The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-03-27

jheln. thlUk u sale To say says
I Dr.. Hayden, In bis geological report
OF their exploration in ISJ9r60, page
l3, "that at least Onc-third Of this
Hnoa Estimated Al GDJ0 square W.I!--
by HIM, or about 2Ur5 square mIl,e
j. covered with excellent pine timber,
or l,2SO.0JO acres. Now the next
! question arises, how is this timber to
o. he male available? 1T IvH-f four to
six months in the year these streams,
Belle FuUrrhe and South Fork ct
: Cheyenne are quite high Ihc Log
could be- cut and t~r1nepOTtrtE tU 'isr
+ sides OF these streams during the dry
season, RrgF tstsiR the streams are
nigh, in the spring Of the year, they
cuuId he taken dpyYn -iutothe Mi
>ouIi River with a guyI degree Of
! safety and case.
The Black HIS, " hich appear in
the distance and derive tksiT EniTc
from uTeir dark and gloomy appear
/ unrU, contains Gn ineThaustiblc guam
I tity OF the finest timber, mustly pine,
watch viii doubtless remain undIs-
tuTbvd for many yCIT to CumT.'
General Custer, who. visital the
hills last summer, in his report also
speaks glowiugiy Of the supply Of
timber, and says: " The timber
found consisted Of many varieties,
principally Of Pin", oak and elm.
The pine IS of suitable dimensions
fnr IL Ing worked into lumber, and i
met with IN abundance on every
hillside"
Col. Forsythe, Of Gen. Shcridan's
StaiI, who accompanied the CNpedf-
ton, also CorrObOratcs the statement
that Il great abundance OF timber
exist in the hills.
The fertility OF the soil in the
Black HIS was Noticed by Lieut..
Warren, in 1858. Speaking Of the
valleys in that region, he sHy| in his
report OF that yCaFG "IntEese nuuun-
tain formations which border the
great plains on the west are tn be
found beautiful flowing streams, and
small rich valleys covered over with
fine grass fur hay and susceptible OF
c|uitivutiOu by means Of irrigation.
Fine timber for fuel and lumber,
limestone, ard good stDne for build
ing purposes arr here a undant.
Cad has been found in places in
valuable quantities, and, without
doubt, the more CnlDinon anu useful
minerals VIII be discovered when
mo q minute examinations are
made"
In the same report, further on, he
says: "Ehe Cuuutry furnishes the
means Of FRi-ing sufficient quantities
Of grain aad vegetables for the use of
the inhabitants, and beautiful,
healthy and desirable locations for
their bones. The remarkable free
dom here from sickness is n of
Tie attractive features of the region,
and will, in ihIs respect, go far to
rcconipense the settler from the
Mississippi valley for his loss in the
smaller amount of products that can
be taken from the soil. The great
wait of suitable building material,
which now so seriously retards the
growth of the west, viii not be felt
Ehere.p Gsttlu= g..3.r
lie also says that these settlements
in the Black Hills country, cannot
be agricultural TO the same extent as
those in the Mississippi valley, but
must depend greatly upon the rails
ing of stock.
Cen. w. Z. Ruynolds, who made n
Typographical survey of this region
in lSj9-G0, says, in speaking Of it in
his report, page 7: 1.-THE whole re-
gion al the Black Hills is unquCs-
tiunably destined, at no distant date,
TO afford homes for a thriving pOpu-
lntiun. The mountains will furnish
! sufficient supply of pine lumber for
ordinary uses, and although timber
is very scarce in the region as Il
whole from Fort Pierre to the Pow
der River, vet 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 n
succession of mountain ranges with
beautiful valleys between, the soil of
which is rich and fertile, and coy
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
F0urche. Between the forks of the
Cheyenne very decided evidences of
the existence of gold were found
page II; but prospecting vas dis
Outraged by him on account Of dan
ger from the Indians, and for fear of
tmaking the expedition q failure.
" 1t was for these reasons that the
search for gold was at all times dis
cOuraged,n he says page II, "yet
still il was often difficult to restrain
the disposition to prospect and
there were moments when i 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 vas to make truthful reports
of the country, and were made under
many diSad vantageS. The number
of men each hld Was small, and the
danoprS from the hostile Sioux were