The Red Cloud chief., 1894-05-18
The Newer North. West.

through northern Wyoming, almost to
the Montana line, has opened for devel-
opment an immense territory, whose re.
sources have hitherto been hardly JUS.
pected by the general public and not
half understood by those who were most
familiar with them. The line traverses,
for more than three hundred miles, a
section previously wholly without rail
connection, and although such an Incl
dent as the opening up Of such a new
and magnificent region would a score OF
years ago have attracted national atten-
ton, 1t occurred last year without excit.
ing much more than a passing paragraph
in the press So much railroad building
has been done and 30 much zeal has
been displayed in advertising the or.
IRENE Northwest and the Pacific coast
that this nearby territory has been COM.
paratively neglected. So far as the pub.
lie has had any impression Of this
region, it has been that it was. IL not
actually a desert, at least sufficiently
arid and uninviting to be the foundation
Tor the now-acknowledged myths con.
corning the existence Of the Great
American Desert"
1t has, however, been, OF late years
pretty thoroughly demonstrated and
rather generally conceded that this
region is admirably adapted to the
breeding Of cattle on a large scale, and
this degree Of knowledge Of its resources
is being succeeded by the inevitable dis.
, covery that much Of II is we'll fitted by
vuality OF soil and other conditions for
successful agriculture.
:. There is a real romance in the way the
Great West has gradually and with
much difficulty struggled out from be.
meath the cloud cast upon it nearly q
a century ago. when early explorers mis-.
named it the Great American Desert,
State by state, county by county, single
hle' 1t has emerged in small detach.
ments, with much fear and trembling Of
those first settlers whom it had taken
into its confidence and invited to make
their homes upon its bosom. It was al.
most as il a work Of redemption was
I going on rather than q work of develop
o ment OF what already existed. In tina,
r development the Burlington railroad has
done more, perhaps, than all other agen,
cles combined. 1t was the first line tc
b push out, without the encouragement,
y and assistance Of subsidies, into the vas,
region over which hung the blightipo
reputation OF aridity and b%arrenness
o IL has pioneered the way for the sturd,
4 nomesteader, made his path easy snd
q invited him to follow in convenience an6
! comfort. 1t has opened up for him vas,
h areaso OF inviting territory, almost agains,
his protest, and he has gone into them
ooubtlngly, but has remained in pros
perity and peace. At every new inva
sion by this enterprising railroad OF q
o new portion OF the western plains, this
same thing has happened as il it were q
part OF a regularly laid out programme
FIRST, the road; then a fringe Of the
boldest and hardest settlers, locating
near Its line as the same kind OF people
fringed the navigable streams OF the
older states in the older times when
there were no railroads; then a flow be.
yond these, and then the taking posses.
sion OF the entire territory and the I'D.
building OF a rich and strong communi.
ty.
Ihess scenes are being repeated in the
newly reached region penetrated by this
road located in north. western Nebraska,
southwestern South Dakota and north.
western Wyoming. Contrary to the gen.
orally accepted impression, this immense
territory-three hundred miles long by
one hundred miles wide, and in area
equal to several Of the smaller states in
the union-is possessed Of resources
that qualify it to be the home of a mil.
lion people, and its future inhabitants
are already moving in and taking DOS.
session in droves Of thousands. New
towns are s~pringing up. Those already
organized-Aliiance, Hemingford, Craw.
NfN 'Nsouiouts XNoWCd5tIc, Slerl0aQ.
%etc.-are enjoying a period Of upprece'
dented prosperity. Gigantic enterprises
mining, irrigation, yes, even manufac.
turing have chosen this rs their field
OF operations and on all sides the results
or wisely directed energy are apparent.
The capitalist. however, is by no means
the only person whose presence In this
Newer North.west is noticeable. This
is, II not a veritable 'poor mans
try at least rs good a territory as the
man OF moderate means can find any.
where. Most Of the land still belongs
to the Public Domain and can be had
only by homesteading-except that in
certain portions i may be taken under
the Desert Land Act and title to il se.
cured by putting it under bitches and
supplying 1t with water for irrigatipg
purposes. What remains is the last Of
the once vast area that has given free
homes to millions Of enterprisine Ameri-
can citizens. II 10 rapidly being absorb.
cd in the same way the great mass OF n