OCR Text |
Show NOTES BY THE WAY. fLbltOKI.L COKH--Si'OSL'E.-CK.) Cheyenne, Oct. -?2, 1ST 2. The ipiestion which obtrudes itsell forcibly upon the traveler journeying eastwanlly from Utah to and through the Rocky Mountains, is, How can the vast sage plains of Wyoming be utilizul? The minor matters ol "diamond fields" and moss agates may be dismissed, for even the most judicious "diamond salting" would now be viewed with suspicion. And yet there is Httlc doubt that these elevated plateaus, with the mountains and hills by which they are broken, will ultimately become of immense value to the country, though now apparently ap-parently so valueless. The guld discoveries dis-coveries of the Sweetwater region, the iron deposiu being worked at Rawlins, Raw-lins, the coal beds already known to exist in various parts along the line of the U. P. 11. R., and the lodes of the Semino district, all show that mineral wealth, of dill'cnent kinds, abounds in tho Territory. And numerous nu-merous streams permeating the country coun-try in different directions, form fertilizer fertil-izer which only require money and manual labor, directed by cxperincc and skill, to make available. That the region is a cold one, exposed to early frosts and heavy snows, and subject to cutting winds for a large portion of tho year, is undeniable; but Fremont Fre-mont experienced frost near Bear river bay, Great Salt Lake, in the month of August, where now the tender peach tree flourishes and bears heavily of luscious fruit. What the results of settlement, tree-planting, increased decaying vegetation and cultivation may be, can only be estimated esti-mated from the change in other regions reg-ions subject to somewhat similar climatic cli-matic conditions. There is much of the western part of Wyoming just as susceptible of reclamation as was a great portion of Utah, a quarter of a century ago, that is now in a high state of cultivation and producing excellent ex-cellent crops. The farmer has followed fol-lowed the miner into Colorado, Nevada Nev-ada and Montani, and while the mountains yield rich stores of mineral wealth, the valleys, where cultivated, produce heavily of cereals and roots. In Utah the miner followed the farmer, farm-er, when the overland railroad made the development of its nrgenlifbrous deposits a possibility. In Wyoming the same rule will apparently govern as in Colorado and Montana, and undoubtedly un-doubtedly with the same results. Already Al-ready there arc the nuclei of flourishing flourish-ing cities in the small towns that are growing up along the line of railroad; and it needs but a generous and encouraging en-couraging policy on the part of government govern-ment to induce settlement by large numbers of the restless thousands who are irresistibly obeying the, injunction injunc-tion of America's great journalist by f blowing "the March of Empire" in "going west." But as the journey eastward progresses, pro-gresses, a scene opens to the view that delights the eye of a grazier and stock raiser. Laramie plains stretch away on either hand in a seemingly boundless bound-less range, rich in succulent grasses, where millions of head of cattle can increase and fatten. This region may yet divide with Texas the honor of being the great cattle raising country of the United States; for connected with it, eastward, is the Platte Valley, with arable lands, illimitable meadow, and a productive soil to furnish -food for a mighty nation. And tlirough great country the Union Pacific company com-pany owns broad acres equal to a belt twenty miles in width and covering an area of nearly one-third the full extent of Utah Territory with all its mountains, moun-tains, valleys and lakes 1 When we talk of vast landed proprietors in America, alter the nation may be placed such a corporation as this which is prepared to furnish homes for millions of settlers, its lands being sold at an average of alout four dollars dol-lars an acre through the rich soil of the Platte Valley, where they arc in market. There is a great future before 'Wyoming 'Wy-oming and Western Nebraska, a 1 future which Utah will will share, for 1 with her advance in agriculture, her j ni nes, manufactures and growing ' industries, and her rapid, progress towards to-wards making Salt Lake a leading railroad centre, she must gain and retain a commanding position in the great interior west. E, L. Sr |