The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-04-20

question arises. how is this timber to
lie male available? At least four TO
six months in the year these streams
Belle Euurche aud South. Fork of
Cheyennel are quite high. The logs
could be cut aud transported TO the
sides OF these streams duriug the dry
season, and when the streams are
high. in the spring of the year, they
could he taken down into the Ms
souri, River with = gOUu degree of
safely and cn-p.
The Black Hills, which appear in
the distance and derive their name
from. their dark and gloomy appear
ance, contains an ineXhaustibIe uuuu-
tity Of the finest timber, mostly pine,
which will doubtless reTnafn mills
turbed for many years TO come"
General Custer, who visited the
hills last summer, in his report also
speaks glOwingIy of the supply Of
timber, and says: "Ihc timber
found consisted of many varieties,
principally of pine, oak and elm.
The pine Is of suitable dimensions
for being worked Into lumber, aud is
met with in abundance on every
hillside"
Col. Fursythe. of Gen. Sheridau'5
staff, who accompanied the eXpeIi-
ton, also ,urrOburutcS the statement
that a great uhuuduu-u OF timber
exist in the hills.
The fertility Of the soil in. tho
Black HIS was noticed iy Lieut..
Warren, in 1873. Speaking of the
valleys in that region, ne say in hi,
report of that year: In these noun
tain formations which border the
great plains on the west are to be-
found beautiful flowing streams, and
small rich valleys covered oVc with
fine grass for hay, and susceptible Oi
cultivation by means of irrigation.
Fine timber for fuel and lumber.
limestone, and good stone for build
ing purposes are here a"undunt.
Gold has been found in places in
valuable quantities, aud. without
doubt, the more cpmm0n and useful
minerals Will be discovered when
more minute examinations are
made"
In the same report, further on. he
says: "Thc country furnishes the
means of raising sufficient quantities
of grain and vegetables for the use Of
the iuhahiluut~, aud beautiful.
healthy aud desirable locations for
their homes. The -rpmaI kuble free
dom here from sickness is one OF
the attractive features OF the region.
aud VIII, in tins respect, go far to
recOmprnSe the settler from the
Mississippi valley for his loss in the
smaller amount of products that can
be taken from the soil. The great
amt of suitable luilding material.
which nov 20 seriously retards the
growth of the west, will not be feIt
here"
He also says that these settlements
in the Black Hills country, cannot
be agricultural I % the same extent as
those in the Mississippi valley, but
must depend greatly upon the rails
ing of stock.
Gen. We Reynolds, who made a
Typographical survey Of this region
in ~lS59-60, says, in Speaking of il in
his report, page I: 1.-THE whole re-
gjon of the Black Hills is unqurs-
tinnably destined, at no distant date,
to afford homes for n thriving popu-
iatiOn. The mountains will furnish
II sufficient supply Of pine lumber for
ordinary uses, and although timber
Is very scarce in the region a~ a
whole from Fore Pierre to the Pow
der lttvUr|, yet the Black Hills will
fully supply this great deficiency in
the districts immediately alioInrug.'
His route from the Missouri River
led him to the Forks of the Biz
Cheyenne, and then he skirtCd the
northeast and north side of the hills,
He describes them in his Journal is Il
succession of mountain ranges with
beautiful valleys between, The soil OF
which is rich and fertile, and GOV
gFaI xyith - kaa.-,r ,r~.,.VH .F -
Groves of ash, oak, elm and other
varieties of timber are mentioned as
being met with, ringing tie clear,
beautiful streams of water. putting
down from the hills into the Belle
FOurche. Between the forks of the
Cheyenne very decided evidences of
the existence of gold were found
page Ii; but prospecting was dis
cOuraGcd by him on account of dan
ger from the Indians, and for fear of
making the expedition a failure.
" 1t was for these reasons that the
search for gold was ut all times dis.
COuraged,n he SAYS page IA, vet
still it was often difficult to restrain
the disposition to 'pruSppct,' and
there were moments when l. was
feared that SOME of The party would
defy all restraint"
These descriptions and discoveries
were made of the Black Hills SIX
teen and seventeen years ago by
reliable army officers, whose only
object was to make truthful reports
of the country, and We're made under
many disadvantages. The number
Of men euch'h ld was small, and the
dangers from the hostile Sioux were
nnt tho nnlU trhrlhln thnNr had q, ,,r,
vide against.
Warren went north from Fort
Laramie, viz Red Buttes and Old
WOman's Fork to the South Chry-
enne, and thence to Inyan Kara,
where he was intercepted by the
Sioux, and compelled to retrace his
sLnnS- Hn NEnnt kn-l- taL-..-l E--.