The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-06-04
THE HAYDEN SURVEY.
Organization Of the Expedition for
This Season.
THE WORK TO BE DONE.
Through the American
Deserts.


The formation OF the United States geological aud
geographical survey Of the Territories In charge Of
Professor ~ v. Hayden United States acologist. has
been completed, and tho parties VIII be all IA tho cd
| by the time this letter reaches New York. For Two
years the rendezvous the survey has upon tho
ranch OF Mr.. n r. Davis. twelve miles south Of Chey
cnne, upon Insignificant though uniaiiny rail OF
water dignded by The name OF owl Creek, probably
account OF tho number OF prairie dog towns along
its banks in all OF which the little burrowing owls
citizens. For several years Mr. Davis has had charge
OF the horses and mules OF the during tue WIN
ter. together with is permanent properly, SO that Is
both convenience and economy 10 organize al this
point, although tho operations tho present year VIII
begin many miles away
/ ASPECT OF COUNTRY
Tho situation OF the camp Is moro interesting than
beautiful The country horeabouts has every charac-
teristic Of the plains except lcvcluess Its not
than orty miles to the loot hills oil tho Rocky Noun
tains, and The IS rapid. The action OF
during the long centuries that have passed since these
plains were laid down has been the most powerful
near the mountains, and tho result broken success
sion OF bluffs ravines buttes and hoows, carved out
OF tho riable rock and worn into the gravciy soil.
Except the topmost ou,croppings tho SUBMITS oil
the ridges tho whole region Is clothed with tho
growing bunaIo grass, green now with spring growth,
but soon 10 turn under tho summer heat and be-
\
tho dense turf OF tho prairies-lor prairies and
'plains" very different things-or OF Eastern
pastures this short, thin grass, sproutng in ttlo
tults between which the soil plainly appears, scems to
afford very poor feeding ground Tor animals:
| but enormous herds OF cattle arc raised here
| for Eastern markets every year, aud thousands Of
horses and mules rccuperate from their summers
work in tho mountains, and grow fat along with tho
cattle during the cold anu Of the winter upon
this scant buffalo grass alone Southwark from
this point along the streams flowing out from the
mountains and draining into hc Platte or tho Cache Ia
Poudro River, losing themselves in the loose soil,
are to DO found ranches ana cattle grazing Thence
eastward, north OF The South Platte, FOR hundreds Of
miles the plans ranged by the cattle OF vari-
owners, whose herdsmen live in huts comfort
able houses here aud there along the line OF the Union
Pacific Railroad The beef Of th.s region Is considered
IN Chicago coming next In quality to tho "iancy"
brands OF cornicd caitle raised in the mississippi VAL
Icy, ana far superior the long horned Southern
breeds, whose frames must be gauut ana tough 10 with
stand the climate and endure the wild running incident
to bovine existence the Texas plains Cattle raising
IS therefore profitable here, thousand head OF cattle
representing average wealth Of $4,000; but
! II Is business in which 1t requires
siderable capital to embark, and under ordinary
circumstances there little chance for man starting
with only few head to increase his stock TO hcrd.
| Each ranchman mas thousands Of cattle which arc
brought up year. branded and counted, but tho
rest OF the time mnglc with thosc owned by other per-
sous tho Of their wandering tho plains
after grass AT the same time a number Of hcrdcrs
are always kept busy, particularly IN early summer,
looking after tho young calves and attending TO the
herds
Tug SNOWY RANGE ROCKIES.
