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<br />I
<br />
<br />government furnishes us
<br />traveling expenses back to
<br />Montrose. We experience the
<br />ineonvenience of traveling
<br />north or south in this country.
<br />It is going to take us 50 hours
<br />to go a little over a thousand
<br />miles. I am carrying$l70asa
<br />result of this trip-lOOdraft
<br />on lstNtI. N.Y. Checkfor$50
<br />March salary and cash.
<br />We are sorry to leave
<br />Torrence and Washburn, but
<br />illey go to Los Vegas until
<br />July. Thewholearrangement
<br />was best for alL
<br />~April 18 ~ Back at Mon-
<br />trose. Am going with D to
<br />G.J. for a couple oI weeks
<br />layoff.
<br />-May 5 - Camp No. I.
<br />Cedar Creek. Darie and I.
<br />came up {rom Grand Junc-
<br />tion on the third. Our trunks I
<br />did not arrive until today. We
<br />have been in rain and mud all .
<br />week. My state of mind was
<br />never worse in mywholellfe. .
<br />I am rodman for hand level
<br />topography. I am decidedly
<br />sick of this whole business, '
<br />but cannot quit just now.
<br />-MaY8-Campwasmov_
<br />eduptotheM. &D.headg<lte
<br />today.
<br />-May 12~LevelsonSouth
<br />Canal.
<br />~June 2 - I have been lax
<br />inthematterofmydiaryand
<br />must make it up. On May 19, I
<br />was fired, body, soul and
<br />breeches. The fault was not
<br />mine. I have often wondered
<br />whether I had real spunk or
<br />not. Nojobcarriestherightto
<br />bully me
<br />The details of the termina-
<br />tion of Luther's government
<br />service are not presented in
<br />the diary,. but he gave the
<br />following version to hisfami,
<br />Iy.
<br />When he went to New Mex-
<br />ico the previous December,
<br />he left a coal-oillamp in the
<br />Montrose camp_ Upon his
<br />return in May he found that
<br />the cook had laid claim tothe
<br />lamp. This led to a dandy list
<br />fight.
<br />The party chief decided
<br />rodmen were easier to find
<br />than cooks so Luther was
<br />fired. It is evident from the
<br />diary that Luther's state of
<br />mind had been deteriorating
<br />steadily during the last few
<br />months, so itisquite possible
<br />that an end to this kind of life, .:
<br />for him, was inevitable.
<br />Luther continued to live in
<br />Grand Junction until 1915. In
<br />that year he moved to Meeker
<br />where he started a nursery
<br />and floral business. He con-
<br />tinued to operate this
<br />business until 1958. He was
<br />married twice and raised five
<br />children.
<br />During his long and active
<br />life in Meeker, he was a
<br />leader in civic and communi-
<br />ty affairs. He served several
<br />terms as mayor and was ac-
<br />tive in the Methodist Church,
<br />Lions Club, and the
<br />Democratic Party.
<br />He died in Meeker in 1963at
<br />the age of 84. His oldest son,
<br />Robert D. WbiteofMeeker, is
<br />well known in the Montrose
<br />area, baving served on the
<br />Colorado-Ute Electrical
<br />Assn. board of directors for
<br />many years.
<br />In spite of the involuntary
<br />nature of his tennination
<br />with the Service, Luther was
<br />always very proud of his in-
<br />volvement with thebeginning
<br />of Reclamation.
<br />He was a strong proponent
<br />of water development, and
<br />deeply concerned about the
<br />need for more water develop-
<br />ment if western Colorado was
<br />to ever reach its full
<br />agriCUltural and industrial
<br />potential.
<br />
<br />
<br />...
<br />
<br />Luther White
<br />
<br />(Continued from Page 6) ,
<br />ed hard sore to see the snaps
<br />go thusly.
<br />-May 6 - Foster,
<br />Torrence, Heald and myself
<br />came up to Jones' cabin in
<br />Jones' gulch, through
<br />Bostwick park and Bostwick
<br />gulch,on Monday. We are
<br />running levels from the R.R.
<br />to Jones' Summit. The
<br />weather is splendid and
<br />everything is lovely except
<br />the ticks. They are slayers.
<br />-May 10 ~ Went into the
<br />Grand Canon of the Gun-
<br />nison. It is wonderiul, ver.
<br />tical walls a half mile high,
<br />roaring rapids and falls,
<br />flowers, ferns and mosses.
<br />'Charlie Heald was coming
<br />down a rock slide behind me
<br />and starteda slone. The stone
<br />passed so close tome that it
<br />removed the seat of my
<br />trousers.
<br />-May 11- Cut sagebrush
<br />outofa road to the canon.
<br />-May 12 - Running levels
<br />again down by Fairview. We
<br />have been using new rods
<br />lately and they did not check
<br />with the old ones. Received
<br />month's check tonight.
<br />-May 22 - The weather
<br />the past week has been simp-
<br />ly "awful." Sunday 8 inches
<br />of snow fell here, and the
<br />ticks have been plentifuL I
<br />sent Dariea few spl'C'imens
<br />down to Grand Junction. He
<br />told me when hecameupthat.
<br />they were still very much
<br />alive. Darie is building trail
<br />and otherwise making
<br />himself useful. The high
<br />moguls sprung a game on me,
<br />but evidently thought better
<br />of it. 'They proposed putting
<br />me in charge of the trail
<br />building.
<br />~May 30 - Decoration
<br />Day - Have been pretty sick
<br />yesterday and today. Thurs-
<br />day a fternoon I went with
<br />Foster down tothedamsight.
