Pueblo County CO Archives History - Books .....Chapter 7 The Romance Of The Railroads 1917
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Book Title: Pathbreakers And Pioneers Of The Pueblo Region

CHAPTER VII.
THE ROMANCE OF RAILROADS.

    One of the most romantic chapters in the history of the West is the one
dealing with its railroads. It is a story of achievement by great men—men of
keen insight, of prophetic vision—men with unbounded faith in the ultimate
greatness of the West, whose faith was evidenced in many instances by the
investment of the last dollar of the accumulated funds of a lifetime in western
railroads.

    From the time in the early fifties when the dream of a transcontinental
railroad first began to take definite form, down to the present time when those
magic steel bands extend to almost every nook and corner of the great west, the
story of their progress is as attractive and enticing as the most fantastic novel.

    The emigrant had no sooner left his abode in the Missouri river region to
make his home in this western land, than he began to clamor for some regular
method of communication with friends and relatives whom he had left behind. As
early as 1849 government stage lines were established to form regular routes of
communication with these isolated colonists, but it was not until the late
sixties that the overland stage assumed the gigantic proportions which caused it
to be looked upon as one of the wonders of the western world.

    One of the most interesting episodes in connection with governmental
attempts to solve the question of the conquest of the prairies, occurred in the
year 1856, at which time the War Department, then being administered by
Jefferson Davis, sent one of its representatives to Arabia for the purpose of
purchasing camels. The idea was prevalent at that time that the only way
successfully to cope with the problem of western transportation was by the
oriental method. Under an appropriation of $30,000 by Congress, seventy-five
camels were imported and sent to Texas to become acclimated. By the next year,
however, Congress seemed to have outgrown the camel idea, and demanded something
more speedy than the "ship of the desert." Accordingly, the postmaster-general
was authorized to call for bids to establish a subsidized fast mail service from
the Mississippi river to Sacramento. What became of the camels, history fails to
record.

    The first overland mail contract directly to the Pacific coast was let to a
company headed by John Butterworth. Under this contract, the company was to
maintain a semi-weekly service from St. Louis and Memphis to the Pacific coast
via Preston, El Paso and Fort Yuma, the journey to occupy not more than
twenty-five days. The company was to receive annually from the government, the
sum of $600,000.

    On September 15, 1858, stage coaches left opposite ends of this newly
established line. The distance, which was 2,795 miles, was traveled in somewhat
less than the required time.

    This was but the beginning of numerous stage lines which began to penetrate
to the remotest sections of the newly-discovered West. The discovery of gold in
the Pike's Peak region soon brought the stage to Colorado to minister to the
needs of the myriads who came pouring in. On June 7, 1859, the first stage coach
of the Pike's Peak Express arrived in Denver, bearing the distinguished
personage of Horace Greeley, who was making a tour of the west in the interests
of his paper, the "Tribune."

    By the year 1860 the stage company operating from Kansas City to Santa Fe
began sending some of its coaches up the Arkansas into Southern Colorado, but
constant Indian outbreaks caused this service to be suspended at intervals until
after the close of the Civil War.

    By far the most picturesque outgrowth of this overland mail service was the
famous "Pony Express." In 1860 W. H. Russell, who was connected with the Pike's
Peak Express Company, startled the country by announcing that on a certain date
he would begin carrying letters between St. Joe and Sacramento in nine days. The
best time that had been made up to this date had been twenty-one days. The
charge for carrying letters was to be $5 each for letters weighing two ounces or
less. The mail was to be carried by pony riders, who would make the distance
between stations with as great speed as possible, the mail being passed to
another rider, mounted on a fleet pony, who was waiting ready to dash on to the
next station. Some two hundred of these stations were scattered along the route
at convenient locations. Mere boys were employed as riders because of their
light weight. Wm. F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill," was one of these. He showed his great
endurance by riding 320 miles without rest.

    The experiment of the "Pony Express" excited great interest throughout the
country. At the first trial the riders started simultaneously from each end of
the route, one rider upon a jet black pony of magnificent appearance, while the
other was mounted upon a white one of splendid form. The initial trip was made
in eight days and four hours, this time being subsequently lowered to somewhat
less than eight days.

    For a period of eighteen months the "Pony Express" continued to render
valuable service to the western country during the opening stages of the war,
but it went out of existence with the establishing of the Continental telegraph,
which was accomplished in 1861. The expense of operating this line was so great
that it was run at a loss from the beginning, the venture bringing ruin upon
Russell and those associated with him.

