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<br />tunnel and canals, at the instigation of a local farmer, John E,
<br />Pelton, There was some thought at the time that this would
<br />be construed primarily as a political move, since \Volcott was
<br />coming up for re-election.~u
<br />Late in the summer of 1900, a party of five volunteers de-
<br />cided to tackle a survey of the Black Canyon to see if water
<br />diversion would actually be feasible," The leader, William
<br />W, Torrence, later to be called the
<br />"Father of the Gunnison Tunnel,"
<br />was at the time superintendent of the
<br />Montrose Electric Light and Power
<br />Company. His companions included
<br />John E. Pelton, a Montrose farmer
<br />and local lake resort proprietor, J, A,
<br />Curtis, the Delta County Surveyor
<br />and civil engineer, M. ~ F. Ho\;ey,
<br />Montrose farmer and one-time miner.
<br />and E, B, Anderson, a Delta rancher.
<br />All except Torrence were married
<br />and had children, Hovev, the oldest,
<br />was fifty-five,
<br />In September of 1900 these men
<br />were ready to tackle the river, Head-
<br />ed by Pelton, they took the train for
<br />the mouth of Cimarron Creek, the
<br />railroad company transporting them
<br />free. Going down-river from there.
<br />the men planned to reach Red Rock
<br />Canyon within four or five days, If
<br />they had experienced too rough a
<br />journey by this time, they would
<br />climb out there, leaving the boats to
<br />drift downstream to the North Fork;
<br />otherwise they would accompany thc
<br />boats through the entire length of the
<br />canyon.
<br />Their
<br />
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<br />~C<')'S
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<br />TI)HHEXCI';
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<br />CULOIL\lJo ;\IAGAZIXfo:
<br />
<br />equipment
<br />
<br />included
<br />
<br />t\VO
<br />
<br />:<I Ibid.. :-><el'tf'mbt'r 2:!, I!<OO. "Th..y [R.dl an,j :-'hafn.thl han" tot"en al ,,"'lrk
<br />in ~ea~'{ln an.J nut of !<t:a!<"n t" Ilu"h tht' work In tlH' \'artnu" ('''mmlth't''', and ('an
<br />lit' ,JI;'I,..nol..<I on to Kt'l'i' It g-"ill~. Tht <h'lllul'rati<' I'arl~' ha~ d..dared for hl"II'
<br />fvr tIn- Irl"lgati"n t"n(('rr'ri~t-:< "r tll't" \\'~'",t. an,l thi!' ur It",,,,lf :;11"\\',,, th.. g-rowth uf
<br />N,'ntllllt'rn, nur l'''m;:r'':,>'rn. n rll",' ,h.ln;.: ,ill any 1Il.'n can."' .1["1I(ro..._, E'lrt'qJrisc.
<br />,-\UI:U>,t IS. 1~(\I.I.
<br />"Tlwr.. IIlI\'" IJt't'Tl a Tlumlwr of l'uhli",ht"j ae,'"UrHll of thl", I~OO trip. In
<br />mac:azlrw:<. n"\\"'l'liIWT>'. nn" bOIII\:<. ('nf.,rt\lnlit~'ly. the \arl"u:< ac("tJunts ,!Jf(er
<br />In ,j",lail:<, Tilt' '....:<\lm... l'ru'..nt",J Iwr", l!< \,rjrnarll~' loa>"." III'''n II"" fullowlng
<br />>'HUh"-:'. wilh I'arlj,'ular ,1<-1"'II''''n(,.. upHn th.. n~'\\Sl-'lIl'~'r r"I".!"t,.: ''':')llITnir Hflok-
<br />ld. J[u'ltrmll' ('m.nty. tI'J dr.: Fanny E. (0,,,., Hcr"f'.~ 01 E1"crydllIJ Li/,' (Ho:'lon.
<br />Iflll L pp. ~O+61 : \-,.'11,,\\,>,. /1'1. dr.. 530-5J~: Hunt..r. loc, dt.: :\Iar~h. U,I. {'it., pp.
<br />8fl.!'!i: .lfmttrOIl" J.:n"",ri.I'. ~..pt(+mb;;-r-\ Ie(nh..r. 1!'OO: itolk..r anl! \\'Il1..y. <lp. dt..
<br />50s-51~: Joi1l1 1It'llr}' ~haw. "l-:xplorin,: the Black \~annn of th.. Gunnll.on Hiver."
<br />l\'or/d 7'o-f)<lY. \'01. 1-:. :\0. 5 \ 1 ~IO~ll. 113~I-ll H: an.l \\'ih:.on J{ockwt'll. i<unsa
<br />Slopl' ~IJen\l'r. 1~561. 1'1'_ :!~~,-:!~~. In t1wir SUf\'''~' th(' mt'n wt're intt're~te,l In
<br />tilt' I,O:<:-ibllity "f rUnnln~ Il .lIt"11 ,Iownstream in tile "'lIn~'on to H.'!} Hock an"
<br />into a t\lnn..1 rrom th"rf' to Iht' l.n..nOlpallgn....yal1..y. .lfontl'l'.~l' Entcrpri~,'.
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