<br />It was a very hard and
<br />tiresome trip. We were in a
<br />place wherelt is safe to say no
<br />other men had ever been
<br />before. One misstep or slip
<br />would have meant instant
<br />death. Foster has piCked on'
<br />me to rod this topography. It
<br />is a very dangerous piece of
<br />work and will require aU my
<br />nerve.
<br />-June 12 - Fosterbrought
<br />me back to town.
<br />-June 13 - Checks came
<br />-June 14 - To church
<br />twice again today. Rev.
<br />Harper preached strong on
<br />swearing tonight. GuessI will
<br />cutitout. Hedoesn'tknow the
<br />value of it though. I am all
<br />O.K. just now. Have not been
<br />very well for a couple of
<br />weeks. I with the rest of the
<br />boys seem to be involved in
<br />kind of a struggle for
<br />supremicy with Dillon. He
<br />gives every one a black eye.
<br />-June 30 - Foster and I
<br />are running levels down into
<br />the canon. We expect to be
<br />through by the "Fourth." The
<br />world runs as usual.
<br />-July 7 - Tuesday - Fri-
<br />day Inuis and I went down to
<br />Grand Junction to spend the
<br />4th. Had a good timeetc.,.etc.
<br />Tomorrow we go to a very
<br />dangerous place.
<br />-July 8 - Foster and I
<br />went down over 200 feet of
<br />rope to the Dam site.
<br />-July 13 - Taking
<br />topography with Sargent at
<br />the dam site. He is a surly
<br />mean brute of a grafter.
<br />Knows less about topography
<br />than 1 do. Check came.
<br />-July 19 - Sunday - Still
<br />with Sargent. Go into the
<br />canon every day. Washed my
<br />clothes and read today.
<br />-July 26 - Working with
<br />Foster again down on H. line
<br />
<br />in the dobies. Foster was
<br />. struck by lightening yester-
<br />day. He was crazy for a little
<br />while.
<br />I am bunking in a tent in
<br />Parish's back yard now. It is
<br />just simply nice.
<br />-JuIY31-Anothermonth
<br />gone. Foster and I are at
<br />work traCing an error in
<br />somebody's level line. The
<br />weather is very hot and dis-
<br />agreeable. The gnats and
<br />mosquitoes are very bad.
<br />-Aug, 30 - We have finish-
<br />ed work on level lines in
<br />dobies and I am glad. Mon-
<br />day and Tuesday this week
<br />we run a short line in
<br />Shavenaugh Valley. The rest
<br />of the week was spent as
<br />Torrence's assistant. My
<br />salary is increased to $50 this
<br />month.
<br />-Sept. 7 - Montrose
<br />again. Played at ball. Bebb's
<br />campwOll over the rest of the
<br />survey. A flood came down
<br />from the hills last night and
<br />nearly washed our camp
<br />away. My bed is about ruined
<br />with mud. I will probably re-
<br />main as Torrences' assistant
<br />at plane-table.
<br />-Sept. 27 - Still plane-
<br />table assistant with
<br />Torrence. Finished sheet in
<br />dobies Friday and moved to
<br />town Saturday. We move to
<br />Frosts tomorrow.
<br />-Sept. 30 - Camped at
<br />Frosts siding, 7 miles from
<br />Montrose. Yesterday and to,
<br />day 1 ran my lirstlevels. My
<br />first line didn't tie up very
<br />well
<br />-Oct. 18 - Sunday.
<br />Torrence, Auterson, the cook
<br />and myself are in camp_ I did
<br />a good sized washing this
<br />morning. cleaned my tent
<br />and took a bath in the Uncom-
<br />pahgre. Melted snow makes
<br />very cold water. Our sheet is
<br />completed and we move
<br />Wednesday. Torrence is
<br />making a record on
<br />topography. 1 am not though.
<br />Make too many errors. Am
<br />going down to photograph
<br />Mrs. Nye's orchard this
<br />afternoon.
<br />Our party is camped with
<br />Charles and Foster four
<br />miles east of Olathe. Weare
<br />nearly through with another
<br />sheet. Today was very cold
<br />and windy. Snow fell on the
<br />hills around. Kinney and Tal.
<br />Iy leave tonight for their
<br />homes. Ifitweremetoo, butI
<br />have no home, and very few
<br />friends.
<br />-Nov. 14 - This week I
<br />wastoMontrosethefirsttime
<br />in six weeks. We are camped
<br />down near Peach Valley
<br />Peach mt Wewill commence
<br />detail on our sheet on the 16th.
<br />Ran some more levels today.
<br />Weigh 152 pounds. Checks
<br />came today.
<br />-Nov. 21 - Cold dis-
<br />agreeable weatJler.
<br />-Thanksgiving - went to
<br />town - Delta - today and
<br />took dinner at the other
<br />camp. I have a kind of
<br />lonesome spell today.
<br />-Dec. 13 - Last Monday
<br />we left camp in Peach Valley.
<br />Friday we left Montrose for
<br />Roswell, N.M. where we are
<br />tonight. Roberts, Torrence,
<br />Chapin, Washburn, Hender-
<br />son and myself. We put up at
<br />the Grand Central hotel.
<br />Roswell seems to be a nice
<br />town of probably 5000.
<br />Amarilla where we stopped
<br />this morning is on the boom
<br />with6,SOO.
<br />The crew worked in
<br />southeastern New Mexico for
<br />the next four months.
<br />-April 16 - (1904)
<br />Amarillo, Texas, 10 p.m.
<br />Darie H. and I started for
<br />Montrose this morning. The ~
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