    Ben Holiday became the great power behind the overland stage business in the
sixties, and after disposing of his interests to the Wells-Fargo Express
Company, he put his indomitable energy into the building of railroads. Mark
Twain illustrates Holiday's reputation throughout the West as a manager of stage
lines in the following anecdote: A young man from the West was traveling in
Palestine and vicinity with his teacher. On one occasion he was being told in
glowing terms of the wonderful skill of Moses who led the people of Israel
safely through the wilderness for a period of forty years, leading them in all a
distance of 320 miles.

    "Forty years? Only 320 miles!" said the young westerner in astonishment.
"Why, Ben Holiday would have fetched them through in thirty-six hours."

    Holiday not only conducted the main stage lines extending into the West, but
he also controlled many spurs extending into most of the Rocky Mountain states.
He developed the stage business into a huge system almost perfect in its
mechanism, but the slow but sure encroachment of the continental railroad into
this territory caused him to accept the inevitable and dispose of his business
before the crash came, for by May, 1869—much earlier than his successors,
Wells-Fargo and Co., anticipated—the overland stage business was at an end, the
last named company losing heavily because of its early termination.

    With the completion of the Union Pacific railroad there came to an end an
institution which constituted the greatest business enterprise that the country
had seen up to that time, many millions of dollars being invested in the stage
and freighting business. At Fort Kearney it is stated that in a period of six
weeks, in 1865, trains comprising in all 6,000 freight wagons passed, on their
way to the West. Russell, Majors and Waddell, during the height of their
business, owned 6,250 wagons and 75,000 oxen.

    After more than a decade of petty quarreling and bickering, much of which
was due to sectional jealousy between the North and the South, Congress finally
authorized the building of a transcontinental railway, subsidizing it heavily
with public lands. This enterprise was scarcely under way e'er a corporation of
energetic men was organized in Denver for the purpose of building a branch line
from that place to Cheyenne, the nearest approach of the transcontinental road.

    No group of men ever undertook a project in the face of greater
discouragement or faced difficulties of greater magnitude than did the people of
Denver when they undertook the building of the Denver Pacific Railroad. The
success of the enterprise was finally assured by*the voting of a half million
dollars in county bonds and work was begun at the Denver end of the new road on
May 18, 1868. On June 15, 1870, the first railroad train to enter the Colorado
region, steamed into Denver. Two months later the Kansas Pacific Railroad also
completed its line to the same point.

    With the coming of these two roads, a new epoch in the development of
Colorado was ushered in. Events transpired with a rapidity that was astounding.
Railroad talk was heard on every hand and new lines were projected in every
direction from Denver, but with such men as W. S. Cheesman, D. H. Moffat, J. B.
Chaffee and W. J. Palmer and others of like character back of these movements,
it was not at all surprising that many of these projects resulted in substantial
roads.

    On October 27, 1870, articles of incorporation of the Denver and Rio Grande
Railway Company were filed, the incorporators being W. J. Palmer, A. C. Hunt and
W. H. Greenwood, the board of directors being composed of W. J. Palmer, A. C.
Hunt, both of Colorado, R. H. Lamborn of Philadelphia, U. P. Mellin of New York
and Thomas J. Wood of Ohio. The capital stock was fourteen million dollars, and
bonds at the rate of ten thousand dollars a mile were issued for construction
purposes.

    The faith, and the almost prophetic vision evidenced by General Palmer and
his associates in projecting this enterprise and carrying it through to
completion, is almost beyond belief. The original plan of the company was to
build a road from Denver to El Paso, a distance of eight hundred and fifty
miles. Although being confronted by financial difficulties which were almost
insurmountable, and being obliged to divide territory and traffic with competing
roads, the latter fact being unforeseen in the beginning, and being obliged to
fight almost every inch of the way from Pueblo, before the close of the year
1883 the Denver and Rio Grande had pierced the chief mountain passes of Southern
Colorado and New Mexico, and had almost reached the western border of the state,
its direction having deviated from the course originally planned.

    A more unpromising territory for a railroad which was to depend upon its
immediate earnings for running expenses, than that through which this new road
was to extend south of Denver, could scarcely have been found anywhere in the
West. There was no town of any size along the entire line contemplated by the
promoters, with the exception of Pueblo, and it was regarded as being too far to
one side to really be considered in the territory to be pierced by the new road,
the plan being to extend the line directly from Colorado City to Canon City and
thence to Raton Pass.

