Pi 782 ft O < fl- BANCROFT LIBRARY <> THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA OPINIONS OF THE PRESS OF COLORADO M 1 1 n i n Cj ct-no c \ a i 1 r o a ^ funnel C^ o i n pa n 1 1 LKTTKR FROM GOVERNOR PITKIX. . W'.Pitkin, i J.i ill ; ' '* ) ' >FFICE, DI-NYI:!;. July :',i>, 1881. I the Loveland Pass Wining and .cd Tunnel Company, Denver, Colo. : DKAI: SIP.: Your favor -d, in which you ask my opinion as to the practi- tunnel through the Continental Divide at Lovelaml Pass, for both mining and railroad pni ; As ! have nev< r been over that i ' ifi irma- The Continental Divide, for a long dist- ' \\ that [>ortion of ti:< ntain numerous mineral deposits, ;nid I believ s of striking bodi< - such a tunnel as you prop. diem. The opini spetent mining lued the localit\ - than mine. If thi- ieiit -ixe to admit of its IK - 1 by railway oom panics it will, in my ftt to that j of the State. a rich in mineral /ing and agricultural lands. Up to the present time the rai facilities have been very me;t_ xhe altitude of L..vehu chat, in my judgment, it can , j able for any company or compani< lesire t> 'mild into Summit, Grand and Kontt Counties, and give the people i countu - iiiectiou with Denver, and at the sarne time afford a shon ... with the Central Pacific Kam . From the Rocky Mount,-. July 20, THROCOH LO'VKI-AM) PASS. One of th /-.riant enterpri< ( \\\\< iieeii undertaken in Colorado is the tun- nel through Loveland Pa>s on which work will be beg, in this week, as it will n connect!)-.!:- link between Denver and a por- tion of the State whose mineral ' being rapidly developed on every hand. It is pot a railway scheme, neither is it in the sts of. or antagonistic to, any lines. The tunnel will be constructed and ? "U the same princip!- ' ridue Louis. That i--, it will belong to an independent company and any railroad will be able to run their cars through it by paying toll. The tunnel will be from 3,000 to 3.500 feet long and -will be laid with both broad and narrow gauav tracks. The Company also propcses to lay the approaches to the tunnel. A very brief glance will show the im- mense advantages the tunnel will be to Colo- rado and Denver, and a few facts will explain this more than any mere comment. The town of Dillon is about thirty miles from Georgetown, on the Pacitic slope of the con- tinental divide, and is situated at a point where all of the streams that How down on the western side converge to emptv them- selves into the Blue river, thu> forming the best point of outlet for railroads. The extensions of the l\io Grande and South Park have already l.een built nearly to Dillon, thus the connection through the proposed tunnel will make a complete circle through the wealthiest portion of the State. One of the many advantages of the scheme is the bringing of the rich mining districts immediately over the range at this point in close communication with Denver. Decalur, Montezuma, Breckenridge, Frisco, Ivokomo, Preston and many other prosper- ous mining camps will be less than l:alf the traveled distance from the Capital of the State, and Leadville will I e lex than 120 miles hy the proposed tunnel route from this city. The eastern roads that now come into Denver make the city practically their terminus. The Loveland Pass Tunnel will give them all the opportunity to run through the divide, into those portions, of Colorado which contain so much undeveloped min- eral wealth. It will bring the cities of Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties into elo>e communication with Summit Co.untyand the. Leadville district, in fact, the communication through this tunnel will be a boon to all the railroads of the State and injurious to none. The articles of incorporation have been filed and work has been commenced at both ends of the tunnel, and it is calcula- ted that within a year the road will be com- pleted through the pass from (u'orgetown to Dillon. The primary object of the Tunnel Com- j pany will be to strike the rich veins of -ro ! which are known to exist in that : ! and it is fair to presume that the mineral | found will make it a very profitable in- vestment. Afterwards it will be utilized for the railroad purposes already explained. As before stated the railroad portion of the scheme is not intended to be worked in the interests of any road or roads. It will simply be a highway through the mountains for the use of all railn ads to enter that Kldorado of mineral treasure that lies unexplored in the western part of the State. From the Denver Tribune, July 21, 1881. THROUGH LOVELAND PASS. A JilcJi j |., of !lr'- city, with ex-Governor W. }I. Stone, of Iowa, and Colonel Edward J(ee;i. of ,\ev York. The enterprise which tl men have undertaker, !.