The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-04-02

lnaSmuch as n large portion Of the
American people are now interes'pd
in obtaining correct and reliable in
formation about the Black Hills of
Wyoming and Dakota, we deem it
prudent To compile such facts in rela-
ton to them as are known to be
truthful and gathered from trust
worthy sources.
THE BLACK HILLS
lie between Che 43rd and 9th degrees
of latitude, and the IU3rd and IOJth
parallels of longitude, and occupy an
area Of about Il hundred MITES in
length, ]nOrtherly aud sDutherly, aud
about sixty miles in breadth. Their
form is eIliptical, aud according to
Lieut.. Warren's report Ot tlrm, "thr
major axis trends about 20 west Of
north" The haSe of thUs" hills is
about $500 10 5000 fut above the sea
level, aud the highest peaks do not
exceed 1000 feet. The eastern bound
any line OF Wyoming, 10th parallel
of longitude, runs about midway
through liz hills. The whole range
of the hills lies in the forks Of the
Big Cheyenne River, which j. the
most Important stream in that re-
gion. The north fork is called Belle
Fourche, is thirty yards wide, and
passes around the northern end Of
the range in a se]Inicircle, receiving
the walters from the greater part tf
the hills, which flow into it from a
great number of small streams. 1t
takes its rise far TO the westward of
this range, near to the sources Of the
Little Powder River, in what is
known as the divide " between the
waters of the Yellowstone and those
of the Missouri. The South Fork of
the Cheyenne River is about one
hundred feet wide, takes its rise in
the same" divide" flows around the
southern base of the hills, and also
receives numerous tributaries which
have their Source in Them. These
two streams unite about forty miles
cast Of the Black Hills, forming the
Big Cheyenne sometimes spelled
Shyenne) River, which p0urs itself
into the Missouri some sixty miles
above Fort Pierre. From either
Fort Sully or. Fort Pierre, IN a.due
west direction to the Wyoming line,
which runs through the centre of the
hills nearly, is II distance of 22O
miles, on an air line. Formerly there
was a road from Fort Pierre to Fort
Laramie, OVer which military and
traders +toreS were freighted, and
h distancetiXed at three hundred
and twenty-five miles. The road
necessarily passed over the bad lands
considerable of the distance. ANY.
route followed from the Upper Mis-
souri, will eurounter them. In the
summer the heat is intense i'm the
country between the Upper Missouri
n the Black Hills, the grass is not
good for stock. aud the water is
strongly alkaline. For these facts
we are indebted To persons who have
frequently passed owe the routp-dur-
ing the past twenty-five years, to
officers of the army, and to the off
cha reports of Lieut.. q. X. Warren
and Brevet Brig. Gen. w. F. Ray
nolds, of the Typographical Engin-
GERS of the United States Army.
The former of whom twice explored
the country in, 1856 and again IN
1878, and the latter in lS59-6O.
FORESTS OF TIMBER.
The Black Hills take their name
rom the dark green appearance that
ths nasgT accent forests Ct rine, that
cover their sides and tops, give to
Ihem. 81 think it safe to say" SAWS
Or, Hayden, in his geological report
ooitheir exploration in IS59-6O, page
o that at least one-thfrd of this
Srea ESTIMATED at 5000 square miles