    On the 27th of July, 1871, the first rails were laid on the new road, and in
October of the same year the track had been laid to the newly born town of
Colorado Springs.

    At this juncture the critical moment in the destiny of Pueblo arrived.
Pueblo had hoped to secure the transcontinental line of the Union Pacific, and
at one time it seemed that there was some ground for this hope. On July 9, 1869,
the Congressional Committee, having in charge the preparation of a report on the
southern branch, arrived in Pueblo on a tour of inspection. The committee
proceeded to Denver from this point and from there a part of the committee
extended their tour to California while the others returned to Washington. The
hope of securing a railroad from this source soon faded away into a hazy mist,
leaving Pueblo to secure railroad connections from some other source.

    As was stated in the preceding chapter, a commercial organization had been
perfected for the purpose of attracting the Union Pacific railroad to Pueblo.
Its eastern division had been completed into western Kansas and there seemed
strong ground for the hope that the road would traverse the Arkansas valley to
Pueblo and Canon City. This Board of Trade was organized on January 30, 1869,
with the following officers: President, M. D. Thatcher, vice president, George
A. Hinsdale; B. F. Rockefellow, of Canon City, secretary, and Wilbur F. Stone as
treasurer.

    On the afternoon of the day on which the commercial organization was
perfected, a mass meeting of Pueblo citizens was held in the old court house on
Santa Fe, where the first campaign was inaugurated to secure a railroad for
Pueblo. But as has already been stated this organization failed to interest the
Union Pacific in the Arkansas valley route, hence Pueblo was obliged to turn her
attention elsewhere.

    The opening gun in the campaign to secure the Rio Grande Railroad for Pueblo
was fired by the Colorado Chieftain six months before the road had commenced
laying rails from Denver. In January, 1871, the Chieftain set forth in an
admirable manner the reasons why a railroad into the Pueblo region would be a
paying venture. The argument in brief was as follows: By situation and natural
advantage Pueblo is destined to become the chief distributing point for Southern
Colorado. It is already the business center of the rich agricultural and stock
regions of the Arkansas, the Huerfano, the St. Charles, the Greenhorn, the
Cu-charas, the Chico and Turkey creek. Pueblo is the headquarters of the
Southern and Eastern stage lines, and Pueblo is the richest county and comprises
the most thickly settled district south of the divide.

    Soon after this article appeared, agents of the Rio Grande appeared in
Pueblo and intimated to certain citizens of that place that if the county would
vote bonds and subscribe to a liberal amount of railroad stock, the route of the
new road would be changed so as to include Pueblo. A mass meeting was held at
the old court house on February 4, 1871, to deliberate over the matter. Among
the leading citizens of Pueblo who were present at this meeting were Hon. Geo.
M. Chilcott, Chas. D. Peck, R. M. Stevenson, J. D. Miller, O. H. P. Baxter, M.
H. Fitch, P. K. Dotson, M. L. Blunt, J. N. Carlile, John A. Thatcher, L. Conley
and C. J. Hart.

    There followed in rapid succession a meeting of the committee with the
railroad officials, the calling of another mass meeting, the appearance in
Pueblo of representatives of the Rio Grande to confer with the people, and a
proposal from the Kansas Pacific which was rapidly completing plans to extend
its line from the western border of Kansas up the Arkansas valley.

    The appearance of the Kansas Pacific officials in Pueblo with a definite
proposition to extend their road to this place, seriously complicated the
situation. Theirs was to be a broad gauge road, while that of the Rio Grande was
to be of the narrow gauge type. These men urged the people of Pueblo to consider
carefully whether they wished to have direct communication with Kansas City or
to tie themselves to the Rio Grande and thus surrender the destiny of their town
into the hands of Denver.

    Grave doubts existed in the minds of many as to the financial ability of the
Kansas Pacific road to extend its line into this region, even with the
assistance that might be rendered by Pueblo. Several weeks of discussion ensued,
the final result of which was an agreement to petition the County Commissioners
to call a special election for the purpose of voting bonds in aid of the Rio
Grande project. The proposition presented by the officials of this road called
for the purchase by the county of $100,000 in stock of the company, the same to
be paid for by 30-year bonds bearing 8% interest. The road was to be completed
to Pueblo within one year and a depot was to be established within a mile of the
court house.

