, 1890-10-02
A WYOMING TOWN.
Interesting Letter From the States
Youngest City.
Co ming Metropolis of Coal, Coke,
Oil and Gas.
How the Northern Country is Being
Opened by the 90"

on the 10th of September, witnessed the
birth of the now famous city of Newcastle.
1t is said that the heavens were overcast,
the clouds lowering. and the winds we're
at play, blowing a perfect gale, when the
western metropolis of oil, coal and gas
was ushered into existence. Large num-
bers Of men rode and were driven long
distances to purchase lots of twenty-five
feet front at SIS each. Before the day
had closed $50, 1000 of property had been
sold and the work of laying out a city had
commenced at the mouth of Coal Canon.
Then the Burlington & Missouri railroad
had only reached Crawford, Neb.. ninety
eight miles southeast, but now the steel
rails of that line have reached the city
and beyond. The gritty inhabitants. se-
cure in their possession of a coming me-
tropolis and with unbounded faith il their
inexhRustible resources, show the faith
that is in them by the constant erection
OF substantial brick blocks that would be
a credit to any eastern city.
The magnitude of the coal interests of
Fitzpatrick Bros. & Collins, who have
now on their pay roll over nine hundred
men. would create commerce enough to
build up a city to say nothing OF the
natural gas, coil oil, beds of FIRE clay.
gypsum and the magnificent building
stone living in close proximity to the city.
The recent tests made at Connelsyile,
Pa, by Professor Joseph Hemingway, a
distinguished g~eologist and general
manager of the Fitzpatrick Bros. &
Collins vast coal interest, settles beyond
a peradsenture the superiority of this
coal for coking purposes. Albeit his
faith previous to the test was unbounded,
he has now under. construction 100 bee
hive coke ovens that will be in full blast ere
the close OF the year, or before Newcastle
and Deadwood S. D., are linked together
by the steel rails of the B. & NJ. r. r.
This particular branch of will
create a new impetus in the mining in
terests OF the BlacA Hills. Heretofore
the smelters in the vicinity OF Deadwood
had to purchase their coke in Pennsyl-
fAhAAs AhG houk maui duu GllBua rates Ol
freight on this commodity compelled their
smelters to shut down until the arrival of
the B. 4 NJ. in Deadwood.
Pure, soft spring water is syphoned in
six-inch pipes from a series of never fail
ing springs, a distance of thirteen miles,
that gives 1t extraordinary power and
pressure. The system is equal to the
water-works of Georgetown, Colorado, or
the Homestake company's at Deadwood.
Tue Burlington & Missouri railway com
pany has a magnificent depot here, twelve
miles Of side track. an ice house, ware
house, coal chute, and a ten-stall round
house. The extensive grading done and
the improvements made by this company
indicate that they regard it as one of the
most important points on their line.
1t seems almost incredible that this
section of the BLACK hills, that a short
year ago was inhabited only by the coyote.
antelope, red deer and the range cattle,
with an occasional prospector stalking out
an oil claim or prospecting for coal in the
surrounding canons, is now a city that
cast $50 votes at the last election, in
creasing daily in population, with all
branches of business fully represented by
live, energetic business men of broad
gauge caliber and full of western pluck
and energy. Of course the railroad, the
great architect, educator and promoter of
civilization, created Newcastle out of a
wilderness and opened to its en~terprising
citizens the of a hemisphere.
The hotels of Newcastle can scarcely ac-
co~mmodate the travel, and to remedy this
want a new one is under construction by
Fitzpatrick Bros. & Collins.
Thirty miles west of here, in the valley
OF Iron creek, Is the new tow of Meriuo,
the present and winter terminus of the
Burlington. Upward of eleven thousand
head OF cattle have been shipped from
thus point up to date to the Chicago and
Omaha markets. The facilities for load
ing at the extensive yards of the com
panY one mile east of the town are extra
ordinary. They load a train of twenty
three cars in less than an hour. and send
them through to their destination Oh
lightning express time. The company
has erected a large hotel and eating house
at the depot and Fitzpatrick Bros. & Col
Inns haYe a large supply store of general
merchandise. Other branches of business
are pretty well represented considering
that the town is only a few weeks old.