Show c s 1 WESTERN COLORADO Business Men of tire the Western estern Slope Meet at 1st Ouray The third meeting of the Western Wester Colorado Congress took tok place at Ouray beginning on decorated In an attractive at at- the tho The town was wa at tanner manner and the citizens exerted themselves to the utmost to t please plene their guests guest lest Fifty members of th the reception comI com com- I f were at the depot with hacks and carf carriages car ear rages to escort them to t their hotels hotel and tho the j streets were soon son thronged to almost I Among the guests were President I Jeffery of the Rio Ro Grande and Otto Oto Mears At 1 o'clock the tho miners' miners drilling contest contes was announced to commence and md the crowd surged in the direction of park where a large stand had been erected and Immense immense im Im- immense mense blocks of Gunnison G granite and other hard rock placed thereon to be drilled by tho the experts ts The prizes offered aggregate 00 At 5 o'clock the drilling contest the prizes cs were an awarded as f follows i FIrst st to Donavan and Braley second to Mannion and Lynch and the single handed prize to t Al AI Lindquist Following are arc the number of Inches drilled by b each In fifteen minutes the allotted time I Double Double- Double Mannion and Lynch 23 2 3 3 20 Donovan and Braley 23 2 7 10 7 j Kennedy and hull Hill 21 7 LaPlant and 22 Reagan and Jones 22 an and Crothers Croth- Croth ers Handed Single larded Single 14 Brown 11 HUi 14 1 7 16 7 Johnston 16 lOX 16 Anderson 12 5 16 G. G F. F Lindquist 11 HU A. A L. L Lindquist 17 The Thc first session of the congress opened at 8 o'clock and addresses of welcome were made responded to by the president Judge Theron Stevens The next morning the committee on credentials creden creden- reported and handsome badges bages Were vere distributed dis ds to the thc delegates After Aler the report of oth other r committees lion lon C. C L. L Hall nal of Ouray was I for on an a hour on the subject of mining an ano ant free coinage Mr Halls Hall's Hals Hal's speech was receive with great enthusiasm and he was wa given a ii vote of thanks at the tho close A resolution Indorsing In In- doi dorsing sing the free coinage of silver was WI read an and l passed Rev O. O E. E of Grand Junction next read a paper which was wa replete In statistics statistics statis statis- stats tics showing all al the great resources of the theS San Juan country It I was wa a very able document docu doeu- S ment and a resolution praising it I hI highly was pasc passed by the congress President Jeffery Jefery being called caled upon spoke on Railroads In Western Colorado in which he called caled attention to the mutual In Interests interests In- In of ot the railroads and the citizens He ne e also spoke of the lowering 0 of freight rates rate rats during the lost last twenty years Judge John Bell of Montrose then spoke at length on the thc subject of railroads and presented presented pre pre- pre presented in an able manner the opposite side aide from that taken b by Mr h. h Jeffery Jefery He said that when the interstate railroad law was In in this state stat the te Western slope prospered and flourished as it never had before and never nevet has since and never will 1 until it becomes in force again He le showed how hOv the population of Montrose county was dwindling away and said that thousands of of tons of alfalfa alala and thousands of bushels of potatoes were rotting and going to n waste aste because t tb te e c farer farmers could not pay the freight rate rat asked by the railroad to take them to a I market This he attributed largely to the pooling arrangement the Dene Denver Denver Den- Den ver e d Rio Ro Grande road road has or Is i supposed to te have with wih the Midland S Judge Bell Bel was followed by delegates from Grand Ouray and many other beauties localities beau beau- local local- ties tes who said their section of the county had bad ha kicks to m make ke because of discrimination against them and In favor of Denver The railroad question would not down and andt tb t s subject jec of ol Jie te e en ent r afternoon session until After I half hal the delegation present had turned it over from their point of view and the kicks from all al sections seemed to t be about all al in President Jeffery again took the te floor 1001 and spoke In answer to the grievances which had been presented He said that the matters brought out from Montrose and Grand Junction Juno Juno Junc tion Ion seemed to him to be just causes for complaint complaint com com- plaint that he be had never heard of them before before be be- bo fore but would woud immediately proceed to t Investigate investigate them and would see that if such wrongs actually existed exsted they should be righted at once He lie le desired to treat the people high and low rich or poor from one locality or of another with respect and attention and only asked for his road load the same rights rIght and privileges privileges leges which it should accord to the people tion His Ils promise was fl received with great A At t the evening session the resolution appropriating appropriating ap ap- ap- ap for the tue purpose of endeavoring endeavor endeavor- ing lug to enforce the Interstate commerce law law In Colorado was Vas passed after much discussion pro and con a as a was wa also the pool anti ant pol resolution tion ton offered by Colonel Brown at the last sea ses session se sion of the Congress at a Aspen Hon lion II 11 I. I H. H Eddy delivered an address on the cattle cate industry Mr Ir Eddy gave gae the following Interesting statistics In 1ST 1870 1876 the four counties embracing then the Western ester slope were assessed as follows Horses valuation cattle catte 2712 valuation sheep valuation In 1891 the Western slope embraced eighteen counties and was assessed Horses valuation cattle cate valuation sheep valuation The The western slope of Colorado contains 31 00 square miles mIe of territory It is i two two- two thirds as large as England larger than Scotland Scot Scotland Scot Scot- land and as large as are In Included Included In In- eluded in It as many miles mies as Denmark possesses and Denmark supports a population population tion ton of At the Thursday morning moring session a resolution tion ton was wa passed indorsing Grand Orand Junction as asa asa a a site sie for a smelting plant nt Dr W Wi W. W Roan of Ouray delivered an address on Professional Professional Professional Men of Colorado The m T address was wa characteristic of the doctor and drew rounds rounds rounds' o of applause Judge John Gray of Montrose then read a I paper upon agriculture and horticulture horticulture hort- hort horti horti- culture and Major E. E H. H Cooper of Cortez delivered an address on the reso resources cc and productions of Montezuma uma county which was replete with valuable information The congress reassembled at 2 2 p. p m. m and andUle the Ule subject of public parks and nd forest reserves was WI and discussed at length The proposed ed reserves now being under consIder consideration tion ton by the thc United States government for establishment in Colorado u were ere bitterly op opposed opposed op posed by a I majority of the te delegates and speeches relative to the matter mater were verc made by byH II H II H. I. I Eddy Adair Wilson Wilsom and many others A resolution was f finally aly passed placing the congress on record as being opposed and entirely en- en en en- against the establishment by the government gov gov- in Colorado of any rewire whatever A A committee was appointed to confer conler with manufacturers about the establishment of plants upon the Western slope consisting of of Pitkin Pierson of Ouray and Grove of Hinsdale Each delegation was Instructed to appoint a corresponding secretary who would compile compile com com- pile information regarding his county and send the same to the secretary of the te congress It I was decided to hold the next meeting on the of November er at Durango The following following fol fol- following fol- fol lowing officers w were er ere elected President Ed F. F Brown of Aspen Aspen vice-president vice B. B W. W Bitter Ritter of secretary R. R r. r tV of Aspen Aspe and Sam G. G Gill Gi of Gunnison treasurer The thanks of ct the were then tendered tendered ten ten- dered to the members r of the tte pre press s and adjournment ad- ad W was taken A ball was wa given giyen in the te evenIng and md Friday a around w tak taka upon tho the invitation pf of reri S 5 |