, 1897-11-27

Beginning back two hundred and fif-
ty years ago. at the time of the Span
ish occupation, it is a herculean I'M
.dertaking of Col. c. G. Coutant to
write 2,4O0 pages of history of Wyo-
ming. yet the grand old man, meeting
and overcoming almost insurmounta-
BILE barriers. and delving down into the
past and long ago. is u~nCOvering his
tory hat is simply amazing to those
made ii. yet they know it to be true.
Commencing in the seventeenth
century. the first volume will contain
the time down to the organization Oi
the territory. The second volume con-
tains the stirring events of the terrific
rial period. The third and last volume
Of the set. dwells or the statehood pc
Rod. The first volume contains three
respectively. the time of
the Spanish occupation, the habitation
of the Frcnch-Canadians, and. since the
Americans took possession.
BY the most careful and thorough
research during the past five years, the
expenditure of hundreds Of dollars for
books of any and all kinds bearing on
the former events. Col. Coutant has
dedicated his remaining life's work to
writing the master history of Wyo-
ming. which. when completed. will ex-
Gel any history of any state in the I'm
the author, in completeness. and in
rich and expensive illustrations.
Judge Brown of Laramie, who had
been Il critic of some of the earlier his
tory of Laramie. was in Casper attend
ing court last week. In speaking of the
history the judge said:
1T is wonderful. | know it to be
true. but | didn't know we had such
beautiful history. 1t is not only Won
derful. 1t is grand"
President Graves of the state univer-
sity has complimented the work as be-
ing splendid English which fact is
patent to all who know the Colonel.
AS al illustration of some of the OBJ
stacles he overcomes in his magnifi-
cent work, the Colonel related one. He
wanted a picture of the hunter and
trapper. Jim Bridger. who inhabited
the wilds of Wyoming back in 1882 and
addressed fifteen letters to as many
different sources that would be most
likely to have it. All replies came in
the same tone. Have no picture OF
Bridger. Don't know of any in exist
ence and don't think there is one to be
had"
Some time afterward the Colonel
writing to his old friend and compan-
ion, Mr.. Langford. at St. Paul, who
was a conspicuous figure in and
about the Yellowstone National park
about thirty years ago. He made in
quiry, and got a prompt reply together
with the picture. In his efforts to get
a picture of Father de Smet. who left
his Europeon home and come to dc
missionary work among the ferocious
Indian tribes in 1910, he spent hours OF
time and wrote to many cities and for,
eign countries. finally procuring 8
splendid cabinet size picture.
He has complete reviews of the above
named men. and also of Jim Beckwith
who came to the wilderness of Wyom.
ing in 1923, of Kit Carson whose career
here dated from 1880: of Captain Bon.
neville. in 1882; General Fremont, in
1912. He has gone further back and
has the true story Of Coulter's eXplor.
atoms. in 1906; Henry's expedition in
1908: Wilson p. Hunts party tina,
crossed Wyoming in 1911; General
Ashley's trapping and trading in'23
and of the missionaries invasion OF the
Indians tepee towns as early as 1890
Colonel Coutant. himself, crossed the
mountains in 1859, and his five years
of research and study has given him
a wonderful storehouse of knowledge
Among the superb illustrations in
the prospectus he displayed to his
friends at the club in Casper, Saturday
evening. was a full page of newspaper
publishers of Laramie, from Bill Nye
to F. w. OFT, and it was quite fitting
and altogether appropriate hat the
veteran journalist. Judge J. H.. Hayford
is made the central figure Of the group
while at the head of a group of mem.
bers OF the bench Of the Second Judic-
ial district, Judge Chas. w. BrameI is
eminently conspicuous.
Colonel Coutant has justly won the
plaudits of two states as a word paint
er. While his history is stripped of
fowery flights. it is CARRIED in roseate
words so interesting and descriptive,
and language so beautiful and ~forcafnl
as to render it entirely free from droll
monotony that nearly always make
history dull and tiresome.
Columns of comments have been
printed in the papers along the Union
Pacific. and the work is eminentIy
worthy and deserving of all the notices
yet n must see the advance pages to
appreciate its magnificence and SUI
periority.