The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1909-12-09

lions of dollars in building main lines
and branches hither and thither. and
one OF them-the Burlington route
which at present has line to Cody
is building what will be main line
through the heart Of the district to
Thermopolis and thence southeasterly
to connection with it's other lines
and on to Denver. r. ~
There are good towns, including
Cody, Basin, Worland, Garland, Pow
ell and Thermopolis already men
toned. At the latter place are stu
ated the Thermopolis Hot Springs, as
notable for their curative properties
as the Hot Springs, Arkansas, or the
hot springs at Carlsbad, Germany, and
bound ere long to be as famous as
these better known springs.
Perhaps in no other one section Is
there SO much land susceptible of irri-
cation and such an abundant and GER
tain water supply combined with per-
feet climatic conditions and inspiring
physical surroundings as in the Big
Horn Basin. On. all sides rise the
snow-capped peaks of the Big Horn,
Absoraka, Pryor and Owl Ranges,
forming an encircling mountain bar
rier assuring protection from storms
from whatever direction and serving
as constant inspiration to those so
fortunate as to live in this region Of
already great development and stin
greater possibilities. Immediately to
the west within driving distance lies
Yellowstone Park, the peoples great
est playground, while on all sides are
found the finest hunting and fish .ng
the country affords.
Alfalfa. the great forage crop of the
west, small grains, sugar beets, pota-
toes, all the fruits which grow in the
temperate zone, and garden truck,
comprise the principal agricultural
products.
The crop yields are phenomenal,
sometimes so great as to enable the
settler to pay for his entire farm from
the proceeds of single crop.
Coal Of the finest quality in abun-
dance, natural gas already lighting
and heating two Of the principal
towns, OIL wells for which one refinery
has already been built and sulphur
deposits already yielding large results
give some idea of the mineral re-
sources of the basin, the development
Of which has only commenced. The
precious metals, too, are found.
Hon. Frank W. Monde!l, Chairman
of the Committee on Public Lands Of
the House Of Representatives Of the
United States, says:
Taken all in all, no region that
know of in the United States has a
brighter prospect than the Big Horn
Basin; so wide is the range of it's
products and possibilities that it
might easily be made self-supporting
and self-sufficient; fortunate, indeed.
are the people who have cast their
lot with that region and who continue
to pin their faith to its assured fu-
ture."
This wonderful country is develop
ing rapidly. Churches and schools
abound. The population is intelligent.
God-fearing and law-abiding. and any
! man out there who is half a man has
the opportunity to quickly make him
self independent.
The greatest need of the Big Horn
Basin, however, in common with other
parts of the west, is settlers to take
ADVANTAGE of the wonderful opportuni-
| ties which it has to offer, and now
that these are becoming better known.
settlers are coming in ever-increasing
| oIc VI tlS SUI ~ I'D
lures is the large number of settlers
who come from the cities and towns
and who, knowing comparatively little
about farming, are making a great
success. Irrigated farming is certain
ly proving a great boon to the "but-
cher, the baker and the candlestick
maker" as we'll as to the farmer him.
self, and with the great land hunger
which seems to have seized the people
generally, it will be but compare
lively short time, now. before the
lands of the entire public domain
which are susceptible of cultivation
will have been settled upon; and then
those who might have taken advan
tage Of those opportunities will find
that it is too late.
| Nowhere will the farmer, the home
maker, the tradesman and the small
business man find more or better op
portunities for acquiring independ
ence, and for establishing new homes
under the most favorable conditions
in new and rapidly developing coun
try, than in the Big Horn Basin OF
Wyoming,