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Show ITOIiK E1J0YI IlilEOETOElTEl SW 11 11 91 IB Mining Development Takes First Place and Agriculture Is Second Industries Produce Total Income of $140,233,679, an Increase of $108 Per Capita; Livestock Aggregates $29,821,350, a Gain of 25 Per Cent During the Year. Spccl to The Tribune. CrJEYEXXE, "TCyo., Dec. 30. TVy-ouiin;?, TVy-ouiin;?, a troaeure bouse of nature na-ture on the continent's crest, "iooka backward upon 1016 as the fattest fr the forty-six years of Its industrial in-dustrial history. "Unprecedented prosperity" pros-perity" ia a hackneyed phrase, but there is nono otVier which so aptly describes economic pVogress by the state during the last yefcr. Local conditions were favorablo for1 nearly every Hue of industrial in-dustrial endeavor and at the end of the year every division of industrial activity ac-tivity shows a gratifying increase in revenue over the preceding year. Wyoming Ts industries , during 1916 produced a total income of $140,33,679, whieh U $23,4 16,316 greater than the total income' of 191."). This increase , represents $108 per capita, a truly remarkable re-markable fact-. Mines Took Precedence. Tho mineral resources of the state, always prior to 1911 secondary to the agricultural and livestock resources, in .Hi Jo took precedence and at the end of 1916 stand pre-eminent, the basis of the state's greatest and most profitable iridustrv. The value of the mineral production pro-duction of 1916 was $56,818,019, an increase in-crease of S13.872.166 over the value of toe mineral production of the preceding ybar and $22, 963, 769 greater than the valuo of the production during 1 !16 of agriculture, the second most important impor-tant division of the industrial activity or' tiio state. Agriculture Greater. Agriculture, which during 1916 recorded re-corded a production valued at $33,844,-2S0, $33,844,-2S0, achieved an increase of $11,421,530 oyer t he value of the production during dur-ing JP15, although local conditions were not for this industry nearly so favor-af'lo favor-af'lo during 1916 as during 1915. Agriculture. Agri-culture. a a producer of income, during ItU'i outranked livestock raising, the third must important of the state's in-diislries, in-diislries, by $4,023,930. The livestock in tins try during 1916 prnituyed $29,821,350, an increase"of $5,-22!,:;.)0 $5,-22!,:;.)0 over the production of the preceding pre-ceding year. Lesser industries at the close of 19J6 show balance sheets on which appear substantial increases of income over their incomes during 1915. Oil Development. i The development of Wyoming's oil resources re-sources provided the most spectacular feature of its indust rin 1 progress during 13 Hi. Virtually i.f negligible importance1 six years ago. I he production of oil at1 the end of 1916 dominates all other com-i juercial activities of the state. No other department of Wyoming; industrial endeavor en-deavor dining the Inst vear produced so much revenue, a f;;ct which becomes more remarkable when it is realized that the development of the state's oil resources liarely has begun, amounting at the present pres-ent time, it is estimated, to less than " per cent of the probable maximum. At the close of the ;ar there is feverish activity in at least thirty oil 1elds in the state and hundreds of wells are going down to tap subterranean sources of liquid wealth, yet the state's olenginously potential area of 2(1.000 square miles hardly hard-ly lias been scratched. The state dmmg the fast year produced S.O30.0O0 barrels i'f oil. of the estimated refined value of $-!0.K"fl.P, yet probably less than one-half one-half of t he maximum developed production produc-tion is finding refineiy facilities and this maximum represents but an Infinitesimal fraction of the undeveloped probable maximum. max-imum. So extensive fs tho development of Wyoming; Wy-oming; oil resources which is in progress at the close of 1916 that a crm cent rated description which would be at all adequate is impossible. Numerous new domes were discovered during the year and now are being developed, and development of the previously discovered oil-bearing areas became be-came much more extensive as the result of the year's aetivitv. ,.s 1917 opens drills are pounding and wells are producing produc-ing in the following fields: Big Muddy, Tst Soldier, Elk Riun. lionanza, Torchlight. Torch-light. Gniss Creek. Oreybult. Basin, Norwood. Nor-wood. Cody, Salt Creole. Meete:se. Lost t'ahin. Mnnderson, Powder