, 1889-07-02
HE LIKED THE TOWN.
An Omaha Correspondent Thinks
Cheyenne a Fine City.
He Says it Will Soon Become a
Great Railway Center.
The Capital and Commercial Center
of a Great Territory.

Magic City recently appeared in the
Omaha Herald:
The stranger visiting Cheyenne is at
once impressed with the solid and sub
%stantial character OF all building improve
ments and its clean streets, which are
ideals of smooth, dry roads. The natural
slope Of the ground from the northeast to-
ward the south and west furnishes perfect
drainage and the g~ravelly soil allows the
water to seep away instead of accumulat-
ing. The many elegant residences are
certainly the abodes of the weaithiest
class as no detail of elegance is omitted in
their fittings or surroundings. The cattle
kings who made their fortunes in the
earlier days of Cheyenne's history have
done much to beautify the place and the
most possible has been made in the adorn-
ment Of every natural beauty spot.
The territorial capitol, of which the
central portion is completed and the
wings now being rapidly finished. is a
very handsome and commanding edifice,
situated on the high ground in the north
ern part OF the city only a few squares
from the depots. In exterior construc-
ton and interior finish the work has been
most thoroughly done, and that. too,
without the intervention Of a contractors
ringer jobbing only too often connected
with the erection of such structures.
There was a great deal Of talk about the
removal of the capitol from Cheyenne as
it is not a central point in the territory,
but the work now in progress evidences
that the capitol city of Wyoming will be
Cheyenne; at least until rare changes IN
her development as a state" shall occur
after she has passed the days of territorial
history.
Cheyenne is only forty miles west OF
the Nebraska line and twelve miles north
of Colorado's boundry, and yet Is to-day
the enter of commercial activity in the
territory as well the principal railway CEN
ter. The Cheyenne & Northern runs
l23 miles toward Fort Fetterman, termi-
mating only about thirty miles from the
Elkhorn road. Through this gap will be
built, in all probability. the new Pacific
line from Sioux City toward Los Angeles.
Should the oil discoveries in Wyoming or
the mining of coal. ETC.. become of sufi-
Gent Importance this road will be speed
lily extended to compete for its share of
the new business, thus opening up to
Cheyenne a vass territory which is hers
by right of being the nearest supply
market and advantageous shipping point.
The Kansas division of the Union Pa
cifc runs south to Denver, giving Chey-
enne Denver as well as Kansas City and
st Louis for markets. The Burlington
4 Missouri railway has here its north
western terminus making another valuable
competing line for the eastern distribu-
ton of Wyoming products. The freight
rates are the lowest they have ever been
and all Cheyenne now needs in the ways of
railways is the extension of her northern
connections with their natural branch
lines as feeders. Laramie county, of
which Cheyenne is the seat, has consider
able mineral wealth in iron and copper.
Copper mining has been conducted sue
cesstully and experiments are now being
made at the foundry with specimens of
iron ore found within a short distance of
the city. Immense deposits OF valuable
ore exist about forty miles %northward
from Cheyenne and will no doubt be de.
velped very soon. The agricultural and
grazing lands to the north and west, es.
peciallY among the valleys of the foot hills
and the canyons of many of the noun
tains, are abundant and fertile and with
the proper utilization of such water
sources as are available for irrigation they
may be made very productive. Cheyenne
is about 10. 600 feet higher than Denver
and in nearly the same longitude. The
air is rare and bracing and must certainly
be healthiul. 1t certainly appears to be
one of the most inviting places of resi-
dence the writer ever saw.
The railways have dene their full share
in beautifying the city as well as in adding
to its material welfare by the location of
workshops. The Burlington & Missouri
railway has a very fine brick and stone
passenger and freight house combined,
covering nearly an entire block with the
whole structure, which includes several
stores and offices in addition to the rail-
road and express offices. The magnificent
depot of the Union Pacific railway is con-
structed OF grey and red sandstone and so
far eclipses all its other stations, that is, of
which it is sole occupant, that an Omaha
writer must absolutely refuse to describe
it at length when remembering the
dismal brick pile on the hill lat the other
end. The location of the Union Pacific's
main shops and the expenditure here of
$500, COO or more is necessary from the
geographical position as well as the natu-
raj ADVANTAGES possessed by Cheyenne
with its radiating branches north and
south: Cheyenne is nearly the centre of
the Union Pacific system, $40 miles from
Omaha, and SIS miles from Ogden, its
western terminus. Thus the centre of
l,034 miles of road from east to west and
22S miles from north to south, the magni
tude of the business to be done from this
point may readily be seen. Cheyenne has
a firm grip on the situation, an advantage
Gus location, plenty Of natural resources
TO back her and plenty of public spirit to
hold her own against competition, as well
as to extend her business in all channels