The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-01-25
Out in Wyoming.

Silver Crown, Wyo., Jan. 10, 1912.
Editor Reporter-When l left De-
catur county | decided not to write
anything to either of the Leon papers
until l had been settled long enough
that could be able to give such in
formation as | knew to be true in
every respect. First l want to thank
you for the many issues of the Re-
porter which has come to us regu-
larly on Friday of each week giving
all the latest news of our long loved
city, Leon, and dear old Decatur
county with her waving fields of
golden grain and tasseled corn and
above all her upright, generous and
prosperous citizens. Next | want to
give the Reporter readers some idea
of what is termed in Iowa as the
wild and woolly west, but which can
not be applied in this part of Wyom-
ing in the future. However it has
been but few years since the COW
boy rode to and fro dreaming little
of the change that was to take place
so soon, the thought never occur
ing to him that the vast prairie over
which he rode with his herds of roll
ing fat cattle would ever be made
into prosperous farming commun-
ity and that wheat, oats, rye and in
fact all kinds of small grain would
waive in glory through proper cult
walton, namely, dry farming" But
nevertheless the change has taken
place all too soon for him and it is
scarcely ever that we are permitted
to see his pony. AS for Indians
have seen about six, and buffalo two.
There are still few deer, antelope,
wild cats, coyotes, etc., but the day
is fast coming when they will be
numbered among things past.
We are located in the southwest
corner of what is known as the High
land Prairie settlement, II u miles
northwest of Cheyenne, the capital
city of the state, with some 10000
inhabitants, with it's stores, shops,
etc. 1t is a fast growing city and
gives promise of becoming a great
commercial center. 1t has one of the
most complete water systems of any
city of it's size in the United States,
it's water supply being taken from
which head in the Larimie noun
tains, 38 miles west Of the city. The
water is caught in four large dams,
20 to 80 miles in the foot hills and is
carried to the city reservoir, in 20
inch pipe, known as Round Top, 6
miles northwest from there. 1t is
taken to the city in 80 inch pipe.
Coming back to our location. We
are 3k miles northeast of Silver
Grown, our postoffice and watering
station on the Colorado & Southern
on what will be known as the main
line from Gulf to coast next year.
When brother and I filed here two
years ago today, there was only one
house in this settlement, now oc-
cupied by Walter Gassett, and four
entries making six with ours. Most
of the settlers coming late in the
spring and it being an exceedingly
dry. year there was but little raised
but potatoes, turnips, etc.. did we'll
last year, 1911, absolutely a dry
year. We had a chance to see, how
crops did with two dry years in sue
cession. To our surprise there was
a great prospect for all kinds of
crops but for the ground squirrels,
which we consider our worst draw
back, but in spite of this there was
a bit of roughness raised, one man
having field of corn making about
rs bushels per acre, and pumpkins
as large as a three gallon pail.
Others had oats, rye, wheat, each of
which were especially good on Sec
ond sod. One piece owned by w. E.
Gassett I would estimate at 80
bushel per acre, had the squirrels
not attacked it when just beginning
to fill. However we have every rea-
son to think that it is a matter Of a
few years until this shall be num-
bered one among the great small