But this DEPRESSION growing out OF tho fact that
the camp is placed right on the open plain where
there Ia within = miles. and where the
cattle would como TO iced II not driven away. From
tho little group Of tents the eye takes in only the
broken gray ridges Of gravel. the neat house
extensive barns and corrais OF DAVIS ranch where
the genial proprietor and hs charming lady dispense
tho hcarticst hospitality and the snowy peaks OF tho
distant mountains IRON the cleaning snownc away
| up toward the Medicine Bow down 10 Pixies broad
white head 115 miles south OF us The weather has
been somewhat misty ever since We have been here,
and the Go not stand with sharp and
definite outline they DO later the season. but the
moro prominent heights are very plain hundred
miles away Longs Peak shows all his gigantic proper
tions, everywhere mantled IN snow, aud clear
mcnts can catch sight OF tho siycry OF snow
covered mountains behind him, away on tho outer side
Of Estes Park. Coming northward from Denver
the railroad the grandcst exhibition Is afforded OF tins
| tho man or snowy range OF the Rocky Mountains
Rising abruptly from the plains. standing orderly
array north aud SOUTH tue peaks together aud
tower up among tue Storm CLOUDS that drt past them
until, rs you watch IL is tho mountain peaks which
seem TO be moving, cutting the clouds asundcr and
| dashng the nurries Of snow from their fronts as
st' the 0s'S waves ns rrandeur OF rD Inc 'pl rs
mendous contest oil tho oil, Inonts among the
serrea ridges Is better 10 10 Witnessed ia TINS
OF thuncestorms when winter disputes every step OF
summers advance. than at any other time. ihe
mountains arc sun piled high with snow, only the
black oi the Calls strcakns their
! And while you are watching the pure sleam VI the
snow, OF the rosy play Of sunlight upon H. an indigo
~.
up irou tue valley side, cutting on uli the rest
vi tho landscape, and a similar phaaux VIII sweep up
tho lett hand hiding tho other mountains behind It's
black veil, and together they will assault the
whose white lofty head VIII stand
them hrm and clear against tho angry sky But as tho
storms strike the nounain's Hank and climb his sidos
una close about his base. sounding tho l0pgroi IN
their thunder and hurting the bolts OF their lightning,
the bue-ulack the rain is changed misty
white oil snow, the darkness gradually vanisncs. the
AMMUNITION Of the lightning Is exhausted and tho
mountain energies from The battle "hior than ever
Win neocy trophies oil victory, whiie triumphant ban
oil crimson and gold nrc hung upon tho clouds
biackly defiant y moment ago.
ORGANIZATION THE SURVEY
But VIC have something eso TO do here than apostro
pine mountains rho prosaic features OF bed aud
board pressing upon our attention. and every
Que Is busy Ia preparing Tor four mvuths isolation
the wooas Tho survey is divided INTO several parties
cach Of which assigned TO work a certain terri
tory or 10 do a particular scrsicG Inc business OF
topography viii DO moro prominent this year thnn ever
before, while geological aud meteorological ipvrstgn
lions VIII take sccord place and natural history re-
cciye no systematic attention at all. The Mua got
country 10 10 worked during the season y about 100
square miles. msiniy IN Southwestern Wyoming ana
Southeastern Idaho II embraces thu country about
the hoads OF Tho Swcctwater Grcon River, Dear and
Snake rvcrsa mountainous and well tiinbered region
Tor tho part Witnin this ~ rho Wind River
range whose peaks average between 200 and IL 900
iert IA altitude aud the group VI Inc IcoDs, the highest
OF which fses H. SOS lcct fon tic top Of which
correspondent hopes 10 addrs letter 10 Tho HERALD
Within this area also the Green River Basin, or
the great American ccscrts, which WAS Indicated
upon tho geography used to study by pulvcrulcnl
oil me dots, supposed 10 represent sand. Indeed
this whole district was put down az runcxplorco"
upon one OF thu latest maps have seen.
riE GROUND 10 gs GONE
SO FAR as Systematic survey with competent In
srupens Is concerned this IS truo bui region ID
not cnireiy unknown. As oariy ~ 1872 LAWS and
Clarke, government eugLcurs went down Snake RIVER
tvltcn called Lcws'l 10 the Columbia A lew years
aitorwaru captain bonneville passed through there u
oregon, and Cooper told the story OF ms march in
'Astoria" Tho Rev. Mr. Parker, Pr,sby terrain mis-.