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Show Record I live now about 17 miles above Durango on the Rio Grand River. 512 I am 74 years old. I am a contractor for the American Smelting & Refining Company. I have been in the San Juan River country at Bowens Ferry and about where Fruitland is located, and Pogosa Springs, and different points along there innumerable times. I have never been around Bluff. I have not been on the river between Bluff and the Colorado. I have never done any bridge construction 513 work in the upper stretches of the San Juan. I have on the Animus. Aztec, New Mexico is on the Animus River. I recall a flood in that country in 1884. I built a bridge across the Aztec in 1883 and the flood of 1884 came in the spring. I went down there to try to save the bridge but the water was too high, 2 or 3 feet above where they all thought the high water mark was, and part of the bridge went out. That bridge was, I should judge, 17 or 18 miles from the San Juan River. I am somewhat familiar with the Animus River. It is a river that flows all the year round. I have forded that San Juan River in the neighborhood of Fruitland. The water was not very deep, not over up to the horses' knees. I never kept a store up there and never engaged in freighting. Harry C. Baldwin testified for complainant on direct examination as follows: 515 I am 46 years old. I live at Farmington, New Mexico, now. I lived at Hogback 20 years, ran a store there. It is 80 miles above Bluff. I first came into that country in 1895. I 516 located at Hogback. I have made one trip to Bluff. While at Hogback for 15 years we got out supplies from Durango, Colorado, freighted them in. The first 5 years I was there they came from Farmington. Hogback Store is on the San Juan River. I never had freight come up the San Juan River during that time. I did not send any down. I traded with the Indians at Hogback for 20 years. The Indians did not own any boats. I had a boat there that the Indians ran. It was just used as a ferry boat. 517 I am familiar with Choco Creek. It is not a stream that runs all the year round. I know the Animus Creek run all the |