    On June 9 of the same year the election was held, which resulted in a large
majority in favor of the bonds. A total of 679 votes were cast, 576 of which
were in favor of the bonds. By this act Pueblo County committed itself to a
policy of bond voting which did not end until a million dollars in bonds had
been voted to aid the various roads that desired to extend their lines into
Pueblo. Some $450,000 of these bonds went by default, however, owing to the
failure of some of the roads to fulfill the conditions under which the bonds
were voted.

    On February 1, 1872, a further issue of bonds, amounting to $50,000, was
voted to aid the same company in the construction of a branch line to the coal
fields of Fremont County.

    Work on the line from Colorado Springs to Pueblo was soon begun and in the
spring of 1872 the road began to approach Pueblo. It is impossible for those of
later generations to have any adequate conception of the feelings of a people
when the first railroad reaches the land in which they have established their
homes. On May 30 of this memorable year, the Chieftain contained the following
comment on the near approach of the railroad:

    "The track layers are crossing Sutherland's ranch, twelve miles north of
town, and the rails are said to be arriving as fast as they can be spiked down.
A large water tank is nearly completed at Sutherland's and on Monday next trains
will come down to that point, leaving only twelve miles for the stage. Verily,
the gap grows smaller and beautifully less." On June 19, at 7 p. m., the last
rail was spiked down at the depot near the east side of the present Mineral
Palace Park, and the railroad to Pueblo was an accomplished fact.

    On July 2 a grand excursion from Denver to Pueblo was given in honor of the
new road, and an imposing reception was held in the new court house, which had
just been completed. A special train arrived from Denver at one o'clock, bearing
one hundred ten invited guests. From the depot the guests were escorted in
carriages to the court house, where an elaborate banquet was served by the
ladies, music being provided by the Pueblo Cornet Band. After addresses, fitting
to the occasion, had been delivered by G. Q. Richmond, Geo. W. Chilcott and
Wilbur F. Stone, of Pueblo, and replies by some of the Denver delegation, the
guests were taken on an excursion to the principal points of interest in the
vicinity of Pueblo. The celebration ended with a grand ball at the court house
in the evening.

    The readjustment of business and of the customs of the people, due to the
advent of the railroad, must have been remarkable. Having habituated themselves
to the slow and expensive method of transportation which had held sway for so
many years, these people had well night ceased to travel. During the last year
the stage was in operation between Denver and Pueblo, it carried an average of
less than three passengers a day, while during the second year that the Rio
Grande operated between the same points it carried a daily average of nearly one
hundred people.

    Although the year 1871 had seen the population of Pueblo nearly double, the
year immediately following the advent of the railroad witnessed a veritable
boom. As noted in a statistical sketch of the town published in January, 1873,
one hundred seventeen buildings had been erected in 1871 at a total cost of
$215,750, while in 1872 the total number of buildings erected was one hundred
eighty-five, the total cost being $621,700. During the autumn of 1872, the East
Pueblo addition was laid out by Lewis Conley, who, with about twenty-five
others, began building operations in that section.

    By far the most important result of the coming of the Rio Grande railroad
was the founding of South Pueblo. The Central Colorado Improvement Company,
which was an adjunct of the Rio Grande Railroad Company, had purchased a large
tract of land lying directly south of Pueblo and known as the Nolan Grant. This
was one of the famous Mexican grants, the title to which was guaranteed the
owners by the treaty of 1848. This grant originally contained some 400,000 acres
and extended six and a half leagues up the Arkansas from the mouth of the St.
Charles river, and south to the Greenhorn range. In July, 1870, title to 48,000
acres of this grant was confirmed by Congress, and the Nolan heirs immediately
sold the grant to Charles Goodnight and others—who, in turn, sold it to the Rio
Grande. Under the name of the Central Colorado Improvement Company, plans were
soon begun to place the entire tract under irrigation and to divide it into
small tracts which were to be sold on easy terms to settlers. A ditch was
surveyed, extending from the western border of this grant to its extreme eastern
limits.

    In the month of October, 1872, work was begun on the first buildings in
South Pueblo, and within a month some fifteen or twenty houses had been erected.
The town, as laid out, began immediately south of the river and extended far
back upon the mesa, the first buildings being located on the low ground near the
river. A vivid description by an eye-witness is quoted below:

    "Very quietly, almost imperceptably, without any flourish at the hands of
real estate owners or speculators, a new town has sprung into existence on the
south side of the Arkansas, and unheralded and almost un-thought of, is moving
forward to commercial prosperity with the force and momentum of an avalanche. A
few weeks ago the resident of Santa Fe Avenue found his vision obstructed only
by one or two dwellings on the other side of the river. He now is surprised to
behold roofs of dwellings and broad, well arranged streets, while his ears are
assailed by the din and clatter of saws and hammers  *   *   *   *  The
construction of a branch railway to the coal fields of Fremont County was the
enterprise which awoke to life the addition on the south side of the river."

