The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-03-25
JOHNSON
Our Fort Mckinney Correspondent
Says Something of 1t ana Buffalo.
FORT MCKINNEY, W. T.
Feb. 16, 1882.

SENlNNh1 W.
Feb. 16. 1882.
To the Editor Of The Leader:
As 1 have been travelling some of late
over a portion of the northern part of
our county, 1 wish to note some of its
many improvements.
1t will be remembered by many of
your readers that three years ago this
portion of Wyoming territory was
almost wholly uninhabited. Not n
family had ever made a home in either
one Of the Goose creek valleys, and
but n family had settled on Tongue
river up to that time. Now there
are several families permanently SETTLED
on Tongue river, Wolf and Soldier
creeks, this being the extreme northern
portion Of our county, well adapted to
farming and grazing purposes.
Coming southwest we come to Big
Goose creek. Here we gaze In utter
establishment at the homes of actual
settlers upon this beautiful stream of
limpid water. The valley of Big
Goose creek is not as broad as the Little
Goose, consequently it is not as well
adapted to farming as grazing, although
there is much good farming land there.
Mr.. Beck is on Big Goose creek, where
he is making preparations for farming
on an extensive scale. He Is also deal
ing in sheep and means business.
Moving south a distance of ten or
twelve miles, we find ourselves in Big
Horn City, situated about nine miles
from the base of the mountains on the
north bank of Little Goose, in the
midst of one Of Wyomings finest val
leys. The city itself is in its infancy,
but seems to be born Of noble parentage
and prepossessing. 1t has a store, post
office, blacksmith shop, and only one
saloon, good citizens, a No. / school
and a hrst-class literary society. And
to her honor be 1t said, she has never
allowed a dance house inside of her cor
poration; and wish that 1 could say as
much for our county seat. Situated as
this little town is in the very heart of a
fine farming country, l see no reason
why her tendency should not be inward
and upward.
For fifteen miles we Travelled over a
more or less broken country, cross
ing the battle ground of the Phil. Kear-
ney massacre, where Fetterman and
Brown with their entire command were
killed by the Indians in December, 1869.
Over this we come down onto the Big
Piney. Along this stream many fine
ranches are already located and many
more can be. The Little Piney also
has some fine farms. Three miles
further south we come to our home on
She'll G reek, of this we have but little
to say. 1t is about $3.50. We have five
sawmills at a distance of forty miles,
where lumber can be had for about
twenty-five dollars per thousand. One
Touring mill is en- route to Big Goose
creek, and it is also rumored that a
second comes to Big Horn City.
The valley of Clear creek, like that
of all the other streams, is narrow neal
the mountains, but widens further
away. There are at present a number
Of fine ranches, and here as well as
elsewhere, in the northern part of our
county, intelligence and enterprise are
noticeable. .
The winter has been fine, cattle are
coming through grandly, and stock
men are bouyant. Farmers are begin
ming to bestir themselves 10 businessp re-
parations for grain sowing. There is
not half enough seed grain in the coun-
try to be had at any price, for there will
be a much larger percentage sown this
year than at any previous one. Bust
ness is looming up, and Johnson county
will yet be heard from. But we blush
with shame as we approach her county
seat. There is an old addage ahoat,
which says, If you can say no good of
your %neighbor, say nothing. Generally
speaking, this theory is correct, but
tucio arc cACeptiOuo " tuc Iule, anu
this is one of them.
1 have lived for more than forty years
in the west, l had thought that L had
seen frontier life in all its varied phases
from bad to worse, but l never before
witnessed the ratification of the saying,
is so healthy out west we have to kill
a man to start a grave yard" Here they
have had to kill a great many. Vile
houses of dissipation have a majority
in the place. and we a hope for notlI-
Ing better, while we close mt eye to the
facts and make no effort to rid
ourselves of these denominations. My
friends may say, where are your county
? Oh, some of them are resign
Ing for the mere fun Of putting the
comfy to the expense of electing new