Morning journal and courier., 1882-01-12
Bonanza for the Union Pacific Rail.
 road.

A Bonanza for the Union Pacific Rail- road.
 -[FFom the Omaha (Nebl Republican,
 The world-and I am not using too broad | term-has looked toward the western part of this continent for 8 supply Of the pre- cious metals. The mining of them is still in its infancy, and the great future is near at hand when railways will penetrate all the valleys of the West, taking in machinery and bringing out ore to the smelters. The writ CT few days since had trip on the line o. the Laramie and North Park railway, @ branch of the Union Pacific, being built from Laramie City, Wyoming, into the North Park, where, as investigation has proved, are some of the richest silver mines yet found in the mountains. The Ute Indians have had pos session of this country and it is one of the undevsloped mining regions of the West. A friend of the writer went there in 1869, and within forty-fve miles of the Union Pacific railway found the finest quality of shot gold and showed several ounces. The Utes got his hair and closed his placer mining. But the wealth of that region Is not confined to its gold and silver, or iron even, which is in such great quantities. The writer repeats his text, Mature is true to herself" As sure as the material to work the iron of Pennsylvania was placed in conjunction, so the same will yet be found in the noun tains whose snowy tops are seen along the line of the Union Pacific on the plains of Wyoming and Colorado.
 A few days ago the writer took a tide of fifteen miles along the line of the railway now building, behind a thoroughbred belong ing to one of the cattle kings of the plains. The destination was the soda lakes, which the Union Pacific railway proposes to devel- op, and next spring will establish large works. The track will be laid this winter to transport material for buildings and machinery. At the first sight of the lakes, which are about one hundred acres in extent, white in places, and in others dark blue, person would sup pose it was nothing but ice. In reality it is a solid bed of crystallized soda, nine feet thick-50, ,000, ,000 cubic feet of chemically pure sulphate of soda. = And all this material is ready to be utilized and what the world wants The writer is indebted to the Hon. $. w. Downey, ex-member of Congress for Wyoming, for information in regard to the great wealth of these soda deposits
 To show their value may state at the out set that the soda consumption of the United States amounts to 250, COG, GOO pounds year, imported at Q cost of S56 per ton in gold. At the highest figures for working the same can be laid down on the railway platform in Laramie for $19. And again, looking at this outlay of &, ,000, 900 yearly, we must consid- CT that we have a better article, of purer quality, and in inexhaustible supply. Wher- ever block is taken from the lakes the place is filled in few hours from the springs below, which are continually sending up new deposit from the bottom, the water as it reaches the surface evaporating and leaving the salts and crystals. Carbonate of soda is most valuable, although the sulphate, as found here in it's natural state, is of great importance on account of it's uses fn the arts It is not improbable that large glass works will be established here as an abundant amount of sand can be had from the Lara mic river, and this soda, not having trace of iron, can supply the material for the fin- est plate glass. Mir. wuth, a chemist of Pittsburg, who is scientist krecognized by