River. Ervay, T.nPrele. Moorcrft. Brenning Basin, Man-ville, Man-ville, Meriden. Wheatland, Big Hollow, Pilot Butte. Page Creek. Bander, Big Piney, Baxter Basin, Spring Valley, ICav-cee ICav-cee and Cheyenne River Basin. Also drilling rigs are being hurried into other localities which are unproven, but suspected, sus-pected, fields. Important Discovery. Perhaps the most important event of the year in the state's oil industry was the discovery of the Big Muddv "dome, lying in Converse and Natrona counties, about twenty miles from Casner. The first well here whs brought In ljtst spring, close to two dues of railroad, the Burlington Bur-lington and the Northwestern, md since that time a proven territory bisected by these railroads and by the North Platte river, Wvoming's largest f-tream. has been developed. Because of the proximity of i transportation facilities the development of this field has been unusiMllv rapid. At the close of the vear scores of concerns are operating in the fieM and Us producing produc-ing wells are capable of outnutting sev-e'-nl thousand barrels daily. The oil comes from two strata, the Shannon and, Iv-ing Iv-ing between 900 and 10 no feet beneath the surface, and the Wall Creek ?and. iving about 2000 fe?t beneath the surface. But one well sufficiently deep to nen-1-t?:i te the Wall Creek sand, that of the Merritt Oil .t Cas company, lias been sunk, but this has- established that the tu-!d nun- be considered as permanent as :mv of the older fie'ds of the country. The Mcrritt well in December was acquired l-v the Ohio Oil companv for a consideration considera-tion said to have been SOOO.nftn, this being the second largest oil land transaction In "Wvoming during the year. Another De-comber De-comber deal in the same fle'd was the ontioning of the leases of the TCIkTmrn Oil company, the pioneer Big Muddy Producer, Pro-ducer, to a New York syndicate, which. ' if the deal e-ocs through, will n.ny. it Is s:iid. about ?6rnn00 for the pronertv. The Shannon w of the Big Muddy field produce fro- rventv-flve to "On barrels dailv. "Wall Crerk wchs. it is estimated, will produce tnoo barrels daily. As yet. there lias been little production In the field, the sniill output marketed going to th" Midwest Refining company's plant 2 1 ( 'a spir. The const ruction of a pipe brie to this phtnt is under consideration, but presents the problem of ;i n ungrade. 1,aro In ike rear there revived talk of a prolect to pire Wvoming oil to Omaha, with thn Big Muddv oil substit uted for fi-n S';'t Creek oil. on which this preset originally -n as based. An Omaha pipe line would be approximately 500 miles in length, with a downgrade a!l the way through the valle-v of the North Platte. The majority of the strikes which have been made In th Big Muddy field are on land owned by the siate of Wyoming, and the state derives a royalty of one-tenth of all the oil produced from this land. Soon after the discovery of oil the federal government withdrew from entry all of J tho public lands ifi and adjacent to the field. Many Wells Drilled. .' Second only in importance to the discovery dis-covery of the Rig Muddy dome was that of the Lost Soldier dome, which lies In Carbon county about forty miles north of Iiwliiis and as great a distance from the nearest railroad. Manv wells have been drilled in this field, but there has been no production because of the absence of transportation facilities. The possible output already developed is sufficient, in all probability, lo result In the construction construc-tion of a pipe line during 1017 either to; the Union Pacific railroad to the south j or to refineries at Casper to the north. 1 The Midwest Oil company, producing af- i filiate of the Midwest Refining company, and the Ohio Oil company, producing subsidiary sub-sidiary of the Standard Oil company, are both Interested in trie Lost Soldfer field, as Is also a wealthy syndicate composed of Hawaiian and California capitalists. There are also many smaller lease and claim holders. The development of the field, like that of the Big Muddy, was retarded re-tarded soon after the discovery of the dome by the withdrawal from entry of all the overlying and surrounding public lands. Other important discoveries of new fields during the last year included those of the Powder River dome, about forty miles west of Casper; the Big Piney dome, In Lincoln county; Pilot Butte dome, in Fre-mont Fre-mont county; Sage Creek dome, in the Wind River Indian reservation, about twenty miles north of Lander, and several sev-eral olheis so widely scattered