The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-08-30

county is two and two thirds mil
lion acres of which only $4,000
are under cultivation. numbering
ranching, both cattle and dude
and sheep raising are the princi
pal industries. We saw little o.
the sheep and cattle as we rode
along, but were told that they
were back in the hills. This coun
ty ranks fifth in the number OF
sheep raised, having about 1900
head.
The Oil Fields
We did not know how close we
were to the oil fields, until, topping
a hill, we suddenly saw spread
out before us in a valley hundred
of derricks, and as the road
wound around the hills, there APP
peared more and more derricks
and soon we were driving through
the midst of the Salt Creek field.
There is no beauty about an oil
field, there is nothing spectacular
about a forest of black derricks,
each with it's rocker arm teeter-
ing leisurely up and down. But
there was a thrill to the thought
that as these heavy beams kept
up their incessant rocking, they
were pumping liquid wealth night
and day. There were puddles of
black crude oil on the ground and
smell of oil was heavy on the sui
try air. Rows of corrugated
houses just alike-all painted
gray. Other rows of black cot
tages trimmed with white. One
wondered how the women and
children could stand the glare Of
the sun on the sand, the constant
smell of oil. Then was a row of
cottages with lawns like tiny GASES,
flowers growing, children in bath
ing suits playing in the spray Of
lawn sprinklers. Then came a
business street with some good
looking buildings, and we had pas
sed through Midwest and Column
bine. A few miles farther there
was another little town and we
noticed The Teapot Cafe. "Must
be near the Teapot Dome" we
thought, but it was not until later
that we learned that the road pas
sed directly across the notorious
Dome.
Casper
Fifty miles beyond Midwest is
Casper, at one time, during the
boom in the oil field, claiming to
be the metropolis of Wyoming,
but now a very good second to
Cheyenne, the capitol. This is a
fine modern city. Here are locat-
ed the big ~refineries connected
with the Salt Creek field. One of
the largest ~refineries in the world
is found in Casper. We spent sew
eral hours in Casper before going
on to Douglas to spend the night.
Natrona county of which Casper
is the county seat, has about three
and a half million acres of which
only 10000 are under cultivation.
Besides the oil industry, this coun-
ty raises considerable stock, and
is second in the number of sheep
raised.
In our entire tour of the state
we visited fifteen of the % county
seats, and found them all inter-
esting.
Douglas, county seat of Con-
verse county, appears to be an
old substantial town, with large
residences and well kept yards.
The size of the trees indicates
that it has been settled a long
time. Here we found an excellent
hotel and spent a comfortable
night. Douglas is the home Of
the Wyoming state fair, and there
is also located here a wholesale
seed house.
Cattle and sheep raising are big
industries, and some 81, 1000 of the
2h million acres are under cul-
tivation.
AS we passed through this sec
tion of Wyoming our route led
through the valley of the North
Platte river and we caught Gimp
ses of the beautiful tree-lined riv-
er from time to time, or thrifty
looking farms along its banks.
Irrigated Lands
We reached Wheatland before
noon and found it the center of a
prosperous irrigated project, sugar
beets and corn being among the
main crops. Irrigated farms may
bought on payments extending
over a number of years, and the
farmers going onto this land are
advised in regard to the way they
should plant their 40 or 80 acre
tracts. Work had been begun
here on a million and a half dol
lar beet sugar factory. East
of Wheatland about Is or 90 miles
is one of the big dry land wheat
sections Of Wyoming, and we were
told that it would be well worth
our while to drive over there.
Platte county stands third county
in the amount of winter wheat
raised. fourth in corn. fifth in oats