The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1879-04-03
Colorado Correspondence.
CHEYENNE WELLS, March Is, 1879.

| CHEYENNE w ELLIS, March 10, 1879.
ED. PRESS Seeing a number OF
correspondents from the West in your
paper, I thought to write short letter.
left Hiram, Ohio, Nov. IL, 1878, for
Colorado, where the tender foot thinks
to pick gold from the sage brush and
become rich man in short time. I
will try and give your readers an idea
of this God-forsaken country, the home
of the tarantula, centipede and rattle
snake. This country God made for the
Indian, and if white man is fool
enough to live here he must take the
consequences. The men here are en-
gagged in raising stock. We have a
number of stock ranches in a few
miles from our ranch. which is situated
on the head waters of the South Fork
of the Smoky Hill River. These rivers
are lost streams. The water comes to
the surface and form pools and sinks
again. The prairie is very broken and
high, filled with dry gulches and
draws. The buffalo-grass commences
to grow about the 18th of April, and
dries up by the middle of August.
When dry it makes winter hay for the
stock, as no frost ever hurts it. We
have great many varieties of stock,
such as Texas, Mexican, Durham and
Cherokee; Sheep, Mexican crossed
with Spanish. These are the most
hardy and adapted to the plains. The
Ranchers live in sod dug-outs, near
these lost rivers, by the pools where
they get water for their stock. They
all go under assumed names, such as
Texas Joe, x. Y. Jake and Monotony
Bill. One never learns their real
names. They dress in deerskin over
shirt and pants, with sarvoros, or calf
skin leggins. At their belts hang large
revolvers and bowie knives. They
ride Texas mustangs and Bronkell
ponies, and attached to the saddle
hangs a Winchester repeater. These
elbows always ride on a gallop over
the plains. This was once the home
of the buffalo. Their bones are scatter
ed all over the prairie, and are gathered
and sold at $40 ton to be shipped
East and made into bonedust. These
plains belonged to the Cheyenne In
dians, who are now on the war path
near the Black Hills. They were
through here last Fall under the great
chief Black Hog, and killed great
many of the ranchers. They most all
went to Fort Wallace for protection,
but some were killed while on their |
way to the Fort. We are expecting
Indians again this Summer, and the
are preparing to give them q
warm reception.
We have some game here, such as
antelope, black-tail deer, and wolves.
which are hunted in the winter. The |
meat of the antelope and deer is ship
ped to Denver and sold. There have
been many hundred killed here the
past winter.
You see advertisements in your pa
pers of cheap homes in the West,
mostly railroad land. These land Off
ces are under Land Agents, who are
better known as Land Sharks. They
write f1atteriDg advertisements and in
duce a great many emigrants to settle
On their lands. An awful trap is being
set for emigrants. They buy land west
Of the rain belt and do not know it.
They are too far West. After they get
beyond the one hundredth parallel is
a desert region, where farmer cannot
raise crops of any kind, on account of
,he dry climate, and to irrigate is out
Of the question, for we do not have any
water. Immigrants who set
led out here a few years ago are now
dressed in rags and shoeless. They
can't get back to the States, for they
nave no money. They support their
amilies by gathering buffalo bones.
My advice to those who are thinking
IF coming West to settle would be to-
ook at your land before you buy, and
not get out on this vast desert region.
shall leave here soon for Arizona and
will write again as soon as get located.
r. III. N