St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-11-25


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been thought only fit for grazing. The
national government is spending millions
of dollars to irrigate large tracts of land
and the miner and lumberman are COM
mencng to realize that here are immense
tracts OF virgin territory which avelong
been neglected. The railroads have also
begun to realize the great resources Of
the state and a new era of railroad
building has commenced.
Wyoming has more unappropriated
public land and more unappropriated
water than almost any other Rocky
Mountain state. The placing of this
water on the land makes marvellous
transformations, and land which was
worth from two to FIVE dollars an acre
without water sells from $50 to 500
with water.
The retaining Of Wyoming lands by
the Carey Act offers almost unlimited
opportunities for safe investment of cap
ital. To aid the investor and enable
large bodies to be handled by companies
the Carey Act was framed. Under this
act the government, the state, the inves-
ter and the settler act together in re-
claiming the land. BY provision of this
act the investor who builds the water
works is guaranteed security for his
money by the state refusing to give title
to the land until the water has been paid
for by the settler, at the contract price
with the company. This makes all
money expended by the irrigation COM
pany a first claim on the land, while the
settler is protected by The states guar
anteelng that the company must put
water on the land according to the con-
tract before the settler is forced to pay.
The state OF Wyoming has been granted
one million acres Of land by the govern.
ment to be reclaimed under this Carey
Act. This offers great opportunity for
the idle money of the east as the interest
paid by these investments is much higher
than that prevailing in the east.
Wyoming is already large pro lucer
OF coal. In both the northern and
southern parts of the state are coal
fields OF unlimited area, and over half
the rauchmen in the state dig their coal
on their own ranches. The coal is of a
good quality and is said to be superior
to eastern coal with which it comes in
competition in eastern markets. The
market for Wyoming coal is large, ex-
tending from Omaha to the PACING
ocean. The Pacific slope has practically
no coal and depends entirely on the
Rocky Mountain states tor its supply
Few of these states are better situated
to supply this enormous demand than
is Wyoming, yet her coal banks are
almost untouched.
Wyoming has many extensive oil
fields, where great varieties are found in
vast quantities, ranging from the lightest
variety which can be burned in lamps to
the heaviest lubricatng oil While this
rich field has been prospected sufficiently
to demonstrate the areas where the
products are found, and their superior
quality, as in other fields the territory
has scarcely been touched and offers
great opportunity to the capitalist.
The traveller who crosses Wyoming
on the Burlington and sees only great
fields of prairie land and sage brush can
hardly realize that within the borders OF
the state are vast tracts of timber lands.
This, however, is the case, and here
again is an opportunity for building up
a great industry as the forest depart
ment of the government is offering for
sale thousands OF acres of timber, much
OF which is becoming accessible to the
lumbermen by the construction of new
railroad lines. Last week .two New
Hampshire men interested in this timber
proposition stopped over a train in
Sheridan.
For many years Wyoming has been a
leading state in the livestock industry.
Today she has outstripped all her
neighbors in the value of her cattle and
wool products, but this industry like
many Others still offers great opportuni.
ty for investment
A striking example of the industrial
development of Wyoming is furnished by
the city of Sheridan, where am at pres.
ent making my home. Fifteen years ago
it was village of less than 500 people
Today it numbers nearly 5000, is the
second city of size in the state and its
inhabitants proudly refer to it as the
metropolis of northern Wyoming. Sheri
dan has been neither doomed nor ex.
plotted, but has enjoyed steady growth
The average easterner unacquainted
with the busting energy of the west finds
hit hard to believe that in so short time
! Sheridan has acquired her many sub
stantial business blocks, beautiful resi-
dences her well graded streets and mile
after mile of concrete sidewalk, border
ing well kept lawns shaded by small but
beautiful trees; her modern water works
sewer system and electric lights. Yet al
this has been accomplished where but q
short time ago nothing but sage brush
grew. Sheridan is the seat of Sheridan
county which is about the size of Yer
mont, and is on the main line of The
Burlington. She has a $4,000 court
house, a $4,000 Carnegie library, anC
| thP finest cchnp1c -, +ba stofa Worl