The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-03-17

III lluN btlIt Iu MS LIZ TtpDTl
OF their exploration in IS59-60, page
3, that at least Oue-third Of this
AREA ESTIMATED at GOO square miles
by him, or about 1000 square milrs
- covered with excellent pine timber,
or l,29O,OOO acres. Now the next
question arises, how is this timber TO
be male available? AT least EO1r to
six months in the year these streams
. Belle FuurChe and South Fork of
Cheyennel are quite high The logs
could bC tut md transported tn the
sides Of these streams during the dry
season, and when the strUHnts are
high, IA the spring of the year, they
could IN" taken down into the Mis-
souri, River with Il gOOu degree Of
safety and paSe.
Trr Back Ilills, which appear in
the d.stHuCc and derive their nump
fruh their dark AMI gEOUrHy appear
auce, ]CoutDi;r~ uu ineXHiustibie guam
tilv Uf IN" tin"-t timbpr, mostly pine,
Wl.rI viii doubtless remain uudis-
tIrhrI for many years to come"
Gen, ia! Custer. WhD visited tn"
hills ir-t SKINNER. ia his report also
speaks g!uwingy OF the supply Of
timbrr, ard says: " Ga" timber
found consisted OF many varieties,
principally Of pine, oak and elm.
Tho pine j. uT suitable Dimensions
for Lr Ing WrrEet iu'0 !um5er, AMI Is
met with in abuHdaucC on every
hfr.fHc."
Cul. r .r-ylhc. Of Gaa. ShoT:lam'i
S'uF, WHO accompanied the CNpct!.-
liUH, ai-U ,GTTUtrHIir- Ilir -talpmCnl
that Il great abundance ri timber
exist in tn" hills.
Tho fertility Of the soil in the
Black Hills was noticed by Lieut..
Warren, in 1858. Sparkling Of the
valleys in that region, he sIyS in his
report of that year: in these noun
tain formations which border the
great plains on the west are to be
found beautiful bowiHg streams, and
small rich valleys covered over 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 ABUNDANT.
Gold has bean found in places in
valuable quantities, aud, without
doubt, the more common and useful
minerals VIII be discovered when
no e minute examinations are
made"
In tire same report, further on, he
says: "ThC country furnishes the
means of raising sufficient quantities
Of grain and vegetables for the use of
the inhabitants, and beautiful,
healthy and desirable kCitiUns for
their homes. The rrmaI kHh!c free
dom here from sickness Is one of
the attractive features OF the region,
and will, in this respect, go far to
rccomppuse the settler from the
Mississippi valley for his loss in the
smaller amount OF products that "a
be taken from the soil. The great
want of suitable huilding material,
which now 81 seriously retartS the
growth of The west, will not be felt
here"
He 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.
Gen. W. +. Reynolds, who made n
Typographical survey of this region
in lS59-6O, says, in speaking Of II in
his report, page 7: "The whole re-
gion Of the Black Hills il ungueS-
liuuabIy destined, ut no distant date,
10 tlllOTtl lNsllltS lpl u NlllNlIR Dppu-
Iutinn. The mountains will furnish
Il sufficient supply of pine lumber for
ordinary uses, and although timber
is very scarce in the region hS Il
whole from Fort Pierre to the Pow
der River, yet The Black Hills will
fully supply this grent deficiency in
the districts Immediately adjoining"
His route from the Missouri River
led him to the Forks of tho 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 COW
cred with Il heavy grnwth Of grass.
Groves of ash, oak, elan and other
varieties Of timber are mentioned us
being me with, fringine the clear,
beautiful streams of water, putting
down from the hills into the Belle
Fourchr. Between the forks of the
lhrv.uup very dcCiGrd evidences Of
the r\i-;rnrr of gold were found
page II; hat prospecting WAS dis
outraged 10y Nm ON account OF dam
ger irmu the Inhinn-, and for fear of
uHkiug the expedition a failure.
Z" Il was for thr+e reasons that the
search far gold MAS at all times dis
CuurngCd,n he says page II, yet
still il was uflen uIiilvulI to restrain
The disposition to 'prU~pvvt,' and
there we're moments when i WAS
feared that some of the party would
Getty ali restraint"
These descriptions and discoveries
were made 1T the Black Hills SIN
t,,D and S~pNr.DtrgD wears 400 nv