Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1880-12-22

The Country Next to be Heard
From-Good Place for Poor Mel
-Ciark's ExpIorations-signs Of
Gold.
Not much is being said about the Big
Horn Valley, Wyoming, during all the ex.
elements attending the discoveries Of new
Ell Dorados. The tide is turned towards
New Mexico, Arizona, Northwestern Texas
and Old Mexico, and when the reaction
comes, if it ever does, then the people will
wake up to the fact that they have run by,
skipped over and entirely forgotten that
there is, in the northern part Of Wyoming
Territory, one of the richest valleys on the
continent. 1t is OF large area, and in
cludes all the favorable points to be looked
for by the farmer, the stock-raiser and the
miner.
The distance is only tritiing for the east
ern-bound traveller, from South Pass into
the basin Of the Big Horn, and as he
moves down that stream, the climate and
soil improve until the region where game
"a HihetASQs lOit1 6uCttsElNt btdBouh,
is reached. The old residents Of the
mountains and Coast know what that
means. 1t is good enough for them.
Fruits Of all the hardy kinds-apples,
peaches, berries, etc., can be grown there,
and the snow has never been known to lie
upon the ground to exceed "a hours.
Groves are upon the banks OF the river,
and the basin sides are rich in ann
grass, which grows 80 luxuriant as to be
easily cut with a mower.
The valley soil ompar favorably, in
depth of loan, with that OF Southern Min
nesota.
About five years ago we saw an adven-
turous Montanian, Farley by name, strik-
ing for the Big Horn, with his little band
OF sixty stock cattle and household outfit
complete. He took desperate chances, for
the Sioux and Arrapahoes we're bad at that
time. He located northeast Of the Sweet
water mines somewhere about seventy-fve
miles, upon a spring claim, and has an I'M
limited supply Of water for farming pur-
poses and no n to interfere with his stock
range. A letter from a gentleman at Green
River, just received, says Farley has never
been molested by the indiana. sud now has
a fine little farm, plenty OF wild berry
bushes (transplanted), forty or fifty head
of horses, and $40 head Of cattle. He only
lost one or two calves each spring, and
that was during exceptionally hard storms.
He has no stables or shelter |; neither does
he put up hay for his stock. They do not
require it.
There are many settlers now in the val |
ley, but the fear Of Indian raids has kept
back the rush Of Immigrants.
W. p. Clark, First Lieutenant Second
cavalry, has written to the adjutant gen. |
eral, United States army, department of |
Dakota, an elaborate report of a recon-
n%oissance of the Big Horn mountains,
made by a scouting and exploring party |
under his command, which started from
Fort Keogh, Montana Territory, June 81,
1880. The trip was an extensive one, the
party returning to Fort Custer on Sept. 8.
A general reconnaissance was made Of the
country to the southeast and northwest
OF the Big Horn range, the most prom
inent characteristics of the country soil,
climate, and streams seen by the explor-
ing party being described at length. Much
OF the territory seen is already occupied
by ranches, and stock men are looking
eagerly forward to the time when those
portions now reserved to the Indians, may
be opened up to settlement. Between
Tongue river and Shell creek several de-
serted silver mines were found, which had
developed very good silver ore, but not
sufficiently rich to pay the great expense
of transportation, though the mines had
been staked off by the first explorers, and
are still held for whatever they may be
worth. 1t has been expected that rich
gold deposits would be discovered in the
country west OF the Big Horn range, and
a party Of Arapahoes were taken along to
point out 3 spring near Norwood creek,
where it was said an Indian woman had
taken out some nuggets of gold. The
nsble red men did not care to give any ex-
act information, or were unable to do SO,
and Lieutenant Clark did not find the ex-
pected deposits. He states, however, that
he is not prepared to assert that rich mines
may not yet be found in the Big Horn
mountains, and the favorable indications
secured by the party are sufficient to just
ify a more careful search, especially near
the head waters Of Painted Rock and
Shell creeks, while further developments
Of the mines already discovered neal the
latter may give satisfactory results.