Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-08-06
LRONTON. MO. THURSDAY. AUGUST 6. 1903 NUMBER
Letter From Wyoming.

TER, | have at last stirred up cour-
age and ambition enough to keep
your attention for a little while.
But don't think I've been asleep
during all this long silence. No,
stree, I've been keeping my part of
the world humming; and while l
have been busy, others, too, have
been busy: people coming and 60
ing, many settling here taking up
land, others selling out and going
to other parts of the world. The
towns are being built up, and |
hear rumors OF a great salt mill
that is going to be built soon in
our town, and | think that there is
plenty of substance here to make
lit paying industry. There are
lots of salt water creeks and
springs, also salt rock, and it is
said to yield abundantly. Itseems
that out of all the natural products
of this country it should be one of
the most prosperous States in the
Union, if it's resources of wealth
were properly developed. There
are fine coal mines, some silver and
gold and rich copper mines; there
are also salt mines and many
different kinds of water, including
salt, soda, alum, gypsum, and
every one knows of the hot and
cold springs, and how at certain
time the water is thrown many feet
in the air. One of them is known
as Old Faithful. These last named
are in the Yellowstone Park.
There is quite prospect for Oil
in this country. There are oil
claims taken up all over the State,
and many of the eastern syndi-
Gates are investing money in shares.
The oil is of the very finest quality
and never gums on machinery
when used in the crude state, and
If it was refined it would be very
valuable article, and we hope the
day is not far distant when these
wells will be developed and yield
their fruits in paying quantities.
| We are now having siege of
dry, hot weather, but it will not
last long; it will soon be time for
frost. AS late as the 18th of July
could plainly see snow on the
mountain tops. Where there is
sufficient water and men have dug
bitches and built fumes, one would
be surprised at the abundant yield
of vegetables and grain. The soil
| is very fertile and wild grass grows
in abundance; many of the ranch
men cut and stack the wild hay,
which makes fine feed in winter.
But it isn't often that the cattlemen
have to feed in winter-only those
that live up in the hills, where the
snow falls deep and does not blow
off of the grass, like it does on the
level parts. There is kind of
wild grass here, about three or
four inches high and quite curly,
that is called buffalo grass, and the
stock get rolling fat on it and make
excellent beef for market. Well,
I have been calling attention to
some of the good points of the
country, but of course, like every
other place, it has it's drawbacks.
But as the State, | am sure, is in
it's infancy, when it reaches its
prime it will be hard to beat.
A party of us went sage hen
hunting a few days ago. Game
grows scarcer it seems, and it be-
comes necessary to go further and
further into the hills to find large
game, such as deer, elk and ante
lope-even cotton-tail are scarce
this season. We found but very
few, but killed about forty young
sage hens just big enough to fry.
l tell you they were fine eating.
have a nice smart dog, and he
makes a pretty savage fight when
he gets hold of varments. The
other evening part of the family
were taking stroll on the hill
when the dog made a dash fol
some dark objects and made q
great fight. The children rar
quickly to see what it was, but be.
fore they got there they knew by
the smell that it was family o1
skunks, an old one and two little
ones. Poor old Shep; he made a
grand charge and had them al
killed before any one could turr
around. By this time some of the
party became sick, and a sicker lo
never was seen; and we can't beal
to have the dog come near us yet
After taking a hunt we all de.
cided to take a fishing excursion
So one lovely morning, when al
nature seemed glad, we got rig