Show RAMBLING THOUGHTS OF A by frank silvey Con tilled from last week on OIL the western slope of iDo colorado lorado today there Is a population of around one hundred and forty five thousand people big and litie canals carry water from the great colorado river and its many branches on to hundreds of thousands of acres of crops of all kinds known in the west fine highways progressive little cities like grand junction montrose delta glenwood springs cortez dolores mancos 1 durango and many manya small towns in in the agricultural al districts have been esl eel abolished ablis hed while the mining camps like aspen ouray oui ay silverton lake city telluride rico furnished work for many thousands of miners it has been shown how the western slope of colorado was settled the first poi pointers being the prospector with the burro as a means of transportation then followed ranc ranchers liers and cattlemen the Ilo ineer of southeastern utah with a few exceptions sought homes and a cow range as no rich strikes were made by prospectors in the early settlement of this district mining has played but a small part in the development to date in southeastern utah the first cirit perman permanent crt settlement was made at moab in 1876 7 in the fall of 77 la sal and coyote were settled sett lec by bona fide homesteaders and cattlemen in 78 bluff city had a permanent colony established and in 1179 79 spud hudson and associate cattlemen with many thousands of head bead of cattle catte had their headquarter ranch at the double cabin now known as carlisle in 87 monticello was settled and some years later blanding had its first permanent settlement As albert R lyman has written a history of the southern part parit of san juan county and j the writer has written a history of northern san juan county including paradox valley over the line in colorado not yet published giving in detail names of all settlers and the indian massacre of the whites on the northwest side of the la sal mountains it will be unnecessary to give a concise history only enough to bring these rambling thug lits up to date As we have seen the younger utes as well as the aiutes or rene gades were not satisfied with the to them small reservation that the government had given them and still claimed by right of discovery southeastern utah and especially san juan county where game of all kinds abounded and the ranges were a wave of grass and flowers in their season they saw the white man slowly but surely settling up their bloed beloved happy hunting ground and a as human nature all over the wor world id is rn mu cathe same they felt like retaliating early in the spring of 1881 a large band of young utes and some aiutes were camped near nea r dodge 1 spring and their ponies being fat and fit they decided to make a raid on the then thinly settled districts in colorado near dolores and mancos for the purpose of getting a fresh supply of horses leaving the squads squaws papooses oses goats and extra horses horse s in i charge of the older indians a licked band st struck ruck out for the dolores river district and the mancos at mancos they stole a number of ponies and drove them away unseen by the small bunth bunch of settlers heading northwest towards the blue mountains they hit near the big bend of the dolores river where they drove off another bunch of horses at a point about eight miles west of where the town of dolores now stands john maya brother of billey may happened to run into this band of indians with the stolen horses no one will ever know but it is thought may tried to cut out his own and brothers horses and the indians killed him so that i he could tell no tales A few miles west they also killed dan willis of mancos and two lone prospectors one near cross canyon and the other at piute diute springs they finally reached the vega at blue mountains where they stole a bunch of B horses belonging to spud hudson and others leaving a trail of blood from the dolores to tile the blue mountains they reached their camp at podge springs hurriedly breaking main camp there they sought safety in the rims went of the blue mountains billy may and others found the body of john may day following his death and as there was at that time only about a dozen men inen in chah district and all sign signi i showed the indians were numerous oust and it would be folly to follow them it was decided to send riders to rico Afan mancos cos and disappointment valey for volunteers each of these districts responded to the call as soon as possible but in those days all 5 settlements ettle ments were so isolated and transportation so slow that it was several days before a force of any consequence could be asseln assembled bled to follow the indians to be continued 1 |