- certainly one that comu.emU it.-elf to the favorable c, ! -ider;t- tion of the people. For many vears it has been apparent that Loveland Pass occupies a key prsition on the continental gauge, and would some day become the gateway through which all the direct lines of railroad to the Pacific slope must Mirely travel. Bv this route the circuitous lines now existing be- tween Denver and the objective points and valuable mining districts beyond the Divide will be greatly shortened, materially reduc- ing both time and expense. The town of 1 )illon, situated at the confluence of the Blue. Snake and Ten Mile rivers, will soon become the concentric point for all the railroads seeking the rich country along the western border of the State. From I )enver to Dillon, the most accessible line is evidently through the Loveland Pass, only a distance of eighty- two miles thus, as will be seen, directly connecting the Denver system of roads with i the extended regions of Western Colorado. Through this prop< sed tunne! a road can be constructed from Denver to Salt Lake City, at least 1-">0 mile.> nearer that: the present route by Cheyenne over the Union Pacific. In short, the advantages to be derived from the success of this enterprise to the entire State, will conclusively appear from a glance at the map with a knowledge of the streams and mountain ranges. From the Daily Register Call, Central City, July 25th, 1881. A NEW CORPORATION. means of the Loveland pass will be enablec to make a formidable foe for competing lines already in the field and in course of operation. Mr. Loveland is the oldest rail- road financier in the state, and whatever he puts his hands to, provo -m <-t-hould prove an exception to the general rule. This tunnel enterprise is certainly one of great importance to the commercial interests of Colorado, and our people everywhere will be anxious for its success. TII in,'! (_'<>inpi>>/ Fully Incorporated. Among the many new incorporations that have (juite recently filed articles with the Secretary of State in Denver, is the Love- land Pass Mining and Kailroad Tunnel Company. This tunnel passing through the continen- tal or back-bone divide, which separates the waters of the Atlantic from those of the Pacific, has deep significance with those wh From the Railway and Mining Gazette, Denver, Aug. i, 1881. LOVELAND PASS TO BE TtNNELED. }\'o,('Alrn, f ?y /,',;/".- the Scheme. The Ot>/<<-t nut /),/ J7///////y Al"n '. lm.t fur Rniliniy and Tou-road Pur- poses.- -An .h'fct'flcitf Proiect. ^ bun. its Financial Riwilf.*. A strong company 1 earing the above name, and having in view the twofold object indi- cated by the title assumed, have filed articles wish a direct line to Leadville and other , of incorporation with ti;e Secretary of State, mining camps on into Hah, which are now and wLth an air ot - business which looks very only reached by a circuitous route, which encouraging, have set parties to work at both the following distance table of competitive ends of the proposed tunnel. The advan- routes will more fully illustrate, giving the tages of this enterprise, not only to its im- several approaches by rail to Leadville by Miles. 279 ie-e routes: Denver to Leadville, via Rio Grande . " South Park . . . " Loveland Pass . . . (jiving a preference to the Loveland r over 100 per cent, in n. mediate promoters, but to this city and the State at la rye ran hardly be estimated*-. A casual glance will show that the incor- porators will soon realize on their invest- ment from the manv rich lodes which their operations are bound to cut; but however much thev mav be benefited bv mineral, it is route of 101 miles, its favor in cost of construction, I>y refer- to the adaptation of the tunnel to railroad ence to the latest maps it will be observed traffic, to which the outsider will naturally that it is almost a direct line over a com par- look for anything directly favoring him, and atively very easy grade; one not exceeding looking, it is very apparent where Ms ad- 3 per cent. Passing through the great con- vantage comes in. tinentai divide, it will not only open up a I The tunnel i.s to be three thousand to yrcat highway, but will also be the means of thirty-five hundred feet in length, equipped cutti-ng many mineral bearing veins. The with both