The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-11
OUT WEST.

OUT WEST.
CHEYENNE, WHICH THE SAME rs IN THE
TERRITORY OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| sCHooLs-BEEF- sTEAKs-FEMALE SUI
FRAGE- MOUNTAINS AND MEMORANDA.
Special correspondence of the vIRGINIAN.
Cheyenne is known, far and wide, as the
magic City of the Plains; yet tourists who
only stop there for their dinners, as they 60
to and from the Pacific coarst, have very lit
tie idea why it is so called,a and are very apt to
ridcule it, for the railroad skirts one edge
of the town and gives the traveller no oppor-
tunity to see to what size the place has
grown.
felt, when I stepped from the cars, as if
might be hating in semi-barbarc re-
gion, for, Notwithstanding its euphonious
title, there fingered in my memory the fact
that had also heard that it had been called
''Hell on Wheels" But it was the month
| of January; that wac in my favor, and put
on Il brave face and let the train depart with
out me.
Let us look at the geographical position
of this town for moment, that you may the
better understand the situation Don't get
out the atlas your boy thumbed ten years
ago, for it you do you won't find the place.
A modern railroad map is the best, and
that will show you that Cheyenne, the capt.
tai OF the Territory Of Wyoming, is SIG
miles west from the Missouri river, and is
COIL feet above the level sof the sea. No
reasonable idea of figures is ever attained
except by comparison, SO letns look at Mt.
Washington, of the White Mountains, in
New Hampshire, from which every human
being makes hasty exit as early as the 10Th
of October. That mountain is 6293 feet
above the sea level-only 252 feet higher
than Cheyenne and here, in January, I find
hardly any snow on the ground and five
thousand people managing to get along very
comfortably.
Then, to bring the figures little nearer
home, look at your own beautiful Peaks OF
Otter, to the top of which people make pill
grimages and come away with a feeling that
kthey have been nearer Heaven than they
may ever again be. Those Peaks modestly
raise their heads to a height of 1898 feet;
but out in the far west, mountains, as well
as men, grow bold, and here we find Chey-
enne, not clinging to hill, where people are
in danger Of throwing dish-water down their
neighbors' chinlnies, as they are in Lynch
burg, but sitting pleasantly on wide pla-
teau, which is over two thousand feet higher
than the topmost peak of Otter.
The cars reached Cheyenne in November,
1867, and Immediately there sprang into ex-
istence town OF several thousand inhabi
tants, largely made up from the outlaws who
follow in the wake OF large railroad enter
prises, and their shameless companions. The
history of the town for the first year Or two
would blanch the cheek Of one unaccustomed
to the wild tales of border life, and is be tier
left untold. Like all similar places, it grew
up like mushroom, and when its efferves-
cent period was ended it sank down as rap
idly as it had grown.
Then came the time for men who meant
business to put their shoulders to the wheel,
and the result Of their efforts has been most
gratifying.
A friend who visited there in 1871 tells me
more than shanties, dropped here, there or
any where it seemed convenient. To-day
Cheyenne is handsome town. with broad,
| regular streets, fine brick blocks, elegant
residences and as peacable people as are to
be found in any western city.
The first question from any visitor I'M
doubtedly would be: What is there to de-
velop and make permanent such growth?
for the soil is hard and cold, water for irri-
eating purposes very scarce and the altitude
so great agricultural pursuits would prove
an utter failure if undertaken. But, notwith-
standing all these drawbacks, the greatest
| promoter of prosperity has been the bound
less tracts of land, over which roam the
| thousands of cattle whose owners wealth has
built handsome business blocks and elegant
| houses in Chyenne. All the outlying coun-
| try is occupied with ranchmen, who depend
upon Cheyenne fer supplies. Added to this
are the repair shops of the railroad, and
the small army of men they employ must be
| fed and clothed and housed. The Denver
& Rio Grande road unites here with the
Union Pacific and contributes her mite to-
wards the prosperity Of the city.
Another very important factor in the de-
velopment of Cheyenne is the Black Hills ex-
element, for expeditions are mainly fitted
out from this point and supplies purchased
here, so that very much OF the Black Hill
gold gets into the hands of Cheyenne bus-
ness men.
] 1 was shown nuggets of the root of all
evil at one OF the Cheyenne banks which
were tempting enough to give almost any
unncumbered citizen ''the mining fever. :"
I was kindly permitted to handle them and
feast my eyes to my hearts content, but the
bank official neglected to say he should be
happy to contribute the little lump repre-
senting three thousand dollars to my miner
al cabinet. 1t was an oversight which will
permit him to correct at any time.
visited most of the large business houses
of Cheyenne and found every branch Of
| IIauo Wcll TcpItScIJtlt anu CVlu6IlIly uOluS
good business. was in a perpetual state of
surprise at the fine stock kept by dealers of
all kinds, for in many instances it was such
as one expects to find only in cities of a
much larger growth. One of the jewelers.
establishments is deserving of special mention
that of Messrs. Josslyn & Park. They
make specially of the fine stones which
are found on these mountains, and employ
skillful lapidaries to work them. The moss
agates are my favorite of all the varieties,
which include garnet, topaz, opal, anne
thyst, onyx and jasper. Then they exhibit
petrlfied wood and shells, cut and polished
until they are as beautiful as, they are odd.
They also showed me chain, manufactured
. for Black Hills miner from gold taken by
himself. 1t looked to me like i nice sort Of
chain with which to chain mad dog, but
very poor ornament for man to carry
about. unless he expects to pay extra on his