Royal Canyon Railroad War

In the 1870s, a small section of a narrow gauge rail line It meandered the wall of the Arkansas Canyon's cave in the center of Colorado. Control of this rail line will be directed as an important melodrama in state mining history and will be later called "Royal Gorgeous War". This incident occurred in the Arkansas Canyon between 1878 and 1880.

Bat Masterson and Ben Thompson, who were the two armed groups of the day, were fighting the railroad companies Atchison, Topeka, Santa Fe (AT & SF). The railroad company was trying to assert the truck that the rival, Denver and Rio Grande (D & RG) built in 1872 as a favorable link between Denver and Pueblo.

Denver and Rio Grande (D & RG) This stage was set up in 1872 when a railroad company built a narrow gauge rail line from Denver to Pueblo, Colorado. Next, they opened a line to Cannon coal mine located 37 miles west of Pueblo from Pueblo. After that, it built south of Pueblo, headed to San Luis Valley through the mountains in the southern Colorado province until arriving at El Moro in 1876. It extended the railroad line to Garland Fort Garland in 1877 and Alamosa in June 1878.

AT & SF Railroad Company Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (AT & SF) Railroad company was built west of Kansas City. AT & SF reached the Colorado line by 1872, but due to the delay he did not arrive at Pueblo until 1876. In the same year, Leadville was booming as the center of the silver mine. Of city

Recognizing this possibility, AT & SF decided to operate a railroad from Pueblo to Lead Building. This required the line to cross the Royal Valley of the Arkansas River located 50 miles west of Pueblo. With a narrow pass, only one rail line can be built. This was the heart of the conflict. D & RG also wanted the same thing.

By 1878, both railway companies were in a hurry with the men and equipment to the area they wanted to secure the right to pass through the cany while the court agreed for the court's ruling. In April of that year, AT & SF stationed more than 300 men in the canyon to secure the line construction site. D & RG matched that number, but it was difficult to hire a man because rivals paid higher wages.

AT & SF attorneys issued a temporary injunction against D & RG to the district court and canceled further work in the canyon. But before AT & SF used this opportunity, D & RG received a court order to prevent Kansas companies from continuing their conduct. When both companies were parked, we placed men in important places in the valley and managed to manage lines and facilities.

D & RG built several stone forts under the direction of a chief engineer who knew how to build the bedrock of rock needed for battle under the name of James R. DeRemer who engaged in the civil war. Built in Texas Creek and Spike Back, these dry masonry "DeRemer Forts" features a muzzle and a view of the under track.

Fortunately, for both camps, Rock Fort had never been waiting for each other. By November 1878, D & RG had no money and was forced to contract with their arch rival. On December 1 of that year, they had a 30 - year lease agreement with AT & SF. This allowed the use of railway lines and all equipment (including vehicles).

After AT & SF controlled all the trucks and trains, they began to squeeze quickly with more business for Kansas City, less for Denver. Recognizing their mistake, D & RG began legal measures to break down Lease. Finally, in the beginning of 1879, this ruling was brought up in the Supreme Court of Washington. Regardless of the court's ruling, each company sent armed men and kept their rights and property. AT & SF hired a group of 33 men who were recruited at Bat Masterson and Dodge City to establish a canyon to protect construction engineers and the company's wealth. They arrived at a special train, after establishing a camp called "Dodge City", returned to Kansas.

On April 21, the Supreme Court ruled that D & RG had prior rights to Canyon but did not have exclusive rights. Neither party was pleased with the decision that sacrificed it. In the second half of May, Colorado State Attorney General submitted a lawsuit to the state court to stop the operation of the railway in the state at AT & SF. Later, on June 10, state judge Thomas M. Bowen announced a statement that AT & SF will stop using or manipulating buildings, equipment or vehicles of D & RG. In the case of Judge Bowen, the officers of D & RG went to the sheriffs of each county crossing the railroad and owned all their wealth.

AT & SF instructed Bat Masterson to return to Colorado and concentrate on Pueblo. He immediately recruited fifty armed men and put them on a special train. There was Ben Thompson and his colleague Texans in this group.

