, 1890-07-16
REV. RAIDER WRITES
He Paints a Glowing Picture of the
New State. -
Fine People, Delightful Climate and
Resources.
The Methodist Missionary on Fe-
male Suffrage.

oebHS1Se - Ah1N SS
Of 81, 800 square miles, being the fifth state
in the Union in size. 1t is S,668 square
miles larger han both England and Scot
land. 1t is 442 square miles larger than
Missouri, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Connecticut aud Massachusetts, To be
sure much of this land is worthless for
agricultural purposes; only about one
tenth of it can be made to produce crops
regularly. But the remaining nine.
tenths of it is valuable pastur, land. much
of it also being covered with timber.
There are probably two millions of cattle,
one and a half millions of sheep. and two
hundred thousand horses that now
subsist on what they gather off our ranges
alone. From the most reliable data OBJ
tainable. [ find it estimated that we have
24,O00 square miles of forest distributed
over the state. With the aid of irriga-
ton we will always be able to raise an
abundance of all kinds of grain, except
corn. to supply all the demands of our
people. Small fruits of all kinds. together
with plums and apples, grow to perfection
and are of superior flavor.
We have in quantities that will be of
great profit to those who work them:
Copper, iron, lead. mineral paint, mica,
soda and FIRE clay; while from predictions
now almost verified. we will be able to
surpass any other part of the world in our
supply of coal and petroleum. The coal
is under at least one fifth the surface and
in strata Of from three to twenty feet in
thickness. The petroleum is found in
these districts and in the greatest abun-
dance where the wells have been sunk to
sufficient depth. | saw three wells In
the Popo-Agie district near Lander any
one Of which. upon being opened, threw
q stream Of the black offensive fluid sew
eral yards in the air. and it came with
such force that the earth fairly trembled
under its force. OF course there is a
large quantity of natural gas with this oil
or it would not come with such pressure.
Near one of these wells is a spring that
has been boiling up through ages. Several
years ago MI. Mike Murphy located an
oil claim on this ground, went below the
spring and damned up a slough. Here
for years the oil from this spring has been
held; and now it is estimated that twenty
thousand barrels of it is kept awaiting
transportation.
With the smelters and factories that
will come along with the DEVELOPMENT of
these resources, who can doubt we will
have a vast population IL : Jew 5s1=.
Many of us who are here found the lower
parts of the great Mississippi basin too
malarial for us. Our lungs became affect
ed and decline was rapid there. Here we
are free from all pulmonary trouble. As
the years pass the healing properties of
our atmosphere will attract many within
our borders.
The manner and character of our peo-
pie are not Just to the liking of some OF
our brethren and sisters of older states.
The men and women who pioneered this
land were, many of them, daring, bold,
rough and hardy. But along with these
Objectionable features they have some
virtues most remarkably developed. In
a marked degree they are a just people.
To such an extent do they carry this
grace that they will not deprive q woman
of her rights because she Is a woman, but
they allow here the same chances the
men have. | have been carefully watching
the effects of the privileges they have
granted bet for the last five years. 1
came not without prejudice against this
innovation. L have found while all our
women are not ideal ladies, those who
came ladies, are no less ladies for having
enjoyed all the privileges granted them,
even to that of voting. They are just as
good keepers-at-home, have a little more
stimulus to keep posted, are no less devot-
ed to the cause of Christ, and are just as
lovable and entertaining as before voting.
The effect of the women about the vot-
ing places is most wholesome. Before l
came to Wyoming, man as l am, and
reared in Missouri as l was, l never went
about the voting places without some
trepidaiion, because l had seen so many
brutal fights about them. Here / have
always gone with my wife by my side,
and with as much respect shown both Of
US as though we were going to church.
Never have l seen the least improperly
in the conduct of anyone about the polls
in Wyoming, and l have watched them
for hours to zee something.
These Wyomingites are generous with
their homes and with their means. They
take one for what he is worth and not for
what his certificate says he is. Nowhere
will a really worthy young mau or woman
meet with a more generous appreciation
than in this state. But woe betide the
sham. These people are the iarthest re-
moved from hypocrisy. The disposition
to take everyone for what he can do has
largely caused this.
Our public school system is something
upon which we congratulate ourselves.
Modelled after the best in tie older states,
they are well supported and great interest
manifested in them. This ought not to
surprise n when it is known that we
have the smallest per cent of illiteracy of
any state or territory in the United
States.
While Mormonism and infdehty have
a footing in some parts of the state, in
most places the most inviting fields are
open for genuine gospel work. / think
"a Ill L. LIE l. CT -