broad and narrow gauge tracks on geology and mineralogy of the country war- which any line may run their cars by paying rants this conclusion. toll, as the tuunel will be in the hands of an The length of the proposed tunnel is 3,100 independent company who will not discrim- feet, work having been commenced on both ' inate for or against any parties. This Um- approache*. Buildings are being erected in nel will make of Dillon, which lies thirty order that work may be carried on in wintry miles from Georgetown on the Pacific slope, weather. The tunnel will be constructed at quite a railroad center, as it is already being a depth of 800 feet below the surface of the approached by the D. A: K. G. and the South pa. , and carried 15 feet wide and 18 feet in Park, and bring the rich mineral region in height. This affords ample room for either that vicinity in easy communication with a narrow or standard gauge track. Denver. Chihuahua, Frisco, Kokomo and The Denver and Kio Grande and the other camps will have facilities for shipment South Park roads are vieing with each/other j of their ores which they now lack to a con- to command this trade, and it is not improb- j siderable degree, and will be to all purposes able that a third road will step in, and by j one-half nearer Denver than at present, mutual adv;. ue camp itself will he less than one hundred and twenty miles distant by way ! of the tunnel which will be an incalculable : saving of time and money tolhe shipper and ! traveler. \\'ithin a year the tunnel will be cut from Georgetown to Dillon and when the plans of a certain powerful company, to build another line to Georgetown from this place are put into operation, we will have the further benefit of competition. Eastern no longer pause at the -olid bar- rier the Rockies have heretofore presented to their advance, but may, upon the com- of this tunnel, sweep through into . which, though known to contain great wealth in mineral, still await development which AVI 11 follow- in marvelously short order when communi- cation is opened between them and the rest world by a more easy and feasible 'ue. Beside the developments already under way will be invigorated, receive a n- orn of the greater prosperity promised. Towns, counties, and railroads will alike :efited, while those wh<> are injured Avill be such a pitiful .minority as to be, in view of the general good accruing to people and things, hardly worth a moment's consid- eration. As before stated, the primary 6f the incorporators is to run the tun- nel for the i til >i88r. TUNNELING THE DIVIDE. Xo natural obstacle "in this age is insur- mountable to the -kill and energy of science and capital. The Mississippi has been d till even a rural board of county "uld do it. The continent of North America will soo- dozen independent trunk lines. A trip to Europe is only a matter of eight or ten day:-. And now they want to go through, instead of over the Rocky Mountains, and almost :i s soon as the desire is expressed, men work going- through. The Loveland Pass Mining and Railroad Tunnel Company tiled their articles of in- corporation with the Secretary of Sti Denver, this week, and began operati both sides of Lovehir run a tunnel, from :.*>,< under it. The dcsiyn is two-fold, to strike the rich lodes there, and to build a railroad connecting the Atlantic and Pacific miles of each other by rail, or from eight to ten hours, and the change si-eking (.. towner can breakfast here and din Camp. Those who in times past have braved the dangers and d' of the High Line Stages, will rise up and call the directors of this enterprise pretty nearly square. Loveland Pass is the natural oni! Summit county, and the million- low grade ore awaiting shipment at I > Chihuahua. Montezuma. Brecken ridge, Ten Mile and all that western country, will crowd the carrying capacity of the ne 1 - for years to come. By tl incut, Dillon, at the forks of tlie Blue, the Snake and Ten Mile, bids fair to become a great railroad centre. The Rio Grande and South Park are building, as fast as work can be crowded, down the Blue and up the Snake, while from Kokomo the iron monster is steadily pushing on towards the common centre. Georgetown cannot fail to lie great' eihed. She has well-established, smoothly- running mills, and the anxious miner will sell at the nearest market. Thousand-- upon thousands of tons of precious metals from over the range will accordingly come her? for treatment, and we will truly than ever ' Silver < t hieen of the Rock