The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1882-04-02
The COAL EXPEDITIONS
From HartvIIIe to Creek
A storm.


LOST SPRINGS RANCH, March %.
There are six men in the abandoned
cabin where l write. 1t was an empty
cabin before we took possession, but 1t
is now pretty full. The six men are
Messrs. Harry S. White, L. s. Bartlett,
Frank F. Stanton, Robt. Allen, AL.
Greene, and the writer. Dinner Is just
over, the cooks have sat down TO rest
and l to write-on the dinner table.
We started from Hartville bright and
early this morning intending to make
the great coal fields, which are situated
about thirty-fve miles northwest of the
copper camp-so Bartlett says. But
we have already gone about forty miles
and aren't in sight of the fields or ven
the hills overlooking them. Our route
lay along the
L IGNORANT TRAIL,
The same that the emigrants travelled
over in the years intervening between
40 and the time OF building the Union
aud Central Pacific roads. Indeed,
many emigrants yet traverse this trans
continental path that is so famous in
the history of these far western states
and territories. The trail winds around
and over steep hills, through deep ra-
vines and in many "treacherous places.
One can readily see the advantages
which the Indians possessed in the mat
ter Of attacking the emigrauts. Am.
bushes were as easy as eating, because
the poor wayfarers had no alternative
but 10 follow the beaten path that leads
under DER hanging bluffs.
In II place, the road was beside a
limestone wall, and many emigrants
tOuk occasion To carve their names in
the same. The dates that | observed
ran as far back as 1858. There are
hundreds, if o thousands of names
carved on the face Of this limestone
quarry Of the future.
sAND STORM
Soon after emerging from the ravines
this morning II violent wind arose 1t
arose as one man and smute the earth
in anger. 1t IA more angry than l
had ever seen the wind in Cheyenne. In
the Magic City | have seen empty dry
goods boxes floating serenely on the
breeze of a windy sunday afternoon, and
turn corners AS naturally AS life. |
have seen small boys blown against the
stiles Of houses and held there for the
space of half an hour as If they were
bolted to the houses. | have seen the
air filed with sand and gravel so that
Z eyes. ears, nostrils, mouth, pockets
aud conscience were filed with sand
But the sand storm of to-day surpassed
eye the far-famed glories Of Il Chey-
enne zephyr. To say that the wind
blew violently does not express my idea.
A gale, a hurricane, a tempest-either
of these might be a symptom of the
storm we experienced. Cyclone ex-
presses II more nearly, only it was a
long-lived one, lasting for about eight
hours. In a short time all the sage
brush was blown off the face OF the
plains; the grass, (what little there was
was covered With sand, so that the
range" looked more like the bottom
a sea. Sand filled the air and every
thing else there IA to Gil. Our cloth
ing and our eyes were all filled; so was
the vehicle. The driver could scarcely
see ahead of the team. He was almost
obliged to feel his way.
We longed for II ranch, but there was
n n to be seen for Il long time. The
who doesn't build IA ranch in this
r 'gion is a very sensible man. Finally
ran into Que, and no Arab ever
ha led an oasis with greater delight
! IA we experienced at beholding this
cabin. 1t was at once our refuge
and our strength. 1t is a large cabin
a fine stable in the extension, so
that our tired mules can rest securely
from the raging storm without. How
sver, the sand is W now coming
the open chinks of the cabin as
[ write, and the gritty sensation OF the
the pencil grinding over the sand on
he paper is very pleasant indeed, very(?)
l said we had just flushed
DINNER.
Very fortunately the last persons here
eft IA good cooking stuye. So, while |
for water at the spring about a
hundred feet below the hill Harry
made the fire; at the same time
pared potat oes rs Stanton and
Allen prepared the cooking utensils,
All were busily engaged, rs all were
it being three O'Clock, and
line hours since we ate breakfast
White proved to be a gond ''rustler, +"
nd a hot FIRE was soon boiling potatoes
nd also water for coffee. We didn't
1t al the table-there were but two
of furniture in the cabin, II
tuVe and Il home made table-we stood,
as they do at an eastern picnic.
stood It irst-rate, including the
tck Of coffee and sugar, which the
ommissary, Bartlett, omitted from
he plumber on account Of mime on
he Drain.n Meanwhile the wind con-
inued to blow, and then it blew harder
han ever. Just n we had finally COLI
luded to camp at the cabin for the
light, the wind lessened its fury, and
at once hitclIed up aud resumed our
to
THE COAL FIELDS.
Y IL RANCH, March %.
Our route lay toward Shawnee creek.