, 1888-12-11
MORE RANK NONSENSE.

Western people take it for granted that
the great newspapers of the far East will
display their transformation and preiu
dice toward the far Western section, but
they have a right to expect better things
of papers published in Chicago, The
Tribune, of that city, is Just now much
concerned over the proposed admission of
several Of tho territories to statehood. In
its articles on hat subject 1t has so far
failed ia Il iust or proper appreciation of
the possib ilities Of this section. 1t thinks
that North and South Dakota, Washing
ton and Montana should be Immediately
admitted. which is right, but for New
Mexico it proposes an altogether different
scheme and incidentally throws a gratui
tous slur on Wyoming and other terri.
tories. 1t says:
The proper scheme in this case would
be to rcunite Arizona and New Mexico,
and when the proper tim came admit
them as one state. The territory should
not have been divided. Their Joint re
sources will still be scanty enough to sup
port n respectable state. Is Mr.. Spring
er's committee willing to reunito Arizona
to New Mexico as the first step
toward admitting it into the-bDion2
The same policy might be followed with
advantage in other directions. 1t is
doubtful how soon. il ever, Wyoming
can claim admission, by reason of the i'm
mense proportion of her area being like
that of Nevada IN aridity. A union of
the north half with Montana would help
to make a fine state of the latter, and
the union of the south half with Colorado
would add considerably to the latter's
present resources
Could any sane man have possibly
evolved a more ridiculous scheme2 There
is not one of the territories which is not
already cumborsomely large but equally
productive with the New England states.
Arizona contains 10000 square miles,
an area equal to that OF New York, Penn
sylvania, Delaware and Maryland. New
Mexico is even larger than Arizona, and
were the two united portions of the COM
monwealth would be so remote from the
capital as to give opportunities for the
loJsest administration of affairs and
work untold hardships in a thousand diff
fcrent directions. Colorado is already
nearly as large as Arizona. and conse-
quently as the five Eastern states men
toned in connection with it. Any more
territory added tn it would be harmful
rather than advantageous. Wyoming is
very well satisfied 10 remain as it is at
present
The Tribune man is evidently one of
those people who read in his geography
years ago that Wyoming was part Of the
great American desert and has never
heard anything about the territory since,
AS a matter of fact the soil OF Wyoming
is as productive as any. in the whole
Uuitrd States. The agricultural require
ments are different and hat is all. Else.
where farmers depend upOn rain for its
iructiiying influences; here irrigation bet
ter acc0nplishes the same purpose. The
result of irrigation ON the barren" soil
of Wyoming is Il revelation even to the
natives
But we do not depend upon our agri-
cultural possibilities alone. Horse and
cattle raising is aud will continue to be a
source of enormous revenue. The output
VI our coal mines is already extraordinary.
The supply is marvellous and the quality
superb We have a subtetrancan ocean
of oil, vast quantities of iron ore, 30 per
cent pure iron, soda, marble. copper and
many other metals valuable in commerce.
That an intelligent man should write
such arran, nonsense about Wyoming is
remarkable, but that au intelligently con.
Quoted newspaper should give publicity tc
the drivel is marvellous. The people o
this territory have no apologies to max