The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-14

tween Al degrees and As degrees north
latitude, and the 9th and Bath parsl-
lels Of longitude west of Washington
1t is about 400 miles long and $50 miles
wide. 1t lies on a line directly west of
Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Iowa and Nebraska. The climate is
not so warm in summer or so cold in
winter as in these states. The modi6ca-
tion of the temperature is caused by its
average elevation (about 5000 feet
above the ocean, and the Chenuke
winds. The prevailing winds in win
ter are from the west. The Chenuke
is the warm wind from the great jap
anese gulf stream. These winds make
the weather much warmer in the win
ter than it is further east, where the
cold air sweeps down from Canada
along the northeastern slopes Of the
Big Horn and Black Hill spurs of the
Rockies. The courses of the larger
streams within the boundaries of the
territory are peculiar. With one exce2-
tion Green riyer) they all run north
and east. The dome of the Rocky
mountains is in the Wind river range
There rise some of the bead waters of
four of the largest rivers in the United
states west of the Mississippi. The
Colorado, Columbia, Missouri and the
Platte.
This geographical feature has its
counterpart in Pennsylvania. Some of
the tributaries of the Ohio, Susquehana,
Delaware and st. Lawrence rise in or
near the oil regions of Pennsylvania.
The borders of Wyoming are made up
of vast mountain ranges. On
the south is the main range of
the Rockies. On the west are the
Wind river and the Shoshone range.
On the north the Big Horn, and on
the east the Black Hills of Dakota.
The center of the territory is depressed
and in places it is from eight to ten
thousand feet lower than Cloud Peak
in the Big Horn range and Washable
Needles in the Shoshone range. This
low and comparatively level land was
at one time a soda sea which WAS
drained drv Inv the d of the Rig
Horn. Powder river and Platte c,aons
l use the word soda because in many
places The soil and standing waters are
lmpr.guated with suluhate. cal Donate
and borate of soda. which are the aka
lies to he seen In many places in the
center of WYOMING
The Sweetwater valley is skirted on
the north by "a llue of bare granite
ridges which extend from the Platte on
the east nearly to The Wind river
mountains ON tile west a distance of
about 100 miles. The Beaver, d
branch of the Wood river, rises in this
range. and after passing around its
west, flows north until it joins the
Wind river. Badwater creek rises in
the southern part of the Big Horn
mountains, flows west and empties into
the Big Horn RIVER. The distance
from the Granite ridges (callpd the
Rattle Snake range) to the Badwater
is about forty miles. From the
Beaver on the west to the Platte in
the east is about loo miles. All around
the borders of this oblong square, there
are petroleum and petroleum gas springs
as well as deposits OF bitumen or hard
ened oil, which l think is evidence of
one of the largest undeveloped deposits
of hydrocarbons in the United States,
which [ shall take the liberty of nam
ing the petroleum basins of Wyoming.
The conglomerite. shale. slate. sand
and claws are similar to those
found in the PENNSYLVANIA petroleum
regions but probably of a more recent ee
illogical formation. The oil and pas
springs throw up to the surface tour
different qualities and grayities of pe-
troleum. To the west of this basin ar
the Little Popoapie creek on the Little
Wind river. near camp Brown are two
large springs of black. yiscid. asphaltic
oil. that I do not consider in this field
because il il at present Of no value and
it will cost more to get rid of had odor
and the asnhaltum contained in r. than
it will bring in the market.
The petroleum forced to the surface
ron uhuer 1ne cohg'omerate al i'attie
onaAe springs near the hlRhesI point
the Rattle Snake range, called Garfield