The Meeker herald., 1921-10-01
Rich Northwest Mining District Il
U'ntleveloped for Lack Of TranspOr-
tatiOn Facilities

By Victor G Anderson, President OF
Colorado School of Mtncs
| Routt. MUffnt and Rio BlancO coun-
ties form the great undeveloped north
west empire of Colorado, and Crnig Is
It's geographic and economic capital.
This region is held back, restrained,
even bottled up. because of lnck of tie
most essential element In the develop
mrnt of Il new country-cheap and eff
cicnt trnn.J ortntion. ThG natural rc-
sources of t..is region. when express
In figures. re astounding yet its prol-
nets cannot reach the mrrkets of the
world. No section of Colorado ne.ls
development more than this one does.
and no section would respond In min
eril. farming and livestock production
any quicker If development needs were
supplied
The need of transportation is obvious.
Craig should have n rnilrOnd outlet to
the north. to the east, to the south.
and to the west. Specifically II railroad
| uussU i'"i" '"'H =" "
the Union Pacific. distance OF ioi
miles. with less than a l percent grade
would give this region an Quiet 10 IL
trunscontental line and open n market
east and west. An extension OF the MOI
fat line westward. or Tie h"iidihe Oh
the Hamburger line eastward to craig.
would give an outlet to Salt Lake 'lty
and the west and would unshackie
Mcekcr and Rio blanco county n
short line, fOrty-three miles from Sthte
bridge to Dotsero-on the Denver x fio
Grande rnilroad. would give another
outlet to trnnscontinentnl line. Out
lets to the markets OF the world are
the needs of this great undeveioped EN-
pire. When supplied as they surely
will he in time. this region Will devel-
Op growth. an increase In population.
and mn economic importance or value
to the entire state. for the simple rcn-
son that II has natural resources IN nb-
undancc and would furnish NIL the ton
mage that the railroad lines suggested
could handle.
I COnl is king. The coal deposits. FOR
thickness of strata. extent of area. car
rying qualities nnd cnlorifc value.
make this deposit the most valuable In
the United States. II not In the world.
Specifically, there arc l2W square
miles undcrlnid with coal which Will
produce thirty thousand million tons
of excellent coal. Coal Ia the most I'M
portnnt element in developing economic
Importance. The potential resource OF
coal In this empire is virtually mex
hnustible. hut lack Of adequate rail
road transportation retards its develop
mcnt. Large coal companies ms at
Mount Harris and Mt Oak Creek are
now operating and Routt county coal
Is well known. However. to get this
coal to Denver requires n railroad hnul
over Corona pass Mt an elevation OF IL
GOO feet. Three locomotives are used
to haul fourteen cars of coal over this
pass and they burn carload Of coal
In the operation. The price Of Routt
county coal when delivered in Denver
is. then. necessarily high. IF however.
This coal could he routed thru Craig
To Wamsutter the great market Of Cal
foria and the Pacific coast would he
open to 1t. The most accessible expos
urc of n very large vein Of coal is Mt
Mount Strectcr. thirty miles southwest
of Craig. Here Is n solid vein of clear
marketable coal twenty-five feet thick
A chemical analysis. by the United
Stntes bureau of mines. Of sample
from this vein is ms follows.
Moisture: nirdried--S.4S: ms received
--11.45: Moisture free-none: ash free