Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-01-30
CORRESPONDENCE.
EAST PORTLAND, OREGON, /
Iap'y I 1900

, "a sec am St1l1 d4Ife tilIS i1Stpp new
Years day. I wish you a happy and
prosperous New Year. When I left
Waupun on the 10th of June, after put
ting in q months shoe making. I
received S5 in cash, good suit of
clothes and a pass to Prairie du CHEN,
and from there to Sioux City. I work
ed at carriage painting three weeks at
| Dakota City, five miles from Sioux City
From here I walked to Norfolk where
I took the Fremont, Elkhorn q Mo.
/ Valley railroad to Sioux Co., Nebraska,
! the extreme northwest corner of the
state. | worked there two weeks
building corrals for horse and cattle
man, and clearing land and then walk
ed to the county seat AID got my check
cashed and then took the train for
Douglas, Wyoming Territory. From
| Douglas to Rock Greek is IS miles stu
ated on the q. P. railroad I walked it
in 33 days passing through as fine
grazing country as I ever saw; we'll
watered and timbered on the tops and
sides of the mountains. There are
| thousands Of acres of government and
railroad land after you cross the Conti-
mental divide about Is miles south of
/ Douglas. It is spur of the main range
of the Rocky Mountains. [ used to
think Texas beat the world for deer
and antelope, but Wyoming takes the
| cake. have counted so to 80 in q
bunch all along the road from the
divide going south towards Rock Creek,
and wild turkeys, jack rabbits, cotton
| tails and quail without number. I only
stayed one day at Rock Creek and then
went on by train to Carbon and RawIins.
/. The Union Pacific has immense coal
mines at the former city and several
! large companies are operating mines
there. At Rawlins, I left the railroad
and went south to Dixon, Wyoming, on
Little Snake river, tributary of the
White and Green which join and form
the main Colorado of the south and
finally empties into the Gulf of C&lifor-
MIA. I passed the mouth in 1874, when
on board of the U. S. Corvette"
Richmond bound from San Francisco to
Panama, Central America, shortly after
the birginies affair. You recollect 112
passengers were murdered by the Span
iards at Havana, Cuba, and the English
and American governments took the
matter up and the Richmond" flag
ship of the s. Pacific squadron, was
ordered to Panama. to cooperate with
the English fleet and thence proceed to
Cuba and lombard the island The
! rendezvous was .gt Panama on
account Of its central position, and We
left Frisco under sealed orders The
affair was finally settled without resort
to arms. But to return to Wyoming.
The railroad was over run with tramps
and buns Of every description and I
concluded to try ranch life while, so I
started on foot with 20 cents in my
pocket. I will say here that manu-
factured IL dozen ivory tooth picks
while in Waupun and engraved them
with flowers on one side and the name
on the other, and did well with them,
selling for 10 and 80 cents each. I was
also engraving watches, silver knives,
winchester rifles, spoons, revoIvers,
and | sold the last in Sioux county, Ne
braska. Sixteen miles south of RaWlins
is the first COW camp and spring, and 9
miles farther on is Wilber's sheep camp
in the edge of the mountains. He owns
10000 head of sheep and runs S or 9
camps, employing mostly Mexican
herders. | visited nearly all his camps
going and returning. From Wibbers,
! l crossed the mountains on the Pine
ridge road to Sage creek basin and
stayed all night with Mr. Statzhel, who
owns 5000 head of sheep and the next
morning went on to the head of little
Savery creek to one of Mr.. Robt.
Taylors sheep camps. He owns 10000
head and had 9 camps on little and
big Savery creek. Mr.. Reed, whole
souIed Scotchman, was herding, had
charge of about 5000 ewes and lambs
and he had herded steadily for p years.
Mr. Reed received me very Hospitality
and invited me to make myself at home.
He had killed a fine buck about an
hour before my arrival We Jared well on
venison steaks. Mr.. Taylor and DR..
Osborne were in Paris, attending the
worlds fair at the time of my visit. !
have worked with sheep good deal in
California and Texas and Mr.. Reed and
myself exchanged views. He is well
educated man, son of gentleman il
Scotland and he intends to herd fol
several years yet and eventually to buy
some sheep of his own. 10 years age
Bob Taylor had nothing and was shear
ing sheep for a living in California and
to-day he is well fixed and last springs
shearing brought him about $50, 900 fol
the wool alone, without counting the
increase. I had dinner with Mr.. Reed
, and then went OH to another one Of
Mr.. Taylor's camps about three miles
down the creek, passing Mccarthy
horse camp and hay ranch, and SO OIL
down the little Savery to the mouth
where it flows into the Big Savery.
stayed all night with Mr.. Kahler, 9
: German, and visited two brothers about
, one-half mile above who are noted
hunters of Elk, Deer and Antelope
Bartholf Brothers who have a govern
ment claim on the creek bottom, also g
timber culture of I60 acres and a desert