Gunnison news-champion., 1923-09-21
REVIEW Of BLACK
MESA ROAD PROJECT
Continued from First Page)

lRonLlhuec from firsl faXet
Blk mesa road for the purpose of
M sing reports 20 the various depart
me- represented by them: Major
Jo-- J. Nandemoer. aesSrS. Ed Cow
d. George TOupain and H 7. Reno, I
al z the State Highway department; l
NJ 4. +. PaIen. L. A. Hamilton.
A.. George r. Helleso Of the L. $ /
B-reag Of Public Roads; Messrs. Fred /
y Neudeuhall. Theo- Kruger and Ben /
c aeilmAn Of the L. s. Forestry Ser |
VIZ. Zach of these gentlemen, after I
mixing a thoro investigation OF the |
D. pazed location for the road, said
~; !; would afford later fall and ear
lie spTing travel; that II vas a feast (
b. road proposition and that j; would
- re the people IN a practical way for
u ly purposes
Everyone who has been over the
p pJsed road says that for majestic
b-aGty and mountain grandeur the
s.rrcry Is unsurpassed For num-
b. Of miles the road will follow the
nm Of and parallel the worid-famed
Iark Canon Of the Gunnison, from
~ nose dizzy heights one can zee far
b..gW the silyey', restless river wind
5-. its way amid the iron pillars Of
lie canon walls.
The estimated cost Of the entire SUI
Is eight thousand dollars; sum
tat surely would not be spent, were
. not for the fact that all the puelim-
.lry Investigations showed the pro
g. I'D road to be practical PROPOSE
u al the early pioneers, those brave
..trted men and women, who INST
lmc to the Western Slope, nearly all
. - nom came across the Black mesa,
rom whose crest they first glimpsed
the fertile valleys in which they were
fo make their future homes-wherc
hey and their children and those who
were TO follow in their footsteps were
.u work. toll and spend their lives.
-alld know Of the beginning Of tins
-Irsey, no doubt all these old pioreers
ssould say "Our dreams are coming
True"
Those pioneers who first travelled
INTO the Western Slope across Black
mesa saw the wonderful opportunity
ntTered by the rift thru the mountains
around the point of the great mesa
for the construction of a road most
Of which would have a southern eN-
posture and be from 500 to ! 900 feet
lower in altitude than any other road
that could be constructed thru the
Rocky mountains in Colorado. Each
Of these pioneer men and women had
dreams of the day when road would
be built around the point of Black
mesa and il Is but natural that now,
after so many long years of waiting,
the first actual steps in the construc-
ton of this long-dreamed Of road are
about to be taken. il brings feeling
[ of rejoicing to each of those who are
| living and a wish from all that the
pioneers who have passed away could
/ be with US now to see their dreams
| being realized.
Much credit for the present fayora-
/ BILE status on the construction of the
/ Black mesa road is due to the various
officials Of the State Highway Depart
ment, the U. s. Forest Service, Delta,
! Montrose and Gunnison County Com
missioners, the Bureau of Public
Roads, the Western Slope Newspapers
and to the numerous Commercial, C-
vic and Bankers organizations of the
| Western Slope. and credit should also
be handed to hundreds of individuals
who never lost an opportunity to do
everything possible at all times for
the construction of this road.
Among the first pioneers who came
to the Western Slope looking for loca-
lions were Samuel Wade, Enos Hotch-
kiss and John Mcintyre. These men,
with many others who came later, did
much for the development of this new
country, and by their grit, determine
ton and rigid honesty, which charac-
terizcs all true Westerners, have
made il possible for all of US to enjoy
the many blessings We now have in
this great Western Slope Country.
Many have suggested that when the
Black mesa road is completed and
opened for traffic, as it now seems
certain TO be some day, that the people
of all Western Colorado, of the Gunni-
son valley, and the various officials of
the State Highway, U. s. Bureau of
Roads and Forestry Service all gather
ut some point along the route where
flows a crystal spring and where the
leaves, rs they are stirred by the
mountain breeze, sing songs just as
they sang them in the long ago when
the pioneers were coming into this
Western Country. and at this place
in the presence of the charm of the
goldenrod and the stately columbine
and all the other mountain flowers,
that they DEDICATE this road to
the memory Of those dauntless, fear
less pioneer men and women who dis
covered for all of US the Western
Slope of Colorado. and by their will
iingness to endure the hardships Incl
dent to the life Of all pioneers, made
it possible for all Western Slope citi-
zens to enjoy the blessings of land
where the snow-capped mountains and
the lofty pines kiss the sky, where the
sun shines trifie brighter and the
snow is trifie winter; land of good
health and promise; land Of fertile
soil; land of our HOME-beloved Colo