, 1891-02-06
THE GREAT COAL CAMP
Source of Supply for Wyoming and
the West.
Tha Chinese Riots and Some Bits
of History.
Those Who Conduct the Business
of Rock Springs.
A Future Based on the Inexhausti-
BILE Coal Deposits.

Special correspondence.

Special correspondence.
Rock SPRINGS, Feb. 5.-In 1861 the
old overland stage route was changed
from Sweetwater to Bitter Greek and
soon after the town Of Rock Springs was
founded At this place a big spring Is.
sued from under a large cliff of rocks,
hence the name. The first coal mine
opened was the Van Dyke. 1t was the
best coal that had been discovered along
the route, and as its superiority for black
smithiug became known its use extended
along the line until it was finally used in
all OF the stage company shops from At
Gibson west@
After being WORKED for thirteen years
the Van Dyke, do account of high
freight rates. was obliged to suspend
operations. 1t was idle for s~eventeen
years until the passage of the interstate
commerce law made it possible to resume
operations The Van Dyke is being
worked today. 1t is owned by a private
company.
THE FAME OF Rou SPRINGS
coal spread far and wide and gradually
this grew to be a great coal mining camp.
The Union Pacific have always been the
heaviest operators. Cinnamon bad been
brought in until 10 1885. the white miners
looking upon them as intruders, as they
do today upon the negroes, became exas-
perated and the world knows the conse.
quence. The climax was reached Sept.
2. Some white mihers and Chinamen be-
came involved 10 a quarrel over a room"
in a mine. Both whites aud Chinese
rushed in from other parts of the mine
and a general fight ensued. When men
become excited neither time nor place is
to be considered, and there underneath
the ground, men engaged IN mortal com-
bat with picks, sLovels, drills, needles and
flashing lamps, their only aid in distingu-
ishing an enemy from a friend, as wea-
pons. Several men were badly bruised
and one Chinaman afterwards died from
the effect of his wounds. The miners
soon rushed out of the mine, the whites
into town and the Chinese TO Chinatown.
Great excitement prevailed. Business
houses and saloons were closed aud the
people crowded into the streets. The
Cinnamon were given one hour to leave.
They said they would go, but the miners
becoming impatient advanced upon them
before the hour was up. The Chinese Of
tered no resistance but fed like sheep.
Some were bare headed and bare-footed
aud 10 their hurry to get away fairly tum-
bled over each other as they rushed down
the steep banks of Bitter creek and
through the sage brush and over the hills
to the east, And no wonder, for far be-.
hind them was a small, though mad and
determined army, yelling. shouting and
firing vulleys over their heads. Some Of
the
RECKLESS. CARELESS SHOOTERS
fired low and the balls took effect. Chi
nstown was soon ablaze and burned to the
ground. Afterwards the burned and
charred ~re.nains of eleven Cinnamon
were found. Some of them had tried to
crawl into holes in the cellars, but like
chickens had succeed In getting only their
heads out OF sight while their bodies were
left to the mercy OF the flames. Along
the trail which the fleeing Chinese had
taken FIVE were found, dead. The next
day the miners resumed work as though
nothing unusual had occurred. At noon
Governor Warren and some Of the rail
road officials arrived on the scene Or.
ders were received at Fort Steele to for
ward troops which. however, were never
sent. On the 9th $50 Cinnamon es-
corted by 200 armed soldiers returned.
The Chinese socn unearthed Sc. 900 in
gold and silver. which they had buried
before their hasty retreat.
The return of the Chinese was a sur
prise to everybody in the camp, as it was
believed that they could not be induced to
return. They have never since been mo-
Tested and are thought more of today than
.