Originally, when approaching with an offer, Ben was afraid to be prosecuted for murder when violence occurred, and was reluctant to sign on. Finally, we agreed to host a stone round house at Pueblo and handed the officials of the law until we submitted a legal document to him. Walton's book (Ben Thomson's Lifetime and Adventure) Thompson agreed to do the work for $ 5,000 and approached the D & RG to surrender the round house for $ 25,000. Ben refused the offer: "I will die here unless the law releases me.

On 11th June, Denver 's sheriff and D & RG official seized Denver' s AT & SF office and round house. After that, the D & RG agent train headed south to possess properties on the way. At the same time, Former Governor of Colorado State Hunt recruited 200 men, captured the train, headed north, caught all the small stations, and made agents into prisoners. At Cucharas, Hunt 's army killed the Mexican and shot it with 12 men of AT & SF who hurt the Irishman Dansariiban.

In Pueblo, Mr. Henry R. Price, D & RG, JA McMurtie and R. F. Weitbrec served as writers of Bowen to all AT & SF workers at dawn. After serving the judge, Sheriff Price and his husband marched to the train dispatcher's office at 8:30. The security guard refused to own the building and the sheriff ordered to consider it within 30 minutes.

At 9 o'clock the price came back and there were dozens of men armed AT & SF men in the office. She resigned to the Grand Central Hotel and recruited 100 vice-chairpersons. They were armed and prepared lots of sake freely.

Chef Price and its delegates returned to the depot at noon and demanded that people in the depot surrender. They refused and the platoon moved to the round house where Ben Thompson and Texans were waiting. Mr. Ben who faced the sheriff said he was in charge of the company's real estate and he could not abandon it without being permitted. Sheriff said she began to disband the armed group.

Ben replied that there were no mobs armed with round houses, but only a man of construction workers sent to protect the company's property replied. Ben said that some of the men had weapons, Ben invited commanders to police officers, entered into the president and saw conviction of law violation. Just by entering the round house, prices were accepted without being arrested after a simple search was done.

Sheriff Price faced a stand-off powder barrel, withdrew his men and asked for advice from a local lawyer. After reviewing the judge judge, he was informed that he was not authorized to use the authority to inherit AT & SF property. After chewing about until about 3 o'clock he decided that it was time to take action regardless of the legality of writing. A delegate who lubricated him and 50 of his drinks met in front of the Victoria Hotel. There, a bayonet and a rifle equipped with a large amount of ammunition were offered with courtesy of D & RG. Marching toward the depot, they formed a front line in front of the building.

At that time, the barn place house by the name of WF. Chumside jumped out of the ticket office. He said "I received a little of the influence of sake," he wants to discuss the claims of people in the depot. He was immediately struck by one of the delegates and kicked his head.

Afterwards, the commander began shooting at the telegram office. Most of the men in the office quickly escaped from the backdoor and made it safely. Unfortunately, Harry Jenkins collapsed while running away and was shot at the bullet in the chest. The platoon threw the injured man to the express wagon and asked him to take a medical procedure. He died awhile.

After hitting the telegraph office, I headed to the round house, which was the last base of the AT & SF defense team. Thompson met them outside the round house. "If you want battle, you can have one. Before he regained the challenge he was overwhelmed and imprisoned by more than ten delegates Without their leaders, after a while they thought they wanted to be paralyzed, they surrendered the building without releasing a shot.All of them were disarmed, gathered on the streets, waisted I joined Thompson in a crowded little prison on Fifth Street.

Later that night, former Hunt Governor and its party arrived on the train from the south, then continued to the Cannon city on the Arkansas River. By midnight the entire railroad was caught. That night, other people hired by Bat Masterson, Ben Thompson, AT & SF were released from prison and got on a special train bound for Dodge City. When arriving the next morning, Ben collected money from AT & SF and went to Texas via Kansas City and St. Louis.

Royal Gorge's case did not end on June 11, but continued in the court for a couple of months. Finally, "Baroness robber" Jay Gould acquired 50% of the shares of D & RG and settled the case from the court. On March 27, 1880, both railroads agreed to sign the "Boston treaty" to return railways and property to D & RG. AT & SF paid $ 1.8 million for railroad lines built through the path, the Royal-Gorsy war was finally over.

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