The Meeker herald., 1899-04-08
NEWS FROM THE
WESTERN REGION.

A little before midnight n caveip oc-
Cured at the new pump station In the
sixth level. A number of workmen
We're engaged at this point, among
them We're Phineas Hopkins and 10.
seph PodieuX. An immense rock
weighing ton crushed Hopkins
against the side OF the drift. He was
instantly killed. The rock struck Po-
dieu1, breaking his ankle and injuring
him internally.
The preliminary report OF the in
surance commissioner OF Colorado for
the past year has been issued. II
shows that the fire insurance com
panles cleaned up more than 100000
during the year. The risks written
amounted to S1O1 $40. .sGG.SI. the pre-
mlums amounting to 81 .5J4. 136.O4. The
losses paid amounted to S551,962 "a,
though the damage incurred was S,i2.-
S9S27. The expenses amounted TO
$3.50 1864 and the state tax to SAL
0S4 .4S. This left about $3.50. .593 IS for
the companies to place to the profit
column. The life insurance companies
had in force December 81 1897, $50.
$50, ,5OS.I5 on %. .764 lives: 0, I03 policies
being written during the year for Sll.-
S04, OBJ. 13 of insurance.
The land department of the Union
Pacific road has Just completed one of
the largest deals of recent years, by
which 1t sells 2S,OOO acres of land east
of Fort Steele. Wyoming, to CosgrOye
Brothers, sheepmen. The purchasers
Of this land also leased from the rail
road company 1880 acres of land in
the same vicinity f. G. Miller, also
Il sheep man, has purchased 5000
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 Il. 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 discharged employe. His
slayer is in custody and well guarded,
as there was some talk Of lynching.
Trouble is in prospect over the di-
vision of the range in the Platte valley
between sheep owners and cattlemen.
A special meeting of the Wool Grow
ers' Association was held recently to
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-
in-Town Marshall Stewart, Victor.
Democrat: clerk and recorder-James
w. Gaughan, Altman. Populist; county
judge-W. p. Seeds, Cripple Greek,
Democrat; treasurer-Frank Creamer,
Cripple Creek, Populist: assessor-Ed-
ward Bell, Cripple Creek, Democrat;
superintendent of schools-Nrs. M. j
Hangs, Cripple Greek, Democrat; cor
oner-P. F. Dunn, Victor. Democrat;
county commissioners-E.W w. Pfeiner,
Altman, Democrat; c. l.. Harrington,
Woodland Park. Democrat: A. r. Bur
ton, Cripple Creek. Silver Republican.
The Governor appointed the county
commissioners first and allowed the
three members to name the other ON
cials.. at the same time that he an
nounced their, appointment himself.
This was done that there might be nc
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-
tion.
The Union Pacific railroad has in
preparation 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 mneralogy In
Wyoming and her extraordinary fields
Of gigantic fossil remains. The com-
pany will extend to upwards Of 900
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 member
OF such parties, the transportation b.
ing good during the summer months.
There is no doubt whatever that the
invitation will be largely accepted and
| that a 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 coIec-
tions made. Botanists. cntomologists
and ornithologists will find in the high
plnteaus 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 at
Maybell, We're sold the other day by
| OF nj hn -
Land Board. The price is $3.50 Der
acre, payable 10 per cent. down and bal
ance In eighteen annual installms snta,
with interest at 6 per cent. The pur-
chasers of the land have formed a
colony. Mr. Humphrey Jones of Craig
is at the head of the organization. The
Individual holdings vary from 10 to 40
acres to each family. and there are
thirty families. They come from Den
ver Chaffee county, Greeley and Other
parts of Colorado, and few from