Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-07-02
From Wyoming.
BIG Horn, WYo,
June 81, 1896.

Nou'u VOL ovulopulub VI 'uo lo-
sources of this country, think it best
to fulfill my promise, lest our friends
think we went to country that has
no resources, but such is not the case.
Agriculture is carried on extensive
ly. Spring wheat and oats are raised
in great abundance, yielding from 80
to 100 bushels per acre, of the finest
quality of grain. Wheat weighing
70 to rs pounds to the bushel is worth
80 cents per cwt, and oats weighing
40 to As pounds to the bushel sells
for from 60 to rs cents per cwt. Tim.
othy hay grows profusely and the fin
est quality is worth from S4 to SIS per
ton. Alfalfa is cut three times year
and is worth from 50 to 81 per ton.
But irrigated wild hay las sstonish-
ing as it may SEEM takes the lead,
selling at from Sc to 81 per ton, In
fact it is hay and grain too for horses.
The country has no lack for the fin
est horses you ever saw Hundreds,
yes even thousands of head run on
the range the year around and never
see shelter only as they hunt it among
the hills; their owners not knowing
where they are, especially at the time
that the assessor comes around, but
they can be found when wanted
Everything is raised by irrigation.
Large bitches are dug, beginning up
at the mouth of the canon where the
mountain stream comes dashing down.
Part of the stream is turned of into
the main ditch The main ditch fol-
lows as near as possible to the brow
Of the hill and extends for miles
keeping on high land The water is
drawn off from this ditch into smaller
ones that run onto the farms. 1t
looks in some places as if the water
actually runs up hill, but we have
learned that we cannot trust our eyes
in this country, not even in telling up
from down. 1t seemed for a few
weeks that the principal word in the
vocabulary in this country was
ditch" Every man one would meet
had long handled shovel on his
shoulder, but now the bitches are all
repaired and the horses are turned
out on the range, nothing more for
them to do until harvest,
Sheep as well as cattle raising is
carried on to considerable extent.
From ten to fifty thousand in a flock
One man goes out with a covered
wagon, which is rugged out for the
purpose (the wagon box costing $685.
and stays with the sheep the year
around, This is done to protect them
from the wlld animals. In shearng
time they are driven somewhat closer
to settlement Then one sees the
great loads Of wool, two heavy wagons
coupled together like cars, drawn by
six horses, They draw about two
tons to the wagon. The wool is drawn
to the B. & NJ. Ry.
But the greatest industry and most
profitable is cattle raising The whole
state of Wyomint; is free range. All
ranches are fenced and there is no
end to the grass and clear running
water. Cattle are always casb, even
COWS bring good price, from 800 to
S35. Market cattle are always kept
until B or a years old. When they
have their growth and are fat they
are shipped to Omaha, Kansas City
or Chicago. No corn fed cattle can
compete with these Western cattle
that never saw q kernel of corn, and
they are fat and shipped all times of
the year Men here who raise hay
and cattle do nothing else, live easy
and have plenty.
There is no end to wood and coal.
Wood free, cos, 81 per ton at the
mines or banks. We have visited one
which IS about 6 miles from Big Horn
and another | mile from Buffalo.
Buffalo is situated about 30 miles
southeast Of Big Horn and contains
500 inhabitants. 1t is not 80 lively as
when the soldiers occupied the gov
eminent post about 3 miles from Buff
falo. We visited the post. 1t con-
tains about 40 fine buildings. The
state proposes to utilize these build
ings for a state school. There are
other r1Ines in Wyoming but know
very little about them as yet. Some
very enthusiastic prospectors and min.
ers have given me specimens from
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