The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-04-08

question arises, how IS this timber to
be made available? At least four to
six months in the year these streams
tBelle ~EourChc and SOuth-F'Brli of
Cheyennel are quite high. The logs
could be cut aud TRANSPORTED to the
sides Of these streams during the dry
season, aud when the streams are
high, in the spring Of the year, they
could be taken down into the Mis-
souri, River with Il good degree Of
safety and Cu-r.
Tie Black Hills, which appear in
the distance and derive their name
from, their dark aud gloomy appear
ance, contains M iU~cXHaustibie guam
tity Of the finest JimLcr, mostly pine,
which will doubtless Remain uudis-
. furbed for maa%ypar~-to come"
General Custer, who visited the
hills last summer, i'm his report also
speaks glowimgiy of tn" Supply OF
timber, and say-: " he timber
found consisted of many varieties,
principally Of pine, oak and elm.
The pine is Of suitable dimensions
for.G,ing Observation-Disclosures, and i
met with in abGIIauC- on every
h~fiIsiiU.H
Col. Forsythc, OF Gen. Snr-ilir'i
staff, who accompanied the rNIr,ii-
ton, also iu~rFDGrrat,~ the -~lgiancu1
that Il great abundance u. liubc-
exist in the hills.
The fertility Of the soil in iiin
Black Hills Sva- noticed sby Lieut..
Warren, in 1853. Speaking Of TIE
valleys ia that region, Ec sdy~ in hi-
report Of that Year: IN these EIuuu-
tain formations which border The
great plains on tllg west are to be
fNuph hnuntfsrl E1LyHsr7r- Ef-anfa- nd
small rich valleys covered over with
fine grass for hay, and susceptible II.
cultivation by means of Irrigation.
Fine timber Cor fuel and lumber,
limestone, and good stone for build
ing purposes are here "a unatnt.
God has been found in places in
valuable quantities, and, without
doubt, the more common and useful
minerals wild be discovered when
o minute examinations are
made"
In the same report, further on, he
says: "The country furnishes the
means of raising sufficient quantities
Of gCaiu aud vegetables for the Use of
the inhabitants, aud beautiful,
healthy aud desirable locations for
their homes. The rcInuI kubiu free
dom here from sickness is one OF
the attractive features OF the region,
and VIII, in this respect, "a far to
recOmpense the settler from the
Mississippi valley for his los in the
smaller amount of products that can
be taken from the soil. The great
waut of suitable building material,
which now so seriously retardS the
growth of the west, will not be felt
here."a F7
He also says that these settlements
in The Black Hits country, cannot
he agricultural Ia the same extent as
these iu-thc- Mississippi -vuttry, but
must dJepd greatly upon. the raia-
ing nf-t6ck.
Gem W.sE RaYn5Ids. who lpnthr a
t"p0GraItIr.d Survey "f thi- region
in lS@9-GO, says, III speaking "f it in
his report, pa" I: " me whclr re-
.giDn Of the Black iltiI+ i, uuQu,o-
ii"naA!y- de1iinell, AZ no dislgu date,
10 afford hIlnra for a thriving pupu-
.utjnn the nUuntnjn- will furnish
"a sufficient supply of pine lumhvr for
ordinary u.,s, uurl although timber
j. Vrry ~.artn IN the region H~ a
Whni' tfrnm Fort pi'rro To the Pow
crr i;iyrrl,. yet lhC Bark .lIiu, Will
fully supply UIts- great ~dt4icirucy in
the districts Immediately a1iOinIng."
His route from the Missouri River
led BIN to the Forks of the Big
cheyenne, anu then he siiirted the
northeast and north side of the hills,
He describes them in his journal lis q
succession Of mountain ranges with
beautiful valleys between, the soil of
which is rich and fertile, and COW
cred with a heavy growth of grass.
Groves of ash, oak, elm aud other
varieties of timber are mentioned rs
being met with, fringiug the clear,
beautiful streams of water, putting
down from the hills into the Belle
F0urcho. Between the forks of the
Cheyenne very decided evidences of
the existence of gold were found
page IL; hut prospecting was dis
COuraGed by him on account of dau-
ger from the Iudian~, and for fear Of
making the expedition II failure.
" 1t WAS for these REASONS that the
search for gold was at all tiuIes dis
cOuraged,p he says page If. yet
std it was often difficult H. restrain.
the disposition to 'pruSppct.' 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 2 by
reliable army officers, whose only
was to make truthful reports
of the country, and were made under
many Disadvantages. The number
of men each had vas small, and the
dangers from the hostile Sioux were
not the only trouble they had 10 pro
vide ug INST.
Warren went north from Font
Laramie, via Red Buttes and Old
Woman'S EVTk 20 the South Chey-
enne, and thence to Inyan Kara,
where he was Intercepted by the
and compelled to retrace his