      The second chapter in the railroad history of Southern Colorado opened in
September, following the arrival of the Rio Grande, when the Kansas Pacific,
organized in Colorado as the Arkansas Valley Railway Company, requested a
subscription from Pueblo County to stock in their company to assist in building
their road from the eastern border of the state to Pueblo. Receiving sufficient
encouragement from leading citizens, the Commissioners called a special election
to vote on the question of issuing bonds.

    At this juncture there appeared on the scene the representatives of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, acting in this state under the corporate name of
the Kansas and Colorado Railroad Company, and proposed to build a road to Pueblo
and to complete it in much less time than was promised by the rival road,
whereupon there ensued one of the most exciting scenes that had ever been
enacted in the town. The voting population seemed utterly unable for several
weeks to determine which of the two roads should receive their support. Wild
stories of Santa Fe money being used freely to purchase favor were circulated
throughout the entire county, much credence being given these stories by the
sudden action of the Commissioners in postponing the election in behalf of the
Kansas Pacific road and placing the date for the Santa Fe proposition one week
before the Kansas Pacific election. The Santa Fe proposition was voted upon on
January 15, 1873, and that of the Kansas Pacific on January 22, and greatly to
the surprise of every one, both propositions carried, thus adding $400,000 in
railroad bonds to the $150,000 already voted.

    It should be noted at this point that neither of these bond issues were ever
made, as the Kansas Pacific road soon became involved in such financial
difficulties that it was utterly unable to make any further extension of its
line and the Santa Fe soon united with the Colorado and New Mexico Railway, the
Pueblo and Salt Lake Railway and the Pueblo Arkansas Valley Railway, and
participated in a bond issue of $350,000 which had been voted in March, 1874, to
the Salt Lake road. By this consolidation of the various competitors for the
Arkansas valley route, the long sought for eastern road to Pueblo was assured.
The new road was completed to Pueblo on February 26, 1876, and formally opened
on March 1st by monster excursions from Denver and points in Kansas.

    The Rio Grande road had not anticipated any competition in the region into
which its road was to extend, and it looked upon the Santa Fe as an interloper,
but the latter road soon not only began to plan extensions that would parallel
the Rio Grande, but that would also control the chief mountain passes of
Southern Colorado. The conflict between these two roads resulted in one of the
most spectacular, and at the same time most disgraceful railroad wars ever
witnessed in connection with the building of American railroads. The Rio Grande
had planned an extension through Raton Pass and another through the Royal Gorge,
but its wily antagonist hastily gathered a force of men and secured possession
of Raton Pass, thus effectually blocking the former road. In April, 1878, the
Santa Fe began grading from Pueblo to Canon City, its intention being to
parallel the road of its enemy to Canon and also to extend its operations far
enough into the Gorge to prevent the Rio Grande from occupying that important pass.

    In some manner the intention of the Santa Fe to occupy the Royal Gorge
became known to the officials of the Rio Grande, who immediately began to take
steps to prevent it. The Santa Fe, learning that their intentions had become
known to their rival and that steps were being taken to thwart their purpose,
immediately dispatched their chief engineer, William R. Morley, who was at that
moment at La Junta, post haste to procure a force of men and hold the gorge
against the enemy. Morley secured an engine and made a record breaking trip to
Pueblo, but upon applying to the Rio Grande for a narrow gauge engine with which
to continue his journey to Canon City, was met with a prompt refusal. This
occurred at 3 a. m., at which time Morley also learned that Palmer was ready to
send a force of one hundred men to the Gorge early that day. Baffled in his
attempt to secure an engine, Morley at once hired a swift horse and started on a
forty-five mile race to Canon City, hoping to arrive there ahead of Palmer's men.

    A wild race ensued with odds slightly in favor of Morley, owing to his early
start, but just before reaching Canon City his horse fell dead from exhaustion.
It looked now as if the Rio Grande would win, but the intrepid Morley
immediately resumed the race on foot. He arrived in Canon City where he
immediately gathered a force of one hundred fifty men and rushed them to the
mouth of the Gorge, where he awaited the coming of his disappointed rival.

