The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-09-24
WYOMING THE WONDERLAND.


tAulDlt OF hyOiIlilE hL Iue tNpOSlllOu
has attracted a great deal of attention
to our next door neighbor.
Although Wyoming embraces a
grand area of nearly 100, 900 square
miles, crowded with bountiful resour.
ces that an empire might covet, and in
spite of discoveries of the Jesuits as
early as 1892, yet she is to-day almost
the least known to the people in gen
eral of all of Uncle Sans domain.
The reasons for this are that the early
completion Of the Union Pacific rail.
road along the route that gave the
easiest grades and the lowest passes,
rendered accessible only the most bar
rem and desert portion OF the whole
region. The hordes Of Indians revel-
ing in the choicest hunting grounds,
prevented all prospecting until some
four years ago.
In the meantime the unprecedented
growth of Colorado and the ease with
which miners could reach Idaho and
Montana beyond caused this territory
to he neglected by the general public.
The marvellous deveIopement of the
stock interests has given the impression
to many that it was only n. region of
plains and destitute of mineral re-
4ources. A few facts rivaling all
fiction may, therefore, not prove min
teresting. Wyoming is
A BIOGRAPHICAL WONDERLAND,
for here are are found the sources of
our mighty rivers. In the northwest
corner of the territory, according to
accurate United States surveys, within
a region embracing only n few square
miles, are the sources of the Snake
river, emptying into the Columbia, and
thence west to the Pacific ocean; the
Green river flowing south into the
Gulf of California, and the Yellow
stone fastening eastward to join the
Missouri and traverse the union until
lost in the Gulf of Mexico. Here art
found the lowest passes and the best
natural roads %radiating to all the west
ern states and territories. All but q
land" the Yellowstone national park.
lies within the boundaries of this ter
ritory, and adds to the rest hel
marvellous geysers, the largest ant
finest in the world, the mammoth hot
springs and mud volcanoes; the noun
tain of natural glass and the mountain
OF sulphur Specimen mountain, 1
worlds museum of gems and petrifca.
tions and the majestic Yellowston,
falls, where the river dashes down 80
feet into the granlest canon in tn
world, giving a scene of indescribablt
beauty and grandeur that leaves Mag
ia far In the background.
The rest of the territory affords
from north to south and from east t
west, a series of panoramic views O
mountains. valleys and plains, full o
interest to the miner, the settler, tn
scientist, the traveller and all classes O
people.
In the canon of the La Prele is n re
markable natural bridge, rivaling tn
famous II in Virginia, with a span o
$50 feet and II height two-thirds a
great. The land is Il geographical
wonderland, for besides the wonders o
the park the scientist has found, alonI
the Green river, strata filled with hun
dreds of thousands of fossil fish, re
%markably well preserved and yer
attractive in their contrast of red o
buff background. Wyoming is a par
of the hunting grounds Of the might.
Nimrods of fossiliferous strata. 1t is
LAND OF WONDERFUL RESOURCES,
for her hill and mountain sides bea
fifteen million acres of choice pine an,
spruce timber easy Of access. Coal o
excellent quality, in beds varying from
4 to 40 feet in thickness. are found il
all parts, giving a fitld larger than tina
OF Pennsylvania, Ohio and lllinoi:
combined. Petroleum and l~ubricatins
oil have been found in all the counties
and is being developed rapidly, and will
soon prove of the greatest value, as it:
area where 1t can befobtained exceed.
that of the famous regions of Penn
%sylyania. Sulphdte of soda, similar tC
the unique pyramid at the exposition,
has been developed in Albany county
in beds fifteen feet thick, while near by
are found sixty-foot beds of almos,
chemical pure bi-carbonate Of soda
that are without a rival in the world.
Not far from Fort Steele is the won.
derful iron mountain, one and three
quarter miles in length, three.Quarters
of q mile in width. and towering 1,30C
feet above the creek at its base. a
mass of iron larger than the famous
Pilot Knob of Missouri, and probably
the largest known. Fine GRANTEES,
choice marbles, excellent building
stone, extensive deposits of gypsum,
mica Of good size and quality, kaolin.
equal to the best Chinese, mineral
paint, etc. abound in accessible locali-
ties near its rail and wagon roads.
Gold and copper prospects abound,
but are not sufficiently developed to
call them mines, but with bonanza
mines on all sides of the territory it
will be strange if prospectors do not
find riches equal to the rest. Eight
million acres of fertile soil wait for the
water nea 1t to be put upon it to yield
bounteous harvests. The cattle int r