The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-09-16
wy O M / N G.

OF all the states of the Union none
perhaps have gone through their part u
in our national life in more even and
ordinary way and yet not one single
state has wrapped up within its bor-
ders more latent potentislities that are
just beginning to be awakened than
has Wyoming.
The very word Wyoming" In the
language of the Iudian means "won-
derful'' or beautiful and that ex-
presses characteristic mark of every
thing here.
So great collection of natural won
ders are congregated in the northwest
ern part of the state that the Federal
Government created great National
Park and named 1t Yellowstone after
the river that flows therein.
But Yellowstone contains only ac-
centusted examples, well grouped, of
what abounds throughout the whole of
Wyoming.
Medicine Bow Range of the Ro Ky
Mountains stretchss its irregular and
rugged peaks almost across the entire
state from southeast to northwest, in /
terspersed with high mountain plstsaus
across which the sntslope wander in |
unbroken solitude, while on the moun- /,
tain slopes near the valley Of the North |
Platte hundreds of cattle and horses
and thousands of sheep Craze peaceful
ly under the care of the ranchers
Only now and then does a wolf or bear |
bother the domes,icated herds
CASPER.
Nearly in the center Of the state lies |
Natrona county and its county seat is |
Casper, a nice little town of about one |
Thousand inhabitants. at the western
terminal of the Chicago & Northwest |
ern Railway. To the southwest tower
the Casper mountains and along the |
northeast part of the town flows the
North Platte.
Casper came by her name In such
romantic way that to hear it makes
one revere the town Back in the
early seventies. some thirty odd years
ago. the Sioux Indians made final
stand against the inroads of civiliza
tion and tried to drive out the white
man for all time. A million fires We're
lighted on plain and mountain at a
given signal by the Redmen and the
whole country was swept bare of forest
and sage brush and many poor settler
and his family burned to death On
the heels of the raging fire came the
vengeful Indian numbering and killing
those that had escaped being roasted
alive.
THE BATTLE.
At the bend in the Platte where Cas-
per is now situated detachment of
troops consisting of some Infantry and
Cavalry overlook a party of Indian
braves. The Redmen quickly crossed
the river and from the opposite high
banks poured heavy fire into the pur-
suing soldiers and drove back all that
attempted to follow them.
The Colonel in command called for
some one to volunteer to lead a storm
ing party of two hundred across the
river and scout, Casper Collins.
better known to all frontiersmen as
casper, came forward and main
tanned that he with couple of hun
dred brave followers could take the
crossing and hold the ford 30 the
troops could proceed
1t was towards the latter part of the
afternoon when the volunteer band of
troopers galloped into the water and
started to make the ford under the lead
of Casper, the Scout. Many a poor
fellow was shot and fell to grave in
the sand of the river, but the majority
of them gained the opposite bank and
Engaged in deadly conflict with the
exssperated Indians For nearly an
hour the battle ragged, but the savages
Were too numerous and the troops re
ceivIbg no support were compelled to
fall back In the thickest of the strife
Casp-r Collins seemed to be host
unto himself and according to the In.
dians was charmed from their bullets.
As they turned to regain the ford and
retreat a wounded soldier. pinned dowr
by his dead horse, cried to Collins sn6
said: For Gods sake. Casper. dom
leave me here
In a flash Casper Collins wheeled hi
horse and rode back thro' the pursuint
savages, and rescued his fallen com
rsde, but just as he turned again to
ward the river an Indian with a grea
. red blanket ran out in front of the ex
cited horse and fiuttsring it in tn
wind sue, ,ded in stampeding tn
animal. 1t turned and tnre madly ava
through the sage brush into the wilder
a ness with its two luckless riders, un
governable in its fright, and 50 dis
. appeared Casper Collins into the nigh
OF that unhappy day. never to be hear
of more save in the town, that no,
bears his Christian name and lies nea
spot. where he Inst his life, a willin
sacrifice. iu trying to save q fslle
comrade in arms from savage cruelty
n A CAMPING TRIP.
d After some dickering and receivin
d cords of friendly advice we arrange
Of with young man by name of Glen
W Coen to start on a jaunt of three weel
IN into chosen territory with an QUIT
ss of no mean proportions, consisting {
a light stage coach drawn by for