The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-12-29
ARTICLE REFUSED BY BULLETIN PUBLISHED
m REVIEW BY SPECIAL REQUEST.
He STANDS BY WYOMING
Tells Of Big Crops, Fine Climate and High
Degtee Of Civilization as He
Sees Them.
Denison, Iowa, Dec. 81, 90.
Editor Of the Bulletin,

Basin of Wyoming. 1, too, have Jus,
returned from there and while moi
doubling Mr.. Willrath's opinion of the
country as he sees it would like t.
give you my ideas in order to show
you how two mems opinion of the
same country will differ l will there
fore take up the points in the order
given in the article.
Mr.. Willrath says he raised only
nine bushel of wheat and 80 bushel
of oats per acre. That, believe, is
about the average crop for a man
who does not understand irrigation
methods. However, men experienced
in irrigation raise very good grain
crops. personally know several men
who raised from 25 to 35 bushels of
wheat per acre and from so to 70
bushels of oats. However, grain is
not the principle crop-alfalfa, hay
is grown extensively and from to 6
tons per acre are cut annually, for
which is paid from $40 to SIS per ton
in the town of Basin and somewhat
less in the smaller towns and country.
Wonderful crops of potatoes are grown
l know of one yield of 400 bushels of
per acre of first class potatoes, which
brought $1.00 per cwt. Sugar beets
net the grower at least $4,000 per
acre other root crops in proportion
Alfalfa seed brings from $50 to $50
per acre. The Basin is not only a
farming country, but is canning
fruit country. They have fine grade
~of coal, natural gas, oil, gold, coffee,
,setc.
The mosquitoes are really bad, but
the flies do not bother at all. Fly
nets for horses are unknown as there
is no occasion for their use. was
there two years and never saw a Jig
. ger and but very few wood ticks-1
know what they both are and | have
been chewed raw with jiggers in my
neck.
Mr.. Willrath says. "The Big Horn
Basin is less than a mile wide and
far from railroads" AS matter OF
fact, the Big Horn River valley alone
is from to miles wide (not count
ing tributaries) and the Burlington
railroad runs right through it as fa1
as Kirby, Wyoming, and is now be
ing extended to Denver at cost Of
$1,000,000.00 mile in places.
The cattle and sheep ranges are
some thirty miles or more from the
principle farming section, so it is alb
surd to say that "The cattlemen make
things uncomfortable for the farmer
The cattle and sheep men had trouble
recently in which three sheep me1
were killed. Six cattlemen were ar
rested Immediately after the trouble
and given a fair trial and were con
victed in the first trial Four of these
are now serving long terms in prison
the other two having turned state,
evidence. Mr.. Willrath says, 9Th,
jury had to sneak for keeps to ge
away. Now happened to be in tn,
town of Basin when this trial wa
going on and knew several men O,
the jury. They are all living Their
today, just the same as they did be
fore the trial. In the two years | wa
there, only two shooting scrapes cam
% my notice-one a drunken tender
foot from Omaha shot at his partne
from the same place, and wounded
bystander Slightly in the leg; tn
other, Mexican, also a transien
killed saloon keeper and within
week was tried and sentenced to han;
There is very little gambling and n
one carries a gun. Mr.. Willrath say
mo one dares to take the position {
authority; as a matter of fact thel
is very keen rivalry for the position
of sheriff, county attorney, etc.
think it would be hard to find con
munity where there is more respet
for law and order than there is in TIL
Basin, especially the town of Bash
which is place of some 1900 peopl
They have electric lights, water worl
sewerage system and natural gas.
Mr.. Willrath states that owing I
floods, etc., people cannot depend @
water when they want it. / know Sc
eral old-timers who have been thel
for fifteen years and have never mis-
ed a crop. Do you know of any OF
err country of which that can be sale
He also says that the real estate me
show wonderful samples of stu1
though he will not say which part
the United States they come FROM
know that they we're raised rigl
there, because l have helped collie
some of those very samples and hay
seen better stuff grown than is show