, 1884-04-24
SUN DANCE.
Some Interesting Topics From that
= Remote Quarter.
Inconvenience of Having a Distant
Land Office.

Correspondence of THE LEADER.
Stu DANCE, Wyo., April 1.-THE
coy maiden Spring" is making Il bad
reputation for herself, by allowing that
detested old reprobate, Winter, y to loiter
in her LAP when he should be making
rackstoward the North pole, his sum
mer headquarters. Notwithstanding this
brazen Irritation the ranchmen of this por-
ton of Wyoming and the adjoining terri
tory of Dakota are busily engaged in put
ting in their spring crops. The present
prices'of grain, however, are not c~alculat-
ed to stimulate their efforts to any great
extent. Wheat is a drug on the market
at 81 per cwt. oats are worth but little
more potatoes are worth about enough to
pay a man wages for hauling them to
market, These prices do not pay for
putting gram into the bin, consequently
the grain raiser of the Black Hills, for
once, Is badly left. The poultryman and
dairyman are somewhat better off, as the
top grade of butter is worth
from forty to fifty cents per pound.
Eggs at present are a little dull, but will
soon be ready sale at 40(650 cents per
dozen when the majority of the chickens
begin rearing families. But produce pri-
ces range lower at present than was ever
known in the history of the Black Hills.
The country has now reached that stage
of development that would be greatly
benefited by the advent of railroads.
This portion Of Wyoming and Dakota
is in possession of mountains of low
grade gold and silver ores that will give
employment to thousands of men and
millions ofcapital, just as soon as railroads
furnish the means of cheap labor and
transportation. 1t is the opinion of those
who profess to be posted in mining lore,
that the Black Hills country is on the
threshold of Il new and active era in the
mining industry. Be that as it may, there
are few portions ofthe great West hat have
enjoyed as uninterrupted prosperity as the
justly celebrated Black Hills region, and
when the matter is fairly considered, there
is little cause for wonder. Here we
have facilities for the perfect development
OF three of the greatest wealth producing
human industries, to wit agriculture,
mining and stock raising. When a fair
development of any one of these three in
dustries will insure the financial prosperity
Of a community, what may we expect
from an alliance of the three.
The embryo city of Sun Dance is just
now putting forth her first effort for the
establishment of a printing press and local
newspaper. Sand creek or "Beulah' as
the natives would say, is making the same
kind of chin music In addition they
propose the locating of the county seat
and a land Office. However we may differ
as to the mode of accomplishing those
local regulations. we are unanimously
agreed upon the desirableness of a change
of base.
presume these are fifty man in this
portion of Wyoming that desire to take
up land under the Homestead act. which
they at present are unable to do without
making a journey of six hundred miles.
Many are violating the letter of the land
laws b. reason OF being unable 10 make
homestead entries, and are liable in con
sequence to lose their land at any time, as
indeed some have already done. Others
make pre-emption declaratory statements
or filings with the intention of changing
the same into homestead entries when
they can do so without going to Cheyenne.
Soon there will be numbers wishing to
make final proof on their presumption to
do which under the present arrangements
they are compelled 10 visit the Land office
at Cheyenne, accompanied by the requi-
site number of witnesses. Where the
settler makes a presumption filing and
afterwards changes it to a homestead
entry he incurs the loss offs land right,
worth anywhere in the West 5000.
The -ultimatum of this state of affairs
will be n struggle for county organization
and IN case that should be defeated for an
indefinite period there will be an advance
on the entire line upon the general Land
Office at Washington. In concluding my
remarks on this rather disagreeable topic
| may say that the people living in the un-
organized county of Crook highly depre-
cate the injustice of one county being al
lowed to. organize with three hundred citi-
zens, while another is required to have
five hundred.
Contrary to the expectations of many
cattle men there has been considerable
loss Of through cattle in this section
and surrounding localities as well, The
Hanson Brothers who drove something
like a thousand head into this vicinity last
fall, will, it is said, he heavy losers. Stock
that was acclimated have gone through
the winter with small loss sheep have
done exceptionally well.
W. F. DRAPER.
Little Joker is the best smoking