that they establish that there is no section of Wyoming Wyo-ming which may not be regarded as prospective pros-pective oil-producing territory. Great Producers. The two great producing concerns operating op-erating in the state, the Midwest Oil company com-pany and the Ohio Oil company, the former, for-mer, as heretofore related, being the producing pro-ducing affiliate of the Midwest Refining , company and the latter the producing sub- sldiary of the Standard Oil company, con-I con-I tinned during 1916 their preeedingly estab-; estab-; tished policy of acquiring producing wells i wherever possible, and control of the industry in-dustry in the state lies with them and with their refining af ilia tee. The Immense Im-mense Midwest and Standard refining plants at Casper and the Midwest refinery jat Greybull continued throughout the year to operate at full capacity, the Midwest land Standard plants at Casper handling i 14.000 barrels dailv and the Midwest plant ;it Greybull S000 barrels daily. The Standard at the close of the year is making mak-ing rapid progress on a refinery at Grey-bull Grey-bull which will be operating in the spring of 1917. Throughout the year small refineries re-fineries at Cowley, Chattam and Spring Valley handled crude oil to the limit of their capacities. The combined output of all refineries In the state is estimated at S.O.TO.uoo barrels, which estimate is conservative. con-servative. The largest oil territory deal in the state in 1916 was the purchase by a Los Angeles syndicate, headed by Morgan Morgan, from Jacob lirvay of 66.000 acre in the Rattlesnake and Dutton basins for ?5.".no.000. On this tract, which, lies in Natrona and Fremont counties, several hundred test holes have been sunk, these establishing that probably the entire area is oil-bearing. Development for production produc-tion will be undertaken by the California purchasers during 1917, and the Rattlesnake Rattle-snake and Dutton basins will become in consequence of this work, it is anticipated, two of the most important oil-producing districts of the state. Distribution Problem. Although Wyoming crude oil carries the highest percentage of gasoline contents of any produced in America, one of the problems which arose during the year van the inability of the state pure food, dairy and oil department to compel distributors of gasoline to market a product complying comply-ing with the high Wyoming' test. As a result of this situation the state commission com-mission has recommended to the incoming incom-ing legislature the enactment of legislation legisla-tion authorizing the establishment of a state-owned and state-operated refinery, and further authorizing the state to take over the Improvements of lessees on state-owned oil lands at the expiration of the existing leases and to use these lands and this equipment in supplying the proposed pro-posed state-owned refinery with crude oil. Wyoming crude oil carries from 40 to 50 per cent of gasoline, while Pennsylvania crude carries only 20 per cent, but because of superior marketing and transportation facilities the Pennsylvania crude Is selling sell-ing for $2.90 a barrel white the Wyoming producers arc unable to command more I than SI per barrel. Interest among oil producers of the 1 state at the close of the year is largely ! held by persistent rumors that a merger of the Midwest and Standard refining interests in-terests is imminent. The Midwest profits for the year, of approximately $7,000,000, have made the larger concern desire to absorb It, with Its great plants and 450.-000,000-barrel estimated reserve of crude In the Salt Creek field alone, and the merger, rumor says, is well along toward consummation. The Midwest company during the year absorbed the Greybull Refining Re-fining company by purchase of the $2,500,-tiuO $2,500,-tiuO worth of its outstanding preferred stock, the price being par. An indication of the magnitude of the oil activity in the state may be obtained from the biennial report of the secretary of state, which relates that during the period from October 1, 1915, to September 30. 