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Show 167 Never saw Indians use boats except for the purpose of crossing the river and never used boats on the river for travel himself. " Q. During the time that you lived in and about Bluff, did the Indians ever use this river, the San Juan River, for the purpose of travel? " A. Nothing only to cross it." R. 365. When this party of Emigrants reached Bluff the river was confined in apparently a permanent channel with cane, willows and cottonwood trees, " since then it has been tore out, all to pieces." R. 366. They laid cut farms and irrigation projects that would be on a small scale nowadays but he believes roughly they consisted of about seven hundred acres and dug a gravity ditch from the river. Part of the gravity ditch is still there, but the original farm lands are not as a great deal has been tore out, washed away by the river. This has been going on year after year tearing and cutting out a little more each year. R. 367. Supplies were brought into Bluff from Delores, Alamosa, Durango Colorado, and Thompson, Utah, first by means of team and wagon and later, with automobile trucks. The river was never used as a means of transportation for supplies or otherwise. Alamosa was about three hundred miles from Bluff and he believes the road to Durango was completed in 1882. " Q. Do you recall at any time of your experience in Bluff and in and around San Juan Country that any supplies were ever brought into Bluff, Utah, by way of the Colorado River and the n up the San Juan River? " A. No sir." R. 369." |
