Gunnison news-champion., 1921-04-15
CRAVE SITUATION ARISING
OVER PROPOSED R. R.
ABANDONMENT


pose as an alaTmist newspaper The
article last week on the railroad SIT
gauon. while IL contained some sp-cu-
latIOn and a great many hitherto IN
known facts as % plans Of the new
EIO Grande owner, was not intended
20 convey the idea that there IS no es-
cape from such catastrophe as would
happsn II the New York and Salt
Lake financisrs bottle u UP" in the
fashion proposed.
In the first place i shouldn't De
allowed 20 happen. II We have a
Chamber Of Commerce that is AZ all
awake 70 GuHnisOn's future, the whole
western and southwestern portions Of
the state can be- made 70 ses the dan
ger. We might even count on some
help from Pueblo, Saliia and Canon
City, a. strangely dense IS the
business men OF those cities were to
The relief proposed thru the tri-tun-
mel proposition which they opposed
80 vehemsrtly. Thsre isn't a particle
OF doubt but that the promoters Of
that plan knew last fall OF tins dan
ger 20 Coloradp's industries and that
the three tunnels were intended to
head Il OF. But il seemed very easy
for the financiers Who now have @
triangle hold on the state 70 deceive
the bulk pf tho voter They have
wen gotten further and abolished the
state Railroad Commission. the last
hone NJ saving the N0Fat railroad
which wfIl now be bought for q song,
vhrI" the original stockholders lose
their entire investment. as was the
cas-" with the Rio GTande. Il Is nee
Tssary in the long headed scheme 70
o.. Il. a L
uoEy road thru from Denver 70 Salt
Lake Ctt % have tho NgTut road
ont Of the wuy Just as Il is with the
Rio Grandc and Midland. According
Is Il IT being deliberately ruined by q
receiver appointed and held there
probably by the same interests.
But this jugglcry an high finance Is
coming 70 light II cannot be hid
much longer, and the people once
arour urcd will not permit Western
II f. business men are at all alive
o. situation.
Second, there are natural barriers
IN tho way. Such an outlet FOR tha
Gunui5on valley north, crosses four
divides from GunniE0n and south
western Colorado and three from the
rest Of the Western Slope before
reaching Denver. While the Muddy
divide at Mcclure pass Is low and the
D0tsGro cutoff Is easy grade, they au
ueeless additions to cost OF hauling.
This new road wC { from Denver,
outlined by Supt. Graen NJ MoutnUso,
contCn Cnplatcd q thrcc- mile tunnel und-
CF the main range, .n-tcat Of six
mile tunnel as the M0fTat road own
crs wanted under James Peak. The
cost of keeping a broad gage open
from Somerset to Crested Butte
would be prOhihitive The RIO Graude
has this winter been making some
snow Investigations and finds this one
Of the worst passes in Colorado, and
that in a very mild season. While We
do not think il would worry New
York and Mormon financiers any If
Gunuison and Crested Butte were
shut of from the world for several
months. the rest Of the state could
be appealed to.
Third. there is always the possibili-
ty OF that short road to Denver via
Alpine pass. This is 100 MILES
SHORTER for all Western and
Southwestern Colorado than any
other possible route. II Is an entirely
feasible road, and If pushed TO the
limit, Colorado folks will rebel and
rebuild il.
SO while the danger is not so inn
mediate and there are ways of avoid
ing or escaping il, there & no SOFT OF
doubt but that new owners of the
Rio Graude 4ntcnd to do the very