1916, articles of incorporation were filed by 107 oil companies, the combined capitalization of which was S47.461.S0O. This meant the launching of an average of almost three oil companies for each day of the year, and the Issuance of $130,-000 $130,-000 (at par value) of oil stocks for each day of the year. Good for Coal Mines. Although Wyoming coal mines during 1916 produced almost forty tons of coal for each inhabitant of the state, Wyo-mlngites Wyo-mlngites during the closing months of the year were confronted by a fuel famine, i and only with extreme difficulty were the , people of many communities able to se- cure meager supplies of coal for domestic ! purposes. This condition was the joint result of an unprecedented demand from outside sources for Wyoming coal and a shortage of cars in which to transport the 1 output of the mines. The last year was a healthful, prosperous prosper-ous one for the coal mining industry of I the state. The year's production qf ap-i ap-i proximately 7.1"0.onit tons was an increase I of 711,611 tons over the production during (1915. while the higher prices of 1916. and i especially of the hitter months of 1916, re-I re-I suited in a net profit to the producers much in excess of that which would have icoine merely from n increase m produc- I tion marketed at the formerly prevailing j COMPARATIVE DEVELOPMENT IN 1915-16 Output in Output in Increase In Product. lfltJ. i:n:. 1916. Oil $4ii,l CO, ono J3P.000.OOO $10.1."O,0O0 Coal 12.6:;v...!9 fl.on?,"S3 3,05,466 Other minerals 4,0:JO.uui) 2,742. OuO l.L'SS.OOO Agriculture 33,S44.20 32.4 22, 7 SO 1,421,530 Live stock 2u.60i.:;.0 1S.090.000 2.511.3".f Wool 9.220,00 6.5 10.000 2.710,000 Manufactures U'.750.0i" 12,500,000 1.250,000 Miscellaneous 6.000.000 5. 000, OuO l.OOO.OvO Totals $140,233,679 $116,817,333 $23,416,346 1016. 1915. Increase. Population 12.264 1 1 5.00(1 7,264 Per capita output $ 775 $ 667 $ 10S Assessed valuation 227,619. oin 210,677,963 16.041,347 Per capita asst-sed wealth 1,213 1,201 39 COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF WYOMING'S AGRICULTURAL- OUTPUT IN" 1916 AND 1915. Crop. . Prod tic t Ion Value In Production Value In 1916. 1016. 1915. 1915. 11a v, tons '. . S75,oon s 9.92l.-fv 1,20ft. ooo $in,snniono Oats, bushels S.15",o0 4.23S.OOO 9.307.000 4,JSM' WhPHt, bushels 2,865.000 4.nl1,nrni. 2.944,000 2,649.600 Potatoes, bushels 2,00,'.'i'0 2.S2s.no Corn. bushelH 372.0if) 509. 0'.' 600. 0n() 420.00O Barley, bushels 420,000 336,000 500, OuO 325,000 Miscellaneous, Including sugar beets, rye. flax, fruits, forage, garden truck, millet, sweet clover, clo-ver, emmer, tc 12.000. 000 12.000,000 Total ; $3.!.S44.2SO $32,422,750 Increase l.-121,D30 COMPARATIVE STATEMENT OF WYOMING'S MINERAL PRODUCTION IN 1916 AND 1015. Value of Production Value. Production. Increase Product. 1916.' 1915. 1916. Oil. barrels S. 030.000 $40.JTn,Crfi0 J3O.000.000 $10,150,000 Coal, tons 7,100,000 12.63S.0-J9 9.52,53 3.0S5.466 Iron, tons 700.000 1.400.00Q 1,200,000 200, 000 Copper tion.omt ?.o.nno 670.00U 1 Gold 25.0H0 lO.rmo 15,i'00 j Silver 5,000 2,000 3,000 Miscellaneous including sulphur. plaster, building- stone, pbos- ; phates, etc, 2,000."0O l ,5nn,000 500,000 Total $56. SIS, 019 $42,294,583 $14,523,466 EPITOME OF LIVE STOCK REVENUE OF WYOMING IN 1916 AND 1915. Exported Exported Increase Variety. in 1916. Value. in 1915. Value. in 1916 Cattle 150,000 $10.600,00 120.000 $ S. 410.000 y 2.100,000 Sheep 6.500.000 6,0jO,000 500,000 Horses and mules.. 12,000 1,60.000 15,000 2,100,000 420 000 Swine 13,000 211.350 12,000 195.00M 16,350 Total ! $18,891,350 $16,695,009 $ 2,196,350 Decrease. ; Output Output. Increase. Product. 1916. Value 1915. Value. 1916. Wool, pounds 32,000,000 $3,220,000 31,000.au0 $6,510,000 $2,710,000 Poultry and dairy products 1. 500,000 1,200.000 300 000 Hides 210,000 195,000 15,'uOO Total $10,930,000 $7,905,000 025 00 Grand total $29,821,350 $24,600,000 $5,221,350 COMPARISON OF ASSESSED VALUATION VALUA-TION IN WVOMING IN 1916 AND 1915. County. 1916. 1!U5. Albanv $15,294. 39S.T.6 $14.63.264.34 Rig Horn 8.305. 906.03 7.2U9.944.03 Campbell 5.687,922.59 4.762.344.17 Carbon 16.564,94 1.65 16,055,499.60 Converse 9,196,916.50 8.347.155.45 Crook 6,922.338.4$ 6,053.592.80 Fremont .. .. 11,269.715.88 10.407. 098.53 Goshen 5.304,795.91 4.565.632.82 Hot Springs .. 4,839,641.31 4.OS0.95O.69 Johnson 6.590.535.00 5.765,796.00 Taramie .. .. 24.476,957.63 23.4Fi3.427.21 Lincoln . 604, 512.51 14.334,136.27 Natrona .. .. 15.392,872.03 13,701.272.83 Niobrara .. .. 5.379,642.72 4.673.895.35 Park 7,1S1,402.74 6.642.067.5? Platte 9,795,422.95 8,945.262.36 Sheridan .. .. 19,958,275.35 19.170.943.61 Sweetwater .. 20,707, 29S.17 20.179.090.72 Uinta 9,160,591.19 8,656.294.04 Washakie 3,913.571.57 3,450.127.13 Weston 6,071,851.63 5,477.167.57 Totals $227,619,310.40 $210,677,963.19 Increase in 1916, $16,941,347.21. prices. On the basis of a value of $1.75 per ton at the mine mouth, the 1916 coal output of the state was worth $12,638.-049.25. $12,638.