, 1886-08-31
SHERIDAN.
The City of the Northern Portion of
Johnson County.
Fertile Lands, bitches, Crops and
Investments.

johnson county lying north Of what is
known as Massacre hill. the eliminating
point Of the Piney divide, lying between
the waters of Powder and the Tongue
rivers.
Sheridan. the lively and growing town
of this rich region. lies iu the forks of
Big and Little Goose creeks. 1t contains
about 300 people. 1t was incorporated
10 1884, and has ever since been energet-
ically marching cityward. The principal
mercantile establishment is that Of J. II.
Conrad & Go. These ,entlemsu carry a
general stock Of merchandise. not exceed
ed in the territory outside Of Cheyenne.
A 800, 600 stock is their figure. J. D.
Loucks, who is serving his third term as
mayor, has also a large mercantile estab-
slishment. There are two hot els, one of
very good size, a drug store, two livery
stables, two saloons. two blacksmith shops
and a barber shop. Two law and real
estate and two insurance offices flourish,
while an addition to the school building
is in progress. The pupils number some
sixty. and the schools are in a high state
Of efficiency. Mr.. L. A.. Whitney, a
prominent banker of North Liberty, La,
is making arrangements for the early
opening of the Bank Of Sheridan. This
institution will be on a most solid fnan-
cial basis, and will be of the greatest pos
sible benefit to the rapidly growing mon
led interests OF the section.
Massacre hill. marking the summit of
the dividing line between the northern
and southern portions of johnson county
is so named from the determination of a
command of ninety-six men from Fort
kearney, by the Sioux and Cheyennes in
1886.
North of this of a bloody
past, can be seen the ripping streams,
and smiling valleys Of the rich country
tributary to Sheridan. These smiling val
leys are fair to behold, and these streams
water broad and fertile lands. The valleys
Of the Goose creeks, by whose mingled
waters Sheridan stands, aggregate $4,000
acres of fine lands under cultivation. OF
this the Little Goose creek furnishes the
largest portion. Prairie Dog creek has a
valley thirty miles in length by three
quarters of a mile broad, every foot of it
farming lands and every foot of it under
irrigation. Fifteen thousand acres lie in
this valley that cannot be surpassed In
productiveness anywhere. These lands are
watered from Piney creek, Prairie Dog
being a dry stream.
Piney rises high in the mountains, and
while it affords a vast volume ofwater, its
valley is narrow. The surplus Of the stream
has therefore been utilized in watering
valleys adjacent on the north and south.
This is rendered comparatively easy by the
fact that the bed Of Piney is much higher
than the surrounding area. Prairie Dog
and French and Rock creeks are the prin-
cipal valleys thus supplied with water.
The Prairie Dog Water and Simply
company has been formed, and controls
the lands of Prairie Dog creek. Fine
crops have been raised this season on the
new lands Of this valley. The lands of
the entire section under cultivation will
reach 6O. 1000 acres. OF late the farmers
have shown a disposition to make hay the
principal crop. 10 this end large areas
have been seeded down in tame grasses.
Timothy, clover and millet have been
largely used, and with the most encourag-
ing results.
In connection with this hay bias is a
movement in favor of the introduction and
caring for of a better class OF stock. Eight
uiles Of Big Goose creek is owned by the
Grinnell Live Stock company. These
gentleman have 10000 acres here, and this
year raised 1900 tons of hay, and har-
vested $50 acres Of grain. In their pas
lures are over 500 head Of blooded cattle,
and SO it is with numerous other ranches
on a smaller scale throughout the SEQ
ton.
At Sheridan the Sheridan Mill COM
pany is just completing large Touring
mills, with the latest improved roller
process. To meet the market thus afH
fvrded, a great many farmers planted this
season large wheat acresgcs, and will con
tinue to do 80 in the future. The aggre-
cation of the wheat acreage in the various
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