Gunnison news-champion. [volume] (Gunnison, Colo.) 1905-1932, 1923-03-16
All Lining Up for
The Santa Fe
lContinued on page fourl

NNSAlANSI On page lOur1
come % G1Hnison or Southern Colora-
O. fields.
WIKI the Santa Re, on the other
hand, the real desire Is TO open and
develop such trade for the almost coal
ls-a regions OF ArIzoEa, New Mexico.
NsF ada and Southern California and
LeL8cJ. OR anthracite coal would
b. ~ great demand there, for no other
nearby deposit Is known except a small
one 81 Gallup, New Mexico. The fruit
sections Of Fremont, Montrose, Delta
and Mesa counties would Immediately
receive plenty Of refrigerator ears,
since the Santa Re has ten thousand Of
them engaged IN California trade, a
.4rge part Of which comes al a differ
ent time Of year The Burlington has
but small need for refrigerator cars,
and II i bulk more, would only use
them IN cur business three months out
% the twelve.
VIII il mean a broad gage! was
the question asked DR.. Ferris. He
could give no promise OF that, and
neither can anyone else, but in the yer;
nature Of the case, il would seem that
a real, live railroad, with plenty of
broad gage equipment and two hun
dred million surplus for Improvement
would not run antiquated narrow gage
lines thru such important producing
regions as the Rio Grande third diyi-
son.
The convention began at $3.50 and
lasted without interruption until $3.50,
except for luncheon served by the
Chamber Of Commerce. After finding
the continent unanimous in favor of
the santa Fc merger, il was decided 10
secure the services of the famous Chi
caEo lawyer, Clifford ThOrne, who will
prepare the case of the people of our
section OF Colorado to present before
the commission.
Mr. Long attended the meeting Mt
Moutrose on the sth and reported
delegates present from every section 4
o.! our Western Slope valleys except 7
Grand Junction. The business men of Z
that city appear TO be on the fence 4
lie -tates that there seemed TO be no
question at all IN the minds Of repre-
natives present rs between the
santa Re and any other connection
for The Rio Grande. There was no
fight on the Rio Grande itself, OF
against employees, as some seemed
- think, but simply the undeniable
fact that bad management and per-
aaps the stock broker ownership had
well nigh ruined the road as a trans
puratlon system. Some change is
Necessary. 1t seemed good to find all
" estern Colorado absolutely united
FOR once. Not a dissenting opinion
7s.s voiced, and the Western Slope
! TansportatIon Association was
formed with membership in each coun-
y and city. Mr.. Long, himself, was
representative from Gunni-
son county, and as representing the
.iunnison Stock Growers, Associa-
ton, Walter Mergelman of Jacks
cabin was named.
To those who fear our efforts will
not amount to anything. both Mr. Fer
ris and C. NJ. Long of Gunni-
son, and Joe Brown, of Montrose,
with whom the Ncws-Champion re-
porter talked. were convinced that il is 4
afeI 10 make the effort. There is
more behind this proposition than we
know. As matter of fact, the Inter
state Commerce Commission has al
ready, on the advise of its own ex-
perts, linked the Rio Grande with the
Santa Re as transportation PROPOSE
lion, and It only requires mandate
that it shall not be sold to any other
system and recommendation to the
federal courts that our road, now in
he hands of receiver, would be best
disposed of as a subsidiary to the San
a Fe. The hearing in Denver is to
give all factions show to present
arguments.
Denver people are just beginning TO
awaken to the possibilities that the
preferential freight rates and other
railroad privileges she has been en-
oying without reasonable return to the
rest of the state, may slip away from
her. There is howl going up, long
and loud, but we have grievance Of
80 years standing here, and will be
heard.
Best Of all, our people are actually
united. Outside of Grand Junction, not
4 dissenting voice is heard. Let US
make it Santa Fe all the way" II