Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-11-09

Corr. acknowledgement. ]

through SOUle IOuRu SOunos.
Inns. a town of some fifteen hundred
inhabitants, is the point from whence
the White River Agency country Is
supplied. 1t was jast south OF this
where a few years ago, Col Thorn
burg, with. a portion of his com
mand, was massacred blythe Indians,
while going to relieve Father Meeker
(the Indian agent at White RIVER
who, with a number of others at the
agency, was most cruelty butchered
by the "red skins" before relief could
reach them. Table Rock Is the hlgh-
est point of the mountain range; aiter
passing that station we began TO de
scend toward the lower slope OF the
regions drained by Green RIVER,
which stream we reached in time ior
a late breakfast. The X. X. compa-
ny have some shops here; 1t also Is a
place where extensive coal mining Is
going on. Thirty miles further west
and is2 miles from Fort Steele, at
Granger, is the point where the IRE
gon Short Line DIVORCES into north.
erly direction for the gold regions oil
Wood River and other points in ida
no: the road is new one, yet /, Is In
complete running order and does
considerable business. Nearly loo
miles north the road crosses the wy
oming line into Idaho. Before leav-
ing this large Territory we will make
few notes relative to the resources
of Wyoming. The Territory lies in
the very heart of the Rocky Noun
tain region and has an area OF nearly
100000 square miles, one-fourth OF
which is underlaid with immense de
posts of coal, the grazing grounds
occupy over one-half of the Territory
and about $1,000 square miles are
heavily timbered. IL is claimed that
1900, 900 acres of land may be
brought under cultivation. So far
but little farming is done but where
the enterprising husbandman has
made experiments in tilling the soil
the results have been most satisfacto-
nv. Eleven large streams of water
have their sources in the Territory,
viz: the Yellowstone, North Platte,
Big Horn, Green, Bear, Snake,
Tongue, Laramie, Cheyenne, Powder
and Sweet Water. Those streams
are the head tributaries of the Mis-
souri,, Columbia and Colorado rivers.
Gold abounds in both placer beds and
quartz lodges Immense beds OF iron
ore are known to exist, the most ia
nous at presentsbeing near Rawlins
where also o superior metallic paint
Is manufactured from earthern de
posts. Over 100 acres of beds OF
crystalized sulbhate of soda. many
feet in thickness, exist near Laramie
City. Oil bearing shale and crude
petroleum exist in different locali-
ties. The lumber business is just be.
ginning to receive attention in the
Territory. Mineral springs. hot
springs, beautiful lakes and noun
tain parks adds to the many attrac-
tions peculiar TO Wyoming. This
vast region, at the present day so lit
tie known, will in due time become
mighty commonwealth to pay tribute
TO the industry and geuius of le-
gion of inhabitants yet to come on
her broad fields.
Just after crossing into the Terri
tory Of Idaho the road runs into the
Bear River valley which by the way
is q beautiful section of country.
Considerable farming is done, but the
principal industry seems to be stock
raising and putting up hay TO supply
the ready market found for it. The
soil is of black loan similar to that
found In Iowa aud Illinois. Passing
through the Bear River valley proper
we enter a yet larger and more extern
sively improved valley, called the
Bear Lake valley Wheat, oats, bar.
ley, vegetables and smaller fruits are
extensively raised. AS we continne
on northward we leave the valley
and enter the mountains throug a
narrow canon. Emerging again
from the mountains we come to the
Soda Springs place of considerable
note as resort for pleasure seekers.
Extensive improvements are going on
there. The surrounding Is sn upland
mesa covered with sage brush that in
places grows six feet in hight and
with trunks as much as six inches in
diameter, veritable trees Some
miles north Is Pocatello, our present
Stopping place. II is where the Utah
Il Northern branch of the L. p. II.
II. connect with the Oregon Short
Line. The former extends on some
800 miles to the N. p. at Garrison.
the latter to Shoshone aud HALEY, the
great mining region of Idaho. The
U. p. company bought 40 acres of
land from the Shawnee and Bannock
Indians and located the town on il
and Of course have everything their
own way as the reservation embraces
all the surrounding country. There
are almost 1900 Indians on the reser-
walton. They are on hand in goodly
numbers, dressed In uncivilized style
and decorated with paint in various
colors. From the station hotel we
can see one of their camps, the
smoke issuing from the tops of their
tepees. Squaws 60 round with their
papooses strapped on their backs In
their trading We see them handling
twenty dollar gold coins as If money
was plenty with them and some have
profusion OF jewclry ornaments
about their persons. the same as their
more civilized sisters. The sale of in
toxicating liquors is strictly forbid.
den here for which the railroad com.
pany should have honorcd credit. A
large number Of employees are at
work here grading the grounds, lay
ing track and building houses for the
company. The hotel Is an extensive
building furnished equal to any first
class hotel so that even here In this
wild region, among the swarthy den
liens of the forest and plain, one
feels at home, or that civilization has
clasped hands with 10. the poor In.
dian.
Idaho Territory embraces an area
of $1,000 square miles. Below the
mountain regions the high rolling
hills are covered with nutritious
grasses upon which stock may feed
the year around. The still lower IN.
BILE lands are covered mostly with
sage brush, when farmed by irriga.
ton produce large crops of grains
and vegetables. The first bottoms
along the streams produce excellent
hay without irrigation. The noun.