The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-12-11
CHEYENNE OF d

As seen from the car window
approaching from the east, Chey-
enne must remind one as it lies
away on the distant plain, of the
wooden toy villages with which
ne used to play upon the play
room floor when a child, But as
the distance shortens and the bus
meas center of the city becomes
distinguished the stranger is struck
by the increasing number of fine
large brick business houses and
the numerous handsome resi-
dences.
The old Cheyenne has almvss
entirely disappeared, with
now and then a u old wooden
building to remind one of the
infancy of the Magic City; and
instead, there has grown up a
town of substantial structures of
brick and wood, some of them
very expensive and fine samples
of the architects skill.
In public buildings, Cheyenne
numbers q fine court house, one
Of the largest and finest public
school buildings of the west, sew
en- churches, including the Con-
gregational, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Methodist Episcopal, African M.
f., Episcopal and Catholic socie-
ties. The Catholic and Baptist
churches are new brick structures
while the others are of wood.
However, the Presbyterian socie-
ty have disposed of their build
ing and commenced work upon
the foundation walls of a large
new and elegant house of wor-
ship. The Catholic society still
own the old wooden church in
which they originally held their
services, and there is serious talk
now of turning it over to the Sis
tiers for the purpose of establish
ing or academy. The city cree
ted in 1876 a fine large brick
structure fitted up for city hall,
Offices and lookup, besides rooms
for the Durant steam fire engine,
which belongs to the city. An
opera house is nearly completed
of which any city might be justly
proud. The Cheyenne club also
owns and occupies a large brick
building erected and fitted with
direct reference to the use of the
club.
The city has a large and eff
eient fire department consisting of
the Alerts, Clarks and Durant
hose companies the Pioneer hook
and ladder company, (which CON-
pany also mans a large Babcock
estinguisher) and the Durant
steam fire engine company. Be
sides these companies the Sheri-
dan hose and fire engine company
of Camp CARING are also includ-
ed in the Cheyenne department.
The Alerts have q very neat brick
hose house and meeting rooms on
Hill street between 18th and 18th.
The ]. T. Clark hose, is a rail-
road organization and named
after the general superintendent
of the Union Pacific Ry., and oc-
cupies a hose house near the
depot. The Durant engine and
hose companies occupy accomo-
dations in the city hall building,
while the Pioneers have rooms on
18th street but a few doors from
the city hall.
In hotels, Cheyenne is well
supplied, having seven all told,
nearly all of which are of brick
and are well conducted, neat
houses.
The city is well represented in
the mercantile trade, numbering
several representative wholesale
houses which do q remarkably
large business.
Although removed from the
manufacturing centers of the
country, the Magic City has sew
eral manufacturing enterprises
worthy of extended notice but
which the brief scope of this
sketch forbids. These interests
represent a carriage mandatory,
steam sash and blind and plan
ming mill, patent gun manufacto-
ry, manufacturing jewellers, two
breweries, railroad shops, &C., &c,
all together employing several
hundreds of workmen and turn
ing out a deal of work.
The business of the city during
the year just past has been unpre-
cedented in the history of the
city. Although in the feverish
times of 81 and later in rs dur
ing the Hills excitement, there
was q greater transient population
and all the rough money-in-plenty
characteristics of a young west
ern town, the trade was not as
profitable nor as extended in its !