, 1886-05-14
wYoMINc's COAL LANDS.
Immense Deposits--Rich Copper Pro-
mise--Broad and Fertile Bottoms.

mise--Broad and Fertile Bottoms.
Territorial Geologist Aughcy has Just
returned from his visit of investigation
and research in the Fort Fetterman re-
gion. The professors former impressions
in regard to the great and varied values of
the region have been most amply and sat
isfactorily confirmed. He vent to look
for coal, copper and agricultural resources.
and he found them all in rich abundance.
| Crossing the North Platte at Fort Fetter-
man, the Professors party passed up that
stream. Seventeen miles west of Fort Lar
annie. the mining camp OF Fredericks was
reached. Some dozen prospect holes have
been opened here, and the copper indica
tons are very promising. No work is
being done Ut present in this camp. but it
will soon be resumed u; the principal
claim owner. Mr.. Fredcricks. A quantity
of this ore will be shortly brought to Chey.
enne for assay. The formations here be-
long to the Archaen age. in which great
copper properties arc frequent. The
formation comprises here, gneiss, syenitc,
quartzite and metamorphic states. Shaw
nee creek is thirty miles west Of Fort Lar
annie. Along this stream large coal de-
posts were encountered. Twelve open
ings made on its banks exposed coal veins
varying in thickness from " and a half
to seven feet. The coal belongs to what
is generally known as the Ignite
series, and is of the same cher
acter as the Goals of Rock
Springs, Carbon and Evanston. The
deposits are very heavy, the group rock
in which they occur belonging to the
Laramie group, in which is found the
most extensive and valuable coal beds.
This group rock extends from Shawnee
creek up the North Platte as far as the
professor party went, a distance of fifty
eight miles. At Deer creek, the most
westerly point reached, a coal bed seven
feet in thickness has been opened in sew
eral places. These deposits are exception
ally free from sulphur The sulphur
corrodes and eats iron. and its absence
makes the coal peculiarly valuable for
boiler use. 1t also contains all OF the
properties necessary for a splendid house
kold burner. Along the Platte river
above Fetterman are many broad. beauti-
full bottoms. These lands are as fertile As
they are lovely. and are susceptible Of
easy and exhaustive irrigation. Here can
be carved out noble farms by the hun
dreds. The Platte tributaries are all
generous alike in their offers of wide and
rich agricultural lands. Hay is n natural
growth and irrigation will make hay lands
everywhere. At Deer creek Judge Carey
has an irrigation ditch three miles in
length, covering some 1900 acres. Box
Elder is another fine Platte tributary.
Miles of valley land here await the set
tier. The Laparelle is also a noble stream
with magnificent agricultural facilities The
professor thinks that in the near future
the farmer will bring under rcpaying cul
t~ivation thousands of acres that are now
destitute Of water facilities.
The same causes will effect this which
have made Nebraska an agricultural state.
Twenty years ago Prof Aughey predicted
in a letter to the New York Tribune that
the day would come when Nebraska would
be cultivated to her western borders. and
was uu.aercifullv laughed at. He now
transfers the prediction to Wyoming, only
within a much shorter period Of time.
Rain that falls upon the outward surface
of the soil runs freely off, and fails to pen
citrate. The soil once turned over, the
water soaks iuto it. Thus the ground is
moistened, vapor arises. moisture attracts
moisture, clouds form, rains fall, irriga
ton becomes unnecessary. and the pillow OF
the farmer can work anywhere. The pro-
tessor says that Wyoming possesses more
varied and greater resources than any
other territory belonging to our govern
ment. The richness and extent Of her
agricultural resources cannot be surpassed.
Twenty per cent OF her entire surface is
underlaid with coal of superior quality,
and immense misunderstanding from
seven to twenty feet. Her mountains
abound in gold, silver and copper, and
population is only needed to make her, in
the near future, one OF the greatest and
richest nf our STATES