In response to the many favorable interests in the coal status of the narrow gauge, this following letter gives a fine view of the status in 1917 from the RGS perspective:
Ridgway, June 1, 1917 [Rio Grande Southern RR]
[to] Mr. L. P. Wilson, Superintendent of Transportation, Denver Colorado. [D&RGW]
Dear Sir,
Referring to your letter of the 26th ultimo, and further to mine of May 23rd, relative to empty car mileage:
As stated, the coal business into Telluride is quite heavy, but it comes in from the north, our mines at Hesperus and Perin’s Peak getting little or none of the business.
The Porter Fuel Company at Hesperus, as you have no doubt been advised, are to discontinue mining today, and we will therefore have no more coal business from that station.
The Calumet Fuel Company at Perin’s Peak, the only other coal mine on this line which will be in operation, load principally company coal, using dump and coal cars, and an occasional box car for commercial coal. Our company coal orders with this company has been reduced to ten cars per week, the balance of their output going to the Forth Division. The coal that we receive from Calumet will be used to supply Ute Junction and Rico, and we are to get ten narrow gauge cars of coal per week from Crested Butte points to supply Ridgway and Vance Junction.
The supply of box cars has not been ample to permit of this class of equipment being used for company coal loading, even if they could be loaded to advantage, and as a matter of fact they could not.
Under the present arrangement, that of supplying Ute Junction and Rico with company coal from the Calumet, and Ridgway and Vance Junction from the north, our empty coal car mileage will be reduced, and the interchange of coal cars at both Ridgway and Durango kept more evenly balanced.
Yours truly, W. D. Lee, General Superintendent [Rio Grande Southern RR]
Above letter information credit to "Room for Southwest Studies", Fort Lewis College, at Durango Colorado, 2003. Letter book files are ready for inspection.
