The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-03-30

Notes or a Trip Tow ard The Northern
Copper Mines.
Editorial Correspondence.

Fort Laramie, March 20.
Our party, consisting of Messrs.
Henry White, 1. s. Bartlett. j. Allen
and J. c. Baird, arrived here at noon
to day. The ride was a pleasant n
on Saturday, the roads being in excel
lent condition and alive with travelling
outfits. AS spring opens and the miues
are requiring attention and the ap-
preaching roundups bring forth men
aud provisions, freighting and travel
ing increases. On the way to Fort
Laramie we passed twenty distinct out
fits, several of them containing several
teams each. The weather was very
Gne and the people who live along the
road were busy making improvements,
etc. Most all the keepers of ranches
we're at their post of business. Fred.
Schwartz was on hand with a big old
fashioned welcome. at Bard's we took
dinner and had a most excellent meal.
There was nothing worthy of special
attention until we approached
mn KELLEY's FFNCE.g
We have often read of Bill.
Sharon's wood pile in Nevada, and
Jim Ralston's boom of logs, but
we never saw anything that ap-
preached these in magnitude until
we saw MI. Kelley's fence. We struck
1t at a point about six miles below his
residence. 1t occurred to us that there
we're u great many miles of real estate
under fence, so we made some inquiries
about the same. 1t TRANSFERRED that Mr..
Kelley didn't know how many square
miles there we're contained in his range,
but that he had about sixty miles Of
fence built. Mr.. Krlley's hotel is the
finest along the route, and would do
credit to any city. His home residence
il situated about half a mile above the
hotel and store. 1t is Il large brick
structure of splendid design and beau
tifully situated among the trees that
fringe the Chug. 1t looks more like a
farm than any other range l have ever
seen in Wyoming. However, Swans
range, which adjoins Mr.. Kelly's is also
"a very aue one.
Huuton's ranch was reached at sup
per time, and we turned in for the
night. Mr.. Hunton has erected an ele-
giant large residence. Its basis is con-
crete, and its finish is In walnut stain.
Being painted white, it shines out
brightly in the valley.
1t was u cold ride this morning
through the snow storm, but we made
excellent time to
FORT LARAMIE
and are stopping at the Rustic hotel.
The proprietor, Mr. Hawk, is full oil
business and does well by the travelling
public.
Fort Laramie is being greatly i'm
proved. New quarters have been built
both for officers and men; the parade
ground has been lined with shade trees,
new walks have been put down in the
square; the corrals have been repaired
and everything about the fort bears the
look of industry and improvement.
There are four companies Of cavalry
and two Of infantry stationed here
now, and they seem to be all happy.
ANEW WEAPON.
or course the guard house is still in
business. Some Of the prisoners are
kept inside, and some are kept outside.
We saw two of them on the outside.
They we're furnished with a strange
looking thing, which awakened great
curiosity in our mind. At first we
a pretty little theory and
brought forth any number of facts
to sustain it. Upon inspection we
found that the strange looking thing
was simply a log about five feet long.
A soldier walked back and forth i'll
of the guard house, and we inno-
inferred that the mar was being
because a soldier with a gun
accompanied him as q drillmaster. But
1t was difficult to accoun for the uses
OF the log. However, the idea happily
suggested itself that the log was a new
weapon of offense and defence. One
can readily see that If an Indian were
fairly on top of the head with
this weighty weapon he would be driven
at once into the earth just rs if he were
pounded by a pile driver. OF course an
who was driven into the earth
with one of these new weapons would
be untitled for further service in any
given engagement unless his friends
speedily dig him out. Besides, if the
Indian were to die on account of his
return to Mother Earth, the
ceremony of the weapon would be sus-
because of the Indian being
buried, and then 1t must be
remembered that there are no trees on
the plains. Now trees are an immense
advantage in an Indian fight, not to say
4 necessity. Trees have been the best
OF soldiers in all Indian wars,
AS we read in history. Now this new
weapon Is at once adopted to defensive
a. well as offensive movements. Upon
A sudden Indian attack, each soldier
would simply stand his thick weapon
on end and hide behind 1t for protec-
tion, just as Gen. Braddock's English
troops did on the banks OF the Mouon
4 ,hela in 1866. He would stand there
until the Indians fred away all of their
or re-~inforcements came.
But our pet theory was loon knocked
down by a friend, volunteering the In