The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-02-20

LoOd Country Tor EanE"s
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Correspondents OF tina Leader.
BUFFALO, WYo., Feb. 10, 1880.
Passing north from Fort F~etterman,
and crossing the North Platte river at
the government bridge, a most excel
lent wooden structure, designed and
built by Major J. w. Mason, Third
cavalry, you enter upon Wyoming's
most fertile cattle region. This bridge
at no distant day will he of incalculable
benefit to cattle men; for, as is well
known, the Platte, at certain seasons
of the year, is very dangerous to ford.
From the Platte to Powder river, a
distance of about ninety miles, the
best of grazing of nutritious grasses is
found, and were 1t not for the scarcity
of water nc section of country for cat
tie could be selected in the west. True
it is, the many streams that intervene
between the two great rivers, such as
Sage creek, Dry Cheyenne, Sand creek,
Wind river, and the dry fork of the
Powder, have, when the snow and ice
begin to melt, a goodly supply of
water in them, yet it Is of short dura-
ton, and summer, fall and winter find
them entirely dry, except here and
there's small pool or spring. No doubt
in the future this vast section of coun-
try will be watered by a system of arte-
sian wells when the plains Of this coun-
try are teeming with myriads of cattle.
At Antelope springs we find a good
ranch. At this doint a few thousand
head of cattle could be ranged.
Not until we reach Powder river,
and lthence north to Goose creek, do
we find the requisite shelter, grass and
water of a cattle country.
Along the Powder river from the
Big Horn mountains, or OH its forks at
the head waters, down it, a hundred
miles below old Fort Reno, are most
desirable. AS is well known, a sufi-
cheney of cottonwood can be procured
along this river for all purposes of
ranches, etc.
Lying between Powder river and
Goose creek, about eighty miles distant,
is Crazy Woman's Fork, with several
branches, Clear creek, Shell and Rock
creeks, Little and Big Piney, tributa-
ries of the Powder river; on any and
all of these streams there are fine To-
cations. In II word, the section just
mentioned is unsurpassed for cattle.
Goose creek, and north of that point,
seems to be an %unfavored region, as the
snow lies too long on q level. Along
the stream mentioned are some fifteen
or more ranchmen engaged principally
in agriculture. This summer will see
a Touring mill there, and they expect
to raise enough of oats, wheat, potatoes
and garden vegetables to supply the
posts of Forts Custer and Mckinney,
thus saving the cost of transportation
from the railroad. Irrigation is not
difficult nor costly.
On many of the streams mentioned,
but principally on Powder river, q
number of cattle ranches have been To-
Gated, and this summer no doubt will
see many thousand head here.
The Big Horn mountains afford an
inexhaustible supply of pine building
timber. All the lime, lath, shingles
and brick-which are of superior quail
ity to those made neal Cheyenne-and
lumber used in the construction of
Fort Mckinney was fabricated on the
ground. Its quantity was prodigious,
as the plan of the post seemed to be to
embrace the four corners of the earth.
Indications of coal are seen in the
banks along the streams. 1t is q poor
quality of bituminous groupings, which
is but the index that perhaps by min
ing a good quality could be had. At
some of the ranches these groupings
are used successfully as fuel.
A good grade of marble has been
found in the mountains; and then of
the gold mines-but perhaps the less
said about them the better, as no late
assays have been made where there
were anything like paying quantities.
Several men are still at the mines. 1t
seems reasonable that paying ore will
ultimately be found in these mountains,
but for any number of people to rush
here at present would be a great error.
The trip from Rock creek to this
point is made by the Rock creek and
Fort Custer stage company in about
Al hours. The ranches pelow Rock
creek and Fetterman are sad affairs,
and it is to be hoped that in future they
will set better tables. JAKE.