The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-07-02

lana anu the northwestern posts.
Then came the country of historic
memories and tragic interest-the
country to defend which the records
say over two hundred men laid down
their lives.
NOW ALL HAS CHANGED.
Reno is a ruin. Kearney is a few
blackened stakes. Smith is only a
name of the past. And General
Crooks expedition is doing again
the work which was und ertaken in
1866 and undonei in 1868. 1t is Crow
land, indeed, but a heritage and a
possession from accepting which all
have shrunk back, and even TIE
hardy frontiersman and adventurous
prospector, in journeying towards
the great northwest have followed
the one of the olden time and ''pass-
cd by on the other SIDE"
The country has been a waste
practically. Its the dog-in-the-
manger story over again. The Sioux
have not occupied it, except at inter-
vals and these few and far between,
and yet they have driven out every
thing that looked as though it desl-
red even in the distant future to spy
out the land. At the Powder river
we passed from the baked and bar
rem strip extending south from that
intercourse to the North Platte.
Below or rather behind we greatefully
viewed the plains with their monot-
onous dips and ridges and alkaline
streams and lily timbered strips and
sage and cactus and poverty grass
and u~nattractive scenes. Before and
beyond the Powder valley stretched,
THE LAND FIT o ANY PEOPLE.
With u~ndeveloped that
would enrich a State, in minerals,
grazing and agriculture. What lent
profit to all was that it was marked
every furlong almost with data that
have made the early history of Wyo-
ming. The hasty historian of the
day, as the newspaper correspondent
is, of necessity, can but suggest
where the material lies which his
lower and more elaborate brother
utilizes and embellishes. On the
march from the deserted post at the
Powder w came upon the first In
dian symptoms, so to say. These
came the second day after our inter-
view with some
MONTANA MINERS.
Bound for the Black Hills-an in
view which wasn't an interview.
At the Dry Fork-a most accom-
modating title for any river branch
hal has secuted around in vain for a
name-we discovered that on May
81, Captain St. Johns party from
the Gallatin Valley had camped on
the Powder, and had gone EAST via
the Pumpkin Buttes.
At Clear Fork a couple of ex-
Black Killers overlook the command
and informed us that they were the
advance of a large party from the
Hills who were prospecting the Big
Horn Mountain streams flowing east.
They reported that color had been
found in several of the creeks, and
they were confident that something
rich had been struck. These were
the only incidents to relieve the dull
ness of the march outside the fine
sights of a charming country which
passed before us like a series of dis
solving views, until we made a camp
on Tongue river. From old Phil.
Kearney, with the peculiar flavor of
the massacret that makes all mankind
akin on the Indian question, we mo-
we'd over to the headwaters of Pinos
Creek, wei the battle ground where
the gallant Fetterman fell, down
to the Prairie Dog and thence over
to Tongue river.
IT WAS HERE THE EXPEDITION LOST
ITS FIRST MAN
Had its first "brush" with the
Sioux, and made the first movement
which looked to Sitting Bulls hordes
like q retreat.
We arrived at the Tongue June 7,
and on June II, we withdrew to
Goose Greek, and camped several
miles below where the present per-
manent supply base is situated. Our
experiences on Tongue river have al
ready appeared Geographically in
The LEADER, so that I have but to
refer to them to recall the posts.
On June IA, after an absence Of
twelve days, Frank Gruard, Louis
Richard and Baptiste, our guides
who left US at Powder river to go to
Grow village, returned and were re-
ceived as men risen from the grave.
They brought with them
OLD CROW,
One Of the head chiefs of the
Grows. besides Good Heart, Medi-
cine Grow, Feather Head and be-
tween 100 aud 10 others. Good or