    The Rio Grande apparently defeated on every hand, and having incurred heavy
burdens of debt because of its southern extension, was on the verge of
bankruptcy when announcement was suddenly made that it had leased its entire
system to the Santa Fe. The details of the lease were rapidly completed and on
December 2, 1878, the Santa Fe took possession under a thirty year lease. This
movement stopped the war but immediately started another one.

    It soon became apparent that the ultimate purpose of the Santa Fe was to
build up the trade of its own main line from Kansas City, using Pueblo as a
center and the Rio Grande lines as feeders. Since this would sacrifice the
prestige of Denver and seriously cripple the development of the Rio Grande, a
strenuous remonstrance was filed in court. This was followed by a court order
requiring the surrender of all the Rio Grande property to its owners.

    At this juncture both parties flew to arms, the Rio Grande officials
demanding the possession of their property and the Santa Fe stoutly refusing to
surrender. Judge Bowen instructed the sheriffs located at €he various points
along the Rio Grande, to see that the order of the court was carried out. At
Pueblo the sheriff telegraphed the governor that an armed mob had taken
possession of the Rio Grande depot and had refused to surrender. Governor Pitkin
refused to take part in the impending war, and instructed the sheriff that he
must act upon his own discretion. With a body of deputies the door of the
dispatcher's office was forced. Several shots were fired, but no one was hurt.
A. C. Hunt of the Rio Grande arrived on the scene about dark with a force of two
hundred men, having secured possession of all Rio Grande property between Denver
and Pueblo. Hunt proceeded to Canon City and soon secured possession of the
company's property in that place.

    In the meantime the Santa Fe had appealed the case to the higher court.

    The events just narrated occurred on June 11th. On the 12th of June Judge
Hallett reversed the decision of the lower court, stating that Judge Bowen had
erred in issuing the dispossessing order in favor of the Rio Grande. He ordered
the property restored to the lessee and suggested that the only recourse of the
Rio Grande was to contest the lease.

    It was some time later than this that the suit filed in the Royal Gorge case
was decided in favor of the Rio Grande. After fighting until their strength was
exhausted, these two roads learned the lesson which all railroads have learned
and found so valuable since that time, namely, that co-operation and not
competition brings the greatest assurance of ultimate success.

    It would be interesting to follow the history of the railroad stock owned by
the county and to recount the various refundings of the county bonds, but space
will permit but a brief statement concerning this matter.

    On July 1, 1885, bonds to the extent of $225,000 were refunded at 6%, the
original bonds bearing 8%. Again, on January 1, 1897, a refunding took place,
new bonds to the extent of $350,000 being issued; this included all outstanding
indebtedness up to that date. This issue of 1897 was again refunded at 4%% in
1911, thus saving a large amount annually in interest.

    In 1877 the Santa Fe officials approached the County Commissioners and
offered to purchase the stock of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, then being held
by the county to the amount of $350,000, for the cash consideration of $50,000.
The commissioners, through the press, gave notice that unless protests by at
least fifty tax payers were filed with them before a certain date, the stock
would be disposed of at the price stated above. Some 190 tax payers filed a
remonstrance, whereupon an election was announced by the commissioners for April
23, to determine what action the people desired the county officials to take in
the matter. So unpopular did the Santa Fe's proposal become that they requested
the matter to be dropped without permitting it to come to a vote. Charges and
counter charges were freely made and "fraud" and "swindle" were directed at many
of those concerned in the attempted sale of this stock at a price far below its
real value. Shortly after this episode the stock was placed on the market,
through Messrs. Ballou and Co., of Boston, and was sold at 63 cents on the
dollar, $50,000 worth being sold at par. Instead of receiving $50,000, as was
originally offered by the Santa Fe, the county received a total of $239,000.

    In the course of time there came other railroads to Pueblo, attracted
thither by the ever increasing carrying trade of Southern Colorado, but the
history of none of these contain the romantic elements in such degree as
characterized the early history of the two roads already discussed, nor was
their influence upon the development of the Pueblo region as marked as was the
influence of these earlier roads.

    With the coming of the railroad to Pueblo, came also the dimming of the
trail. No more would the wagon train be seen struggling up the dusty valley or
across the treeless plains; never again would the Indian have such opportunity
for plunder and murder. The old has passed away—a new regime is being ushered
in, for the whistle of the engine resounds down the valley.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Pathbreakers and Pioneers of the Pueblo Region
Comprising
A History of Pueblo from the Earliest Times
By MILO LEE WHITTAKER
THE FRANKLIN PRESS COMPANY 
1917


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