The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-08-07


gold is, however, in. the placer mines
and They are cheapls snd easily
worked.
A mar can generally associate him
self with an old miner who under
stands the business, or very soon ac-
quire sufficient knowledge for opef-
alton when aided by q few practical
hints such as we have striyen TO en-
body in this article.
WYOMING
In all the mountainous portions VI
this Territory, the common and pree-
ious metals abound, copper, tin, teIlu-
rum platinum, piumbago or graphite
gold and silver. and in many iocali-
ties, such as in the Sweefwater and
Seminole districts. and in the Black
Hills proper, the extent and value OF
the gold deposits have been such as
to create a sensation all oye the
world. Beds of gypsum, soda lakes
and borax are common, while sulphur
springs, chalybeate and hot springs
are numerous in different parts of the
Territory.
The traveller or tourist, who crosses
the continent, unfortunately never
sees the rich and fertile parts of the
Territory, because the engineers who
laid out the Union Pacific railroad
followed up the crest of a high, bar
rem and gradually ascending ridge in
order to attain a sufficient elevation
to carry the road over the Rocky
Mountains without tunneling DR.
making the ascent too abrupt And
that is why travellers, with scarcely
an exception pronounce the Territory
completely barren. but conld some of
these same superficial observers go
twenty miles north and see the num-
erous beautiful little streams and rich
valleys nesting among the hills, or
be privileged to examine the valleys
of the Powder river, Big and Little
Horn rivers, Big and Little Goose
creeks, Big and Little Tongue rivers,
Big and Little Popagie valleys and the
beautiful garden-like parks of the
Black Hills, and that grandest work
Of the Almighty, THE Yellowstone
National Park they would change
their opinion about Wyoming Ter
ritory.
The valleys, generally, are-compos-
ed of q rich alluvium. Of = deep dark,
streams and comparatively WELL
wooded along their entire lengths.
All the mountain parks are covered
with forests and some Of them con-
tain vast pineries of spruce. yellow.
white and Norway pine, besides
heavy growths of cottonwood, aspen;
hemlock ash and willow trees. When
these localities shall have been open
ed up to development and settlement
the pineries of Wyoming will furnish
abundant timber, not only for local
consumption, but also will supply the
treeless plains of the adjacent States
and Territories from Nebraska to
Nevada. All the uplands are clothed
with a rich and nutritious specie of
grasses which possesses the peculiar
quality of retaining all of its nutri-
ment unimpaired from season. This
Is the great secret which explains the
extraordinary phenomenon OF thous-
ands OF cattle, mules, horses and sheep
subsisting upon these plains and
mountains from years end to years
end without either shelter or prepared
fodder. The winters are mild and
open, snow rarely falling deeper than
six inches. and these storms almost
invariably followed by a thaw or brisk
wind that drifts the snow into gullies
leaving the naturally-cured grass
temptingly inviting to the hundreds
of thousands of animals, wild and
domestic, that subsist upon this rich,
nutritious alinient'
Besides all the Neutrality-suspicious.
ritory offers in precious metals, tim
Der, agriculture, stock and sheeprais-
ing, it possesses other, which, to
the valetudinarian and invalid,d warfs
all others into utter insigniicance.
Nature has blessed this region with q
climate unrivailed for its salubrIty
and purity of air. Here there is no
stagnant water or decaying vegetation
to poison the atmosphere, which Is
free from all impurities. Hence sick
ness of every description Is almost
unknown unless contracted else
where.
Mr.. j. w. Crawford, "Captain
Jack" special correspondent of the
Bee recently discovered 4 bed of the
very best mica, located in a bluff near
Custer City.
GRAPHITE OR pLUMBAGo.
Mr.. M. o Healy of Cheyenne owns
two good mines of this useful and
valuable deposit. His Eagle Nest"
mine assays nearly $4,000 to the ton
in silver in addition tothe plumbago.
AS this is a substance but little known
to the general public, we will state
that lead pencils, stove polish, cruci-
.bles, fire proof paint, fire brick for
bank vaults and ~lubricating prepare
tons for machinery are manufactured
from this substance.