158 



COLORADO. 



cape from either side, and, when the window- 

 is closed, the side-pieces are not in the way, 

 the whole being no incumbrance or inconven- 

 ience, not interfering with any kind of curtain, 

 blind, or drapery. 



An exciting contest broke out between the 

 Denver and Rio Grande and the Atchison, To- 

 peka, and Santa F6 Railroads, which at one time 

 reached such a pitch of violence as to make it 

 necessary for the Governor to call out a mili- 

 tary force to preserve the peace. The editor 

 of the " Denver Tribune " has furnished full 

 details of the grounds of conflict, from which 

 it appears that about 1870 the Rio Grande road 

 commenced from that city with the intention 

 of ultimately reaching the capital of Mexico. 

 At this time the English road-gauge of three 

 feet was introduced and adopted by the Rio 

 Grande. The road soon became popular, and 

 after several years was extended, first to Pue- 

 blo and afterward to Cucharas ; from Cucha- 

 ras to El Moro ; from Pueblo by a branch line 

 to Canon City ; and afterward from Cucharas 

 to La Veta, and across the Sangre de Cristo 

 range of mountains to Garland, and thence to 

 Alamosa, on the banks of the Rio Grande. 

 At the time when the construction of the 

 Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe road reached 

 Pueblo, the Denver and Rio Grande controlled 

 the trade of southern Colorado in every direc- 

 tion, and was in excellent position to make a 

 move in the way of building. It had the ad- 

 vantage of being nearer important passes in all 

 directions than any other line. From El Moro 

 it commanded the Raton Pass and the route 

 via Las Vegas and the trade about Trinidad 

 and southeastern Colorado and New Mexico, 

 except that portion lying along the Rio Grande 

 River. This latter section and the San Juan 

 country was controlled by the branch to Ala- 

 mosa or into San Luis Valley. Here also the 

 Rio Grande people had the advantage of hav- 

 ing a road built over the Sangre de Cristo 

 mountains, a formidable barrier, and an open- 

 ing line building along down the Rio Grande 

 as far as it might be desirable to go. The 

 Cafion City branch ended almost in the mouth 

 of the Grand Canon of the Arkansas, almost 

 the only southern opening to the Upper Arkan- 

 sas and Gunnison centers, and one of the most 

 desirable and feasible routes to the San Juan. 

 Thus fortunately situated, they controlled the 

 trade of the entire south, besides seeming to 

 possess every advantage. An understanding 

 with this line was indispensable to the Santa 

 Fe, whose terminus was at Pueblo. On the 

 other hand, the Santa F6 became of impor- 

 tance to the Rio Grande. The first road was 

 the great trunk channel for the outlet and in- 

 let of the business collected by the Rio Grande. 

 That the two roads should work together in 

 harmony was the most natural thing in the 

 world. In fact, they were regarded as almost 

 an unbroken line from the Missouri River to 

 Denver and other points covered by the Rio 

 Grande. The most perfect harmony prevailed. 



But this blissful state of affairs lasted no long- 

 er than until the Santa Fe people began to 

 show their ability and desire to be indepen- 

 dent. Such a step as this on the part of the 

 Santa Fenians was not for a moment to be 

 thought of. The Rio Grande officers resisted. 

 This led to a strife between the two compa- 

 nies, which has been going forward with occa- 

 sional remissions since March, 1878. It began 

 on the Raton Mountains, which at the point of 

 crossing constitute the line between Colorado 

 and New Mexico. The Santa F6 began to as- 

 sert its intention of building into New Mexico 

 and of continuing its line toward the Pacific 

 Ocean, in accordance with its original plans. 

 It was one bright, crisp, frosty morning that 

 the Rio Grande people awoke to the knowl- 

 edge that the Santa F6 company had decided 

 to run a branch line of their road across the 

 country from La Junta, a station in Colorado 

 some eighty miles east of Pueblo, to Trinidad. 

 Here, the terminus of the Rio Grande road 

 being at El Paso, only four miles distant, the 

 roads would become competitors, and the Santa 

 Fe would have the same chance to command 

 the Raton Pass and the trade of New Mexico 

 as the Rio Grande road. Almost before the 

 parties knew it themselves, each company had 

 a hundred men in the pass asserting its right 

 of way by preparing the way for the road of 

 its line. Intense excitement was the natural 

 consequence, and the wildest rumors were set 

 afloat concerning affairs at the point of contact. 

 It was more than once reported that the em- 

 ployees of the two roads had come together, 

 and that several had been killed. Fortunate- 

 ly, in each instance the report was successfully 

 contradicted. This contest attracted great at- 

 tention. It soon bounded from a matter of 

 local importance to a place where the entire 

 country looked on with interest. It then be- 

 came generally iinderstood for the first time 

 that the Santa Fe road had aspirations to cross 

 the continent. The prospect of creating a trans- 

 continental line which should destroy the vast 

 monopoly which was said to be extorting money 

 from the public in all directions was greeted 

 with the heartiest good feeling from every 

 source. Hence the fight on the Raton Pass 

 became a subject widely known and spoken 

 of. The Atchison Company began at the same 

 time to build its line from La Junta. It has 

 now been many months since the road was 

 completed to Trinidad, over the switchback 

 into New Mexico, and it is now striking hard 

 for Las Vegas in the heart of the Territory, 

 with an excellent prospect of opening its line 

 to the Pacific during 1880. It has certainly 

 " scooped" the New Mexico business from the 

 Rio Grande, even if that road should continue 

 in possession of the line which it now holds. 

 It only remains to be said concerning this fight 

 that the Santa F6 people made short work of 

 their opponents, and were soon masters of the 

 entire situation, leaving not even a taste for 

 the Rio Grande. 



