before to
the citizens of this state"