, 1889-03-21
JX0 =. oAaUOLL. 49, Editor
WTOMING ASKS he ODDS.

the proposal 10 make a state OF w yOmIng
The bleak plateau comprising the TERRITORY
had in 1880 a population of POST. Il
now claims SIS 900, which is far short o.
what a state should possess, and Is based
on no frmer ground than the enthusiastic
guess OF politicians anxious for place. Ii
Is situated IN the ridge pole Of the cont,
nent, It's waters draining in four direc'
tons, north through Montana into the
Missouri, east through Nebraska by means
of the Platte, south by the Green river
into the Colorado and gulf of California,
and northwest by the Snake river into the
Columbia and tie Pacific ocean. Ii is an
immense sheep and cattle range, the whole
surface from :, 500 to 5000 feet above sea
level. 1t is hardly conceivable hat it can
ever make a first-class state. Gen. Grant
was SO firmly conviJced of its limited value
that he wished to divide. it up among the
~neighboring states and territories, not
believing that 1t would ever become desir-
able to make a separate state composed
exclusively Of mountain tops.
The foregoing quotation is from the
editorial columns of the Philadelphia
Press, a widely circulated Republican
newspaper. Considering the influential
character Of the Press, its readers have
reason to expect that its information would
at least be more modern than ~thataHordod
by the Biographies of our school boy days.
The theory that this vast intermountain
region was a part of the Great American
desert has long since been exploded as a
rank and senseless scientific blunder The
bleak and sterile plains which sent a chill
to the heart of the tender Eastern So
%journer are transformed as if by magic
through the fructifying influences of irri-
CATION and the soil becomes as productive
as any to be found in the whole northern
section OF the country.
Wyoming has been unique in one re-
spect Immigration, until lately, has not
been invited, but, on the contrary, stock
men, anxious to retain the free ~succuleut
grasses for the benefit of their herds, have
discouraged settlers. Many OF them were
doubtless honest in their convictions that
Wyoming furnished no iallow field for the
farmer. Against the will OF a majority Of
the people the granger has insiduously
worked his way throughout the whole ter
ritory and smiling valleys and abundant
crops now give ample testimony to back
his faith in the possibilities of the terri
tory.
Until within the last two years Wyo-
ming's possessions have advertised them
selves through the slow process of per-
sonal communication. People who had
been here, returning East or going to
.neighboriDg states and territories, spoke
with enthusiasm OF the oil, coal, soda,
mineral possessions and the choice farm.
ing land that still invited settlers. Many
of these stories were perhaps only half
believed, but in the process of time there
gradually grew up a revulsion of feeling.
Others came, saw and went away con-
WINGED, until the sentiment of the West
ern section is practically unanimous that
the possibilities of Wyoming are as great
or greater than any of the new common
wealths in the Union.
What have we upon which to base our
confidence in the present and our hope of
the future? In the matter of coal and oil
alone the territory is a vast store house
whose equal is not to be found on the
whole American continent. The area of
the territory is about 81 900 square miles,
or equal in dimensions to New York, New
jersey, Ohio and Delaware combined.
Of this amount the government has re-
served one fifth as mineral land. Until
within a few years there has been practi
cally no development except in coal mines.
The report of the territorial inspector OF
coal mines shows that during the past Eve
years there has been 5,l3I, 1S1 tons OF
coal mined in Wyoming, of a total value
of $40. 262, 362. The output during 1888
was l,5l2,oS6 tons. There are now 2,205
men employed in the coal mines Of the
territory.
This has reference almost exclusively to
the coal mined along the Union Pacific
road, which passes through the extreme
southern and northwestern section Of the
territory. In addition we have coal in
every county in the territory.
OIL, for lack OF transportation facilities,
has only been developed to prove its
and to ascertain the extent of its
quantity. The crude petroleum from the
Crook county wells has for several years
been used for lubricating purposes at the
great Homestake mines in Deadwood.
The extent of the oil belt is already known
to DC as great as that Of Ohio and Penn
combined, while the quality has
been proven by actual test to be unap-
proachable By that found elsewhere.
Wyoming must ultimately be the resort
for iron ore. Vast beds OF it. 80 per
cent pure, lie undeveloped within a few
of this city on the Cheyenne &
Northern railroad. Copper and the pre-
eious metals are at last receiving deserved
intelligent attention. Great soda beds
are found in the vicinity of Laramie.
The ornate $500. 600 capitol building in