The silver lance., 1899-04-14
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

A little before midnight a cavern oc-
Cured at the new pump station in the
sixth level. A number of workmen
were engaged at this point, among
them were Phineas Hopkins and Jo-
seph Podieux. An immense rock
weighing ton crushed HOPKINS
against the side of the drift. He was
instantly killed. The rock struck Po-
dieux. breaking his ankle and injuring
him internally.
The preliminary report of the in
surance commissioner of Colorado for
the past year has been issued. 1t
shows that the fire insurance COM
panies cleaned up more than $5O0.0OO
during the year. The risks written
amounted to $1O1 ,S20, ,S66.Sl, the pre-
miums amounting to $1.5o4, l36.4. Inc
losses paid amounted to ol,962-64,
though the damage incurred was $642,-
S9S27. The expenses amounted to
1890. .495. .O4 and the state tax to $751;
OS4. .4S. This left about $3.50, ,593.SS for
the companies to place to the profit
column. The life insurance companies
had in force December 81, 1897, $5O,-
150,5OS.75 on %, 764 lives; 9,7O3 policies
being written during the year for $11,-
SO4, ,025.13 of insurance.
4
Pacific road has just completed one of
the largest deals of recent years, by
which it sells 2S.O0O acres of land east
of Fort Steele, Wyoming, to Cosgrove
Brothers, sheepmen. The purchasers
Of this land also leased from the rail-
road company 1850 acres of land in
the same vicinity. e. C. Miller, also
a sheep man, has purchased 300
acres north of Fort Steele and leased
10000 acres in the same vicinity. Ne
gotiations are also pending with a
number of other large sheep raisers
for the sale of other large tracts in
this part of Wyoming. If the sales
are completed it will result in practic-
ally turning this section OF the state
over to the sheep men.
Thomas r. McSweeney. section fore
man on the Santa Fe Pacific, died at
the railway hospital at Albuquerque
as the result of three bullet wounds
received at Winslow during an alter
cation with a discharged employe. HIS
slayer is in custody and well guarded,
as there was some talk of lynchlng.
Trouble is in prospect over the d1-
vision of the range in the Platte valley
between sheep owners and cattlemen.
A special meeting of the Wool Grow
take action in reference to the declared
intention of the cattlemen to extend
the area of the cattle range beyond
the limits established by former
agreement. The result of the meeting
has been kept secret.
Governor Thomas has announced his
appointments for Teller county. Sher-
iff-Town Marshall Stewart, Victor,
y Il Av1o n alS
w. Gaughan, Altman. Populist; county
judge-W. p. Seeds, Cripple Creek,
Democrat; treasurer-Frank Creamer,
Cripple Creek, Populist; assessor-Ed-
ward Bell, Cripple Greek, Democrat;
superintendent of schools-Mrs. M. j.
Hangs, Cripple Greek. Democrat; cor
oner-P. F. Dunn. Victor, Democrat;
county cOmmissioners-E. w. Pfeiffer,
Altman, Democrat: C. l.. Harrington,
Woodland Park. Democrat; A. r. Bur
ton, Cripple Greek. Silver Republican.
The Governor appointed the county
commissioners first and allowed the
three members to name the other Off
cials. at the same time that he an
nOunced their appointment himself.
This was done that there might be no
mistake as to the legality of the ap-
pointments. The new officers will take
Office Immediately. and the machinery
of the new county will be set in mo-
ton.
The Union Pacific railroad has in
preparation a circular letter of invita-
ton which is unique in the history of
railroading. Its purpose is to promote
the interest of science and largely in
crease the interest Of students of geol-
ogy, paleontology and mineralogy in
Wyoming and her extraordinary fields
Of gigantic fossil remains. The com.
pany will extend to upwards of 300
| colleges and universities of the United
| States invitations to send an expert
geologist or paleontologist. with q
corps of assistants. to Wyoming this
summer. The invitations will offer in
the interest of science free transporta-
tion from Chicago on the east and San
| Francisco on the west to Laramie
| Wyoming, and return for all members
| Of such parties, the transportation be
| ing good during the summer months
| There is no doubt whatever that the
| invitation will be largely accepted and
| that more extended knowledge of the
| wonderful fossil beds of this state will
be the result. and that many museums
| will be greatly enriched by the collec
| tions made. Botanists, entomologists
and ornitholOgists will find in the higf
plateaus and semi-arid plains regions
of this state an exceedingly rich field
| for work.
| Two thousand acres of school land
| lying in the valley of Bear river a,
Maybell, were sold the other day by
Register Chipley of the Colorado State
Land Board. The price is $3.50 pei
acre, payable 10 per cent down and bal
ance in eighteen annual installments
with interest at 6 per cent. The pur
chasers of the land have formed 6
colony. Mr.. Humphrey Jones of Crais
is ut the head of the organization. The
individual holdings vary from 10 to AZ
acres to each family, and there are
thirty families. They come from Den
yer, Chaffee county, Greeley and othel
parts of Colorado, and a few from