Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-04-28

Atlantic and Pacific were joined by
rail. The last tie was laurel wood
on which silver plate was placed,
and the last spike was made Of
iron, silver and gold. Telegraph
wires we're arranged to send sig
mails and as the last blows were
struck, bells were rung in Wash
ington on the east and San Fran
sisco on the west notifying them of
the completion of a trans-continen-
tai railroad. However, since the
construction of Great Salt Lake
Cutoff, Promontory Point is missed
and this historic place is left by
the wayside. There are many
towns of interest in Wyoming,
among which is Medicine Bow
with the Medicine Bow mountains
to the southwest. Around this
old town is about as lonesome q
prairie as one ever sees. It will be
noticed that many towns in Wyo-
ming get their names from some
natural condition existing or are Of
Indian origin. Passing on to Lar
annie we have the oldest white set
Element in the state, being estab-
lished in 1884 and garrisoned as
fort in 1849. Every reader of the
early history of the western states
will remember that old Fort Lara
mic is often mentioned and that
for years, prior to being abandon
| ed, it was the scene Of much In
dian warfare. Even as late as
1908 several people were killed in
skirmishes between the Whites and
the Indians, the trouble arising
over the game laws. AS we went
through Laramie on a quiet Sum
day forenoon I could not help but
think Of the days not so very long
by when it was one Of the central
attractions of the wild and woolly
west. The great stockyards at
Laramie are an item of interest
and it goes to show that the ranges
there afford wonderful pasturage
for such a dry country. The name
Laramie must be a favorite out
there for they have a town, val
ley, mountain range, a mountain
range, mountain peak, the plains,
and a fort all honored by this his
toric old name. At Sherman, Wy
oming, we reached the highest
lpoint on the route, being over a
mile higher than the main elevation
in Iowa. However, little oddly
lies in the fact that the continent
tai divide separating the waters
flowing into the Atlantic and the
Pacific oceans as not at the highest
point, but is at Creston one hun
dred and seventy-one miles west
of Sherman. Cheyenne is a city
of much interest, it being the capt.
tai, and contains Fit. Russell, a
U. S. military post. Pine Bluffs,
on the state line'between Wyoming
and Nebraska, is we'll named from
the bluffs and the pines growing on
them. At this place / again no.
ticed a huge saloon sign covering
the side Of building, placed in
plain view Of the thousands who
ride over the Union Pacific, ano
while a very poor advertisement
slit looked like a twin to the one
spoke of as seeing in Humboldt
| Nevada. The western states huns
onto the saloon with a death grip
but it proved to be a stranglehold
Arriving at North Platte, Nebras
ka, we set our watches aheae
again to where they were last fall
for while in California, it will b,
remembered, our time was tw,
hours behind Iowa. At this plac
| recalled an item which was q
interest to me at least, for here Of
a farm adjoining the town, Hon
{ w. F. Cody buffalo Billy erecte,
. a residence and moved in as hi
home in 1878. In his STORY q
{ the Wild West" he refers to thi
delightful home of theirs in tn
nrairias Of tho far wast Houa,,o,