The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-01-27
OUR BLACK HILLS LETTER.
Wyomins's New Coal ard Iron Mines--Ihc
Reno-Annexation 10 wyoming Desired.

the Black Hills. l have just inter-
viewed a gentleman deputed by a num-
Der of capitalists here to investigate
THE NEW coAL ELL
on Hay creek, % miles northwest from
here, and situated in Wyoming Terri
tory. His report will be too the effect
that a most extensive bed of coal of
the best quality lies in that region, can
be easily worked, and made available
for use by the quartz mills and; other
consumers in this district. The coal
can be placed on the dump at a cost of
from S1.60 to 50 per ton, and the only
great consideration will be the cost Of
hauling. Should this be to great a
company will at once be formed for the
construction of a narrow-guage railroad
to the nearest point of the coal fields.
Samples of this bituminous coal were
recently tried at some Of our mills, and
the results were entirely satisfactory.
IRON MINES.
When this scheme has been COM
pleted, an opportunity will then exist
for developing the iron ore of which
the same gentleman informs me there
is a vast body near Beaver creek, Wyo-
ming Territory, and which will, lie is
confident, assay from 40 to 20 per cent.
of pure metal. The two California
companies are heavily represented on
the stock list of the coal enterprise, and
when such capitalists have increased,
we may safely entertain the greatest
expectations us to the future of Wyo-
ming, with its numerous deposits of
mineral wealth awaiting development.
Altogether the New Year opens most
auspiciously.
BoBTAIL GULCH COLI
There is at length a satisfactory reply
to the question, where did the extreme
ly rich deposits of gold in Bobtail gulch
come from? Every indication pointed
to the hills overlooking the gulch, but
till now, no very rich ore had been
struck in the vicinity. The Reno mine,
situated on the side, and about 100 feet
above Bobtail, on claim No. 4, at
length satisfactorily answers the ques-
ton. A tunnel has been run into the
hill and a body of extremely rich ore is
the result. Crushings began yesterday
at Weber and Casey's mill, and the in
dications of the plates after one days
run are that the cleanup will be far
above the average. The a~malgamator,
an old Californian, estimates the result
per ton as high as $50 or $40, but even
if $40 be reached, the mine will be
among the first in the Black Hills.
NEW TERRITORY TALK.
The question of a new territory Is
creating a great deal more discussion
in some newspapers published at a dis
lance, and in Washington, than the
feeling on the subject here can at
all warrant. Having generally Il fair
opportunity of getting at the ''true in
wardness'' of things, 1 am bound to
say that the general public is entirely
apathetic in the matter, and beyond Il
small clique of ofice-seekers on whose
hands time seems to hang heavy, you
will never hear the question discussed.
And 1 am rather convinced that the
interested agitators themselves have
not the ~faintest hope of being able to
achieve the end sought for years to
come. AS to the general public, you
scarcely ever mentioned. But for the
ill.judged tagging on of the Black Hills
to Dakota Territory, with Yankton as
the seat of the Supreme courts, l am
certain this question would never have
been raised. There is no doubt con
siderable difficulty in communicating
with Yankton, for will it be credited
that we are actually attached to a Ter
ritory whose capital is absolutely not
~get-at-able during six months in the
year, and whose granger legislature can
have no knowledge of or sympathy with
the interest of a mining country? But
this matter is capable of a complete and
simple remedy, and one which would
give general satisfaction to the great
majority of people here. This is
ANNEXATION TO WYOMING.
Disguise it as we may, we practically
recognize as III capital in every sense
but name-Cheyenne. The accident of
a line makes no manner of difference.
The trading community give a practi-
cal answer every day to this question:
Where ought we to belong? All the
great discoveries of coal, iron, ETC., are
being made in Wyoming. Th%ree-fourths
of all the merchandise in summer and
nine-tenths in winter is shipped by
Cheyenne. Wyoming will be almost
entirely a mineral Territory, and the
interests of Cheyenne have always been
identified with the Black Hills, not
only throughout the United States, but
in Europe. The very statement used
by so many that Cheyenne has greatly
benefited by the Black Hills, is the
best argument why she should be re-
garrded as our capital. Annex us to
Montana, if you please, with Helena as
the capital, but this will not alter the
logic of facts, for trade would still con-
tinue to flow through its natural chan
mel, Cheyenne. AS between Dakota or
Wyoming, 1 would confidently leave the