, 1889-03-16

WTOMINGS WEALTH.

" 4 Chl4NU - Il
Omaha Bee; Few regions in the
West afford such opportunities for TIE
investment of capital and energy as Wyo-
ming. The essential minerals to builda p
a great manufacturing commonwealth are
there in abundance. Oil saturates the
surface of thousands of acres, coal abounds
in incxhaustible measures; gold, silver.
iron and copper exist in paying quanti-
ties. Development is going on steadily in
all these rich fields. The agricultural re-
sources OF the territory are in their in
fancy, but the construction Of hundreds
of miles OF irrigating bitches last season
will bring under cultivation this year thou
sands of acres of fertile land. The great
plains and foothills support countless
herds Of cattle aud focks Of sheep, pro-
viding an unfailing source of supply for
the Omaha market.
IAN these great interests cannot fail to
attract capital seeking profitable invest
ment. The railroads recognize that the
Of the territory cannot long re-
main undeveloped. Four great corpora
tons are now planning to extend their
lines and secure control Of the best sec
tions. This year the Northern Pacific
will push n branch from the borders of
Montana southwark in the direction OF
Lander, ard will cndeavor to control the
traffic and settlement Of North Wyo.
ming. The Wyoming Central extension
Of the Elkhorn Valley road will move
west from Casper through the Sweetwater
Valley, and may possibly reach Lander
before the close of the year. This will
force the Union Pacific to extend the
Cheyenne 4 Northern into the central
coal and oil regions, as a matter Of self
protection.
ut is possible that the Burlington will
be compelled, by the activity OF rivals, to
cross the Wyoming line with a branch Of
the Broken Bow road from Alliance, Neb,
The Black Hills extension now under
way will tax the energies of the compan,
Tor several months, but it can hardly de
lay the advance on Wyoming anothe
year. Speculative corporations and boom
ers threatened last year to build a roa
from the southwest corner OF the territor
northeast into Nebraska, and claimed tina
100000 had been spent on surveys an
grading. These concerns were suppose'
to be in the interest Of the Central Paci
fc, but practically nothing has been don,
to give them substantial character. The
activity displayed in other directions is
but a beginning. Immigration will keep
pace with the advance of the railroads;
the mineral products will be brought
within reach of the markets of the world,
and thriving communities will spring up
in every direoiion. 1t is the history of
Western settlement, which will be re-
peated in Wyoming"
We do not know how it looks at the
Omaha end Of the line, but out this way
it appears scarcely probable that a great
extension of the Northwestern will be
made this year. Under its new traffic
arrangement with the Union Pacific the
Northwestern is provided with satisfactory
facilities clear to Ogden, which has ap'
parently been its objective point. The
extension of the Cheyenne & Northern t.
Douglas or Shawnee creek will provide |
with a pretty direct route from
the Black Hills to Cheyenne
Denver and clear south t.
the gulf. 1t will also afford it tn
same facilities from the east Taking al
these facts into consideration we do no
think there will be any great extension
this year OF the Wyoming Central brancl
of the Northwestern.
There will be a great deal of ~railroaC
building just the same and in this connec
ton a watchful eye might be kept upor
the movement of the Burlington people.