APPENDIX SS. 1793 



exist, but where the railroad line has been located with a view to its probable con- 

 struction within a year at most), we have the following distances: 



Miles. 



Garland City to a point at mouth of canon of the Alamosa River. ... 52. 7 



Up the canon to the mouth of the North Fork of the river 26 



Thence up South Fork and tributary to top of range 11 



Down a tributary, the East Fork, and main San Juan Eiver to Pagosa 35 



Total railroad from Garland City to Pagosa 124. 7 



A saving of about 5 miles in all, not sufficient to warrant the great excess of expend- 

 iture when compared with the Chama-Xavajo. 



Under the name of Conejos, Rio Grande and Pagosa Springs Toll-Road Company, 

 four gentlemen, during the past summer, hied the necessary articles of association for 

 the incorporation thereof in the recorder's office at Del Xorte, Colo. The papers define 

 their object and designate the route to be "from some point on the Rio Grande up the 

 Alamosa, with a branch to the summit, and up the stream, over the top of the range, 

 and down one of the branches of the San Juan to or near Pagosa Springs"; capital 

 stock fixed at 820,000. None of the incorporators are reported as men of means, or of 

 sufficient enterprise to construct the line, and unless others should take it in hand, the 

 road will not be made. It was doubtless recorded having in view the extension of 

 the railroad west, in which event the toll-road would be a capital investment finan- 

 cially, and their charter, as is often done, might be sold for, probably, a valuable sum 



THE SUMMIT LINE. 



From Garland, via Del Xorte and the summit district, upon the north fork of the 

 Rio Alamosa, near its headwaters, lying in the gulch of the stream and on the slopes 

 of South Mountain and Mount Belleview, is the mining-district known as the " Sum- 

 mit.'' thus far exclusively gold, and the finest in the San Juan region. About four and 

 a half miles due west is the summit of the main range, beyond which spring tribu- 

 taries of the San Juan, their general course hence to Pagosa being southwest. Con- 

 necting Del Xorte with the summit is an old country road, with its route up San Fran- 

 cisco Creek to its head, thence around and south of the mountain, at the head of the 

 Piedra Pintada, which is designated upon the Hayden maps as Pintada Peak, upon 

 Wheeler's as Del Xorte Peak, and is locally known as Old Baldy, thence winding 

 along above timber-line until the north fork of the Alamosa and the summit is reached. 

 Altogether a poor route and a wretched road at its best, it is now in disuse ; another 

 and a fine road, upon which toll is taken, is now in oiieration, saving fully six miles 

 or more in distance. The latter, owned by Mr. John H. Shaw, of Del Xorte, follows 

 up the Los Pinos Creek, a natural road for nearly twelve miles ; thence up the mount- 

 ain-slopes to the southwest, reaching the summit over a few miles of the old line. 

 The toll-road is a very good one, though susceptible of much improveihent in grade, 

 location, &c, which would probably be made should there be sufficient increase in 

 travel to warrant it. 



From Garland the road is over the San Luis Park or Valley, is generally hard and 

 level, to Del Xorte, the Rio Grande being crossed by a bridge seven miles below the 

 town. Distance from the fort, 60 miles; from Garland City, 66.5; from Del Xorte to 

 the Summit, via the toll-road, it is 27.8 miles, and thence over a trail to Pagosa, about 

 39 miles ; making the springs about 67 miles distant, and the total distance from the 

 railroad 133.3 miles, in excess of that by either the Alamosa or the Chama-Xavajo 

 lines. 



SUMMARY. 



This includes all of the short and practicable routes from the East across the range 

 into the Lower San Juan. 



From Pagosa to Animas City, a new settlement at the lower end of Animas Park, 

 the distance on the upper road is as follows : 



Miles. 



Pagosa Springs to Rio Xutria 13 



Thence to Rio Piedra 12.1 



Thence to Rio de los Pinos 19. 9 



Thence to Rio Florida , 13.6 



Thence to Animas City 5.8 



Total, Pagosa to Animas City 64.4 



From Animas City up the valley, and over the new toll-road in the Grand Canon of 

 the river opened in the latter part of Xovember, the distance to Silverton is 46.7 miles, 



113 E 



