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Show Grande is laying its third rail which must reach New Castle before it can be on even terms with its lusty rival. In the meantime however the city has acquired all the advantages of another through line to Denver that will bear the voyager over au expanse of unrivaled un-rivaled grandeur and open to the producers pro-ducers of the country a market for every article that is grown in the valley of the Jordan. Utah has reason to rejoice. FIRST KICK DOWN. The Santa Fe Closes the Gap and Santa " Out ltd Old Eival for the Time Being. A CHAPTER OF SAVAGE BATTLES The Old Fight That Has Existed Between the Two Eoada for Tears to i . Be Eenewed, The connection between tha Colorado Midland and Rio Grand at Grand Junction Junc-tion has been made and through trains by the way of the mountains are run-niug. run-niug. It was a severe stab in the crest of the Denver & Rio Grande; a victory for the Santa Fe. For years these giants have been cutting at each others throats. At times tho battle has flagged, the dogs of war have slumbered in sulky slumber, but no opportunity to renew hostilities has ever been overlooked., For several years now the daggers have been sheathed. They lost neither glitter nor edge, however, and cut as ferociously today as when they were put aside after the savage conflict at Royal Gorge. That running light constitutes the fiercest fierc-est and bloodiest chapter in tho struggle strug-gle for railw ay supremacy on the frontier. fron-tier. It was a civil war a3 bitter as that which involved the north and south. For years their gladiators had fought for the golden prizes of a western empire. The Leadville with its fabled grandeur arose and both started for its gateway at Royal Gorge. This was . the key that nature had moulded. It unlocked a field that has been worth millions to the Denver & Rio Grande railway. It was the artery . that led to the pletnorio vaults along California gulch. The race for this point was made. The Santa Fe, older in war than its narrow gauge rival, set the pace. And what a pace it was. It was furious as the avalanche. They distanced their competitor and left a terrible gap. Bat Masterson, who contributed con-tributed so generously to the city of the dead at Dodge, but who never yet was taken further than a coroner's cor-oner's jury to vindicate his acts, was placed in commaud of the Santa . Fe forces. At his back was an army of gamecocks. Few of them who had not been tested to the core. On the .other hand the Rio Grande had its fighting hosts in the hands of Joe DeRomer. A gamer leader never trod the granite path of of the mountain peaks or shattered shat-tered the stubborn ribs of the hills. He had a following that knew no fear. Thus were the forces pitched. The Santa Fe bad entrenched itself in the yawning mouth of the gorge. It ha every advantage. ad-vantage. The battle was practically theirs, and the outlook for the opposi , tion was decidedly gloomy. It was then that the Denver & Bio Grande put on its thinking cap and resorted re-sorted to strategy. Their forces were withdrawnthat is, they were apparently appar-ently withdrawn. De Eemer sheathed his sword. He made a unconditional surrender that is, an apparent surrender. In reality he had simply put his bloodthirsty legion In ambush. Calm peace and tranquility had unexpectedly settled over a hori-eon hori-eon that augured blood and war. From this there was another sudden departure. depart-ure. Bat Masterson was "taken by urprise"(?) His enemies gave it out that he was surprised with a purse that contained several thousand dollars. He and his hosts, at all events, evacuated the gorge and DeRemer took possession . The Santa Fe was frenzied. Master-ion Master-ion was deposed and another leader put In his stead. Then the clouds burst their growling cerements and war began be-gan its riotous reign. There was a chapter of fatal engagements. Many a fighter who was paid at a premium bit the dust. The Rio Grande, however, held the mouth of the gorge. Fierce volleys from tho Santa Fe failed to dislodge them. In the meantime they were chiseling their way to the camp of Carbonates the prize' for which all were reaching. Unable Un-able to drive out the enemy with their Winchesters, the Santa Fe revised their tactics. They, too, withdrew their forces. The desolating contents of the rifle were removed. That is, the enemy was given to understand that they were ' removed. They were not to be caught napping, however, and guards were . kept constantly at the mouth of the gorge: White Winged peace again descended. de-scended. Thev sentinels occasionally discharged their weapons to cut holes : in the midnight air. They probably wanted the .company to think they were earning their wages. The Santa . Fe " people were now on a flank movement. They had been . enabled to-- "surprise" De Remer either with gold or lead and they determined deter-mined to crush him and his men with one blow. 1 The rugged and stupendous .walls were mounted and the Santa Fe tigers began their deadly work. Into the snow-clad walls they began to bury their boxes of giant powder. The work of destruction had begun and went on with unblushing "teal. The doom of that Tlio Grande army that slumbered in the gorge below was sealed. It was. to be a valley of death. The hour to fire was fixed for midnight. ' It was the determination to entomb every one of them in an avalanche of rock. The peaks were now cocked and primed. At the hour- to lire a report that shook the range from base to summit was heard. The peaks quivered and crumbling crumb-ling went over with a mighty howl into the gulf below. The awful sound will thunder through all ages to come. Instead of wholesale death, however, there was diversion. De Remer only chuckled. J'ate bad saved him. A few hours before camp had been moved. It was beyond the range of the avalanche. ava-lanche. Not a man was more than slightly injured. Some of them were 8cared out cf their growth and ten years of life. That was cheap tribute to fate that had saved them all from the grave. Then the fight between the -Rio Grande and the Santa Fe waged until they went into the courts. Then came an unavoidable season of peace and not since have they done more than snarL The capture of the Midland Mid-land by the Santa Fe, however, has again brought them face to face and in the struggle tor Utah business some interesting episodes may be lr.oked for. 'The Rio Crande is piqued. It has reason rea-son to be in tbe face of this bcllieerent chain that was woven in that fight for the Royal Gorge. The Santa Fe has secured first blood and first knock down. It is running through trains into Zion while the Denver & Rio |