The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-29
COL. DowNEY on THE BLACK HILLS.
Good Advice TO the People of that Section.

Good AdvIeeio the People of that Section.
We make the following extract from
a lengthy letter written by Col. s. W.
Downey, Of Laramie City, to the Dead
wood Times:
Let us suppose that this mining re-
gion shall be attached to Wyoming.
You become at once part of Terrific
ry, whose interests and aims are iden-
tical with your own, and through whose
present capital and business centre,
very many of you, from the east, the
west, and the south, have come, las upon
the best route to these fields. You
form a political jointure with the Ter
ritory in which, if at all, your mining
operations must be extended. You be-
come part of Territory which has
within its limits, already constructed
and in operation, nearly five hundred
miles Of railroad, paying taxes to the
amount of S125, 200 annually. The rail-
road company is constantly making ad-
ditions to the value of its property,
either by the erection of new hotels,
machine-shops, rolling-mills, ETC., or by
additions to old. 1t is highly probable
that work on the projected branch from
Cheyenne to these mining fields will be
commenced and materially advanced
during the present season; unless you
shall choose for yourselves such politi-
cal status as will prejudice railway ex-
tension, Following the completion of
this branch, the revenues derived in a
single year from these public works,
planted within our Territory by foreign
| capital, would alone be sufficient for
the construction of all necessary public
buildings of new state. From these
same resources may be set apart by law
a very considerable amount annually to
augment a territorial or state school
fund, constituting common dividend,
according to the school-going popula-
tion. By attachment to Dakota, or by
a new and separate territorial organi-
zation, you are debarred from all benefit
of this important rerenue.
1t has recently been demonstrated
that the soda fields of Wyoming are ca
pable of furnishing, at greatly reduced
cost, the whole Of the vast amount, the
| supplies hitherto imported from abroad
being produced from seaweed, common
| salt, or other material, by process far
more expensive than that required to
convert our native deposits into mer-
chantable form. Hence 1t is apparent
that in addition to the riches of gold,
silver and copper, discovered and un-
discovered, we have another mineral re-
source, susceptible of yielding millions
| in value annually.
have already limited that in going
by rail from the Black Hills to the
capital of Dakota, you not only pass
through Cheyenne, the present capital
of Wyoming, but after passing that
point, the distance before you is hun
dreds Of miles greater than that already
traversed. But there is another impor-
tant consideration in this connection.
The permanent capital of Wyoming is
not necessarily fixed at present. Hith-
erto the greater portion of the popula-
tion of the territory has been concen-
trated on and near the line of the I'm
ion Pacific railroad, and naturally, the
capital has been on this line, as best ac-
commodating the mass of the people.
With the settlement of large popula-
tion through the central and northern
portion of the territory, any change
when the interests of the majority seem
to demand, will be sanctioned by the
people of the south.
| Let us suppose that you crave a new
territory, out of the southeast part of
Montana, northeast part of Wyoming,
and southwest part of Dakota. What
is gained in substantial advantage to
this mining fieldp Your young terri
tory becomes at once bone of contention
among hungry and clamorous Office
seekers of the east, who, failing to Sc
cure positions elsewhere, will struggle
to be saddled by the administration
upon you. You are cut off at once from
statehood will be distant and dubious.
What right, whan privilege, what Sc
curity, or what encouragement, would
be subserved by such separate organi-
zation, that would not bebetter subser-
we'd by union with Wyoming? The in
terest, demands and requirements of a
large and populous territory, full of re-
sources, and approaching near admis-
sion as a state, receive respectful at
tention, both from the executive and
legislative branches of the United
States Government, while those of the
small and weak territories are treated
with comparative indifference. That
such should be the case is not main
tanned; that such is the case will scarce
ly be doubted, and it may be remembered
that we must deal with things as they
are, not as they should be.
| The settlement of central and north
ern Wyoming by mining population,
consequent upon the removal or repres-
sion Of hostile Indians, will so increase
the population of the territory, if left
intact, that admission as state may be
looked for at no distant day.
The southern part of Wyoming seeks,
and will seek, by all honorable means
in her power, to preserve unsevered the
territory as now organized. By such
preservation we believe the highest in
terests Of the whole region will be sub
served. The whole as now organized is
destined, ultimately, to be great min
eral and pastoral region, with sufficient
agricultural belts, probably to supply
| L. 80