The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-03-26

them. u think it safe To say" says
DIR. Hayden, ia his geological report
of their exploration in $4,000, page
3, THAT at Hast ouc-third of this
area ESTIMATED at 6UJU -Jnare miles
by himh or about 2JUO square mills
J., covered with excellent pine timber,
or l,2Sn,GDb UcrCs. Now the next
question ari~"~. huy /, this timber to
np maize available? 1t teas four to
TX months la the year these streams
Belle IuuTchr uu9 SuU.h Fork of
CEcycruCI arc quite high. The logs
could b. cut and transported Ia the
sides Of these Streams during the dry
season, and when the streams are
high. Ia the spring Of the year, they
could be taken dDWH into tn" Mis-
-Ouri River with II good degree of
safety and CI-r.
The Black ~Iiiii~, which appear ia
the distance and derive their name
frum their dark aud gloomy appear
anCr, contains AN iuCNhHuStiblC Quau-
tity of the finest timber, inu-lly pine,
which will doubtless TrHIaln uudiS-
turbpd for many years To- come"
General Custer, who visited the
hills last summer, in his report also
speaks gluwidg.y of the supply Of
timber, and says: The timber
found consisted of many varieties,
principally Of pine, oak and elm.
The pine - uf Suitable dimensions
for being worked into lumber, and i
me with in Abundance on every
hillside"
Col. F~ur-ythr. Of Gen. Shcridan's
staff, who accompanied the UXpCii-
ton, also CUrrObprutcs the statement
that a great abundance Of timber
exist in the hills.
Tho fertility Of the soil in the
Black HIS was noticed by Llcut.
" arren, in 1865. Sprakiug of tine
valleys in that region, he says in his
report of that year: in these noun
tain formations which border the
ETcHt plains an the west are tu be-
found beautiful flowing streams, and
-mail rich valleys covered over with
fine grass for hay, and susceptible q!
cultivation by means OF irrigatiun.
Fine timber for fuel and lumber,
Limestone, and good stone for build
ing purposes are here abundant.
Gold i!as hetn found in places in
valuable quantities, and, Without
doubt, the more common and useful
minerals will be discovered when
Nc a minute examinations are
made"
In the same report, further on, he
says: "IE1 country furnishes the
means Of raising sufficient quantities
OF grain and vegetables for li" use of
the inhabitants, and beautiful,
healthy and desirable locations for
their homes. The remarkable free
dom here from sickness is one of
the attractive features OF the region,
and will, in this respect, go far to
FIa ALNaI-A- q F.aV., Nh1
Mississippi valley for his loss in the
Smaller amount Of products that "a
he taken from the soil. The great
want Of suitable building material,
which nov 80 seriously retards the
growth of the west, will not be felt
here
He also says that these settlements
in the Black lI!lls country, cannot
be agricultural Ia the same extent as
those in tine Mississippi valley, but
must depend greatly upon the rails
ing Of stock.
Gen. W. +. Reynolds, who made n
Typographical survey of this region
in lS59-GO, says, in speaking of it in
his report, rage I: 1.-THE whole re-
gion Of the Black Hills is uuqucs-
liuuabiE destined, at no distant date,
10 bll')lh tl'-llatN lbl ~ lllllN lilE DbpN-
iutiOn. TIC mountains will furnish
a ~uti 'ient supply of pine lumber for
ordinary uses, and although timber
is very sruTce in the region as Il
Whulc from Fort Pierre to the Pow
der River, yet the Black Hills will
fully supply this great deficiency in
the districts Immediately adjoining"
His route from the Missouri River
led him to the Forks of the Big
Cheyenne, and then he skirted the
northeast and north side of the hills.
lie describes them in his journal as Il
succession Of mountain ranges with
beautiful valleys between, the soil of
which is rich and fertile, and cov
cred with a heavy growth of grass.
Groves of ash, oak, elm and other
varieties of timber are mentioned as
being met with, fringing the clear,
beautiful streams of water, putting
down from the hills into the Belle
FOurchC. Between the forks of the
Cheyenne very decided evidences of
the existence Of gold were found
page Il; hut prospecting WAS dis
COurugCd by him on account of dan
ger from the Indians, and for fear of
making the expedition n failure.
=" 1t was for these reasons that the
search for gold was at all times dis
outraged" he says page II, yet
still il was often difficult to restrain
the disposition to prospect and
there were moments when j. was
feared that some of the party would
defy all restraint"
These descriptions and discoveries
were made of the Black Hills ST.
teen and seventeen years ago by
reliable army officers, whose only
object was to make truthful reports
Of the country, and were made under
many disadvantages. The number
Of men each hld was small, and the