-049.25. an increase of $3, 0S5. 465.75 over the value of the 1915 output. Coal at $1.75 at tho mine mouth, however, does not result in cheap coal for Wyoming consumers. Consumers in Cheyenne, for example, at the end of 1916, are paying from $6.25 to $S a ton for Wyoming coal. The coal mining industry of the state during tho year provided employment for approximately SI00 men. New development of the 40.000 square miles of coal measures which underlie Wyoming was Inconsequential during l!)ifi. the existing colleries being able to supply the increased demand which the year brought forth. Substantial improvements improve-ments were made at several of the larger collieries, vand a number of small mines were opened and are operating at the close of the year. Danger of a labor crisis In the coal industry, in-dustry, which appeared possible during the earlier months of 1016. was removed In August when the mine operators and mine employees of both the northern and southern districts agreed upon new working work-ing and wage schedules, involving an average aver-age wage increase of about 2 per cent and some Improvement in working conditions. This agreement will be effective until September 1, 1918. Worked Steadily. The great open-pit iron mines of the Colorado Fuel &. Iron company at Sunrise, Sun-rise, the only producing iron mines In Wyoming, were worked steadily during I 1916, the product being shipped to reduction reduc-tion works at Pueblo, Colo. The estimated esti-mated output for the year of 700,000 tons, was an increase of 100.000 tons over the output during 1915. The discovery of an immense copper "glory hole" in the midst 1 of the iron added materially to the value j of the output, the value of the copper 1 taken out being reported at $500,000. Two j giant blasts, it is said, brought down 1 more than $150,000 worth of copper ore. I Tiie value of the Iron output, on the basis 1 of a value of $2 a torr at the mine, was ; $1,400,000. This and the value of the incidental in-cidental copper production, brought the ; total value of ores produced during the 1 year to $1,900,000, an increase of $700,000 i over the value of the production of the preceding year. 1 While activity in the production of minerals min-erals other than coal, iron and oil was not great in Wyoming In 1916. compared with the immensity of the state's mineral min-eral resources, there was considerably . more activity In this character than during dur-ing the preceding year. Copper was produced pro-duced in the Seminoe rane, in Carbon county, where a concentrating plant was erected during the year; at the Green Monster mine, near Sunrise; at the Portland Port-land mine, in the Encampment district; at the Muskrat mine, near Manvllle, and at the Rambler mine, near Laramie. Gold was the object of operations, involving both placer and lode mining, in tho Tim-herlake Tim-herlake district, which lies on the Wyoming-Colorado line in southern Carbon county. and at South Pass. Fremont county, and a few other localities. Platinum Plati-num was produced near Laramie. Some silver was produced in the form of a byproduct. by-product. Extensive plaster operations were conducted at Laramie and near Cody much , sulphur was produced. An estimate of the lvalue of the various mineral products of ! the state, aside from oil, during 1916, fol-i fol-i lows: Coal $12,365,049; iron. $1,400,000: I copper. $600,000; gold. S25.000; silver, $50(10; platinum. $5000: miscellaneous, including in-cluding plaster, building stone, sulphur, phosphates, cvpsum, $2,000,000. Total, 516.403.049. This was an Increase of S4.10S.366 over the value of the same materials ma-terials produced in 1915. Propitious Market. 1 Unpropitious growing conditions but propitious market conditions in 1916 combined com-bined to place Wyoming's agricultural Industry In-dustry in the anomalous position of pro- during lesser crops, but greater revenue 'than in the preceding year. A greater i acreage was cultivated In 1916 than was in crop in 1915. but unfavorable meteorological meteor-ological conditions affected both irrigated and un Irrigated crops in 1916 and the result was a decrease from the preceding vear In virtually every cereal and ront product, aud a very serious decrease in the production of forage, which is the state's chief crop. The prevailing higher prices, particularly the higher prices of cereals, potatoes and hay, however, over came on the balance sheet the shortage of production and the stare's agricultural revenue of $33,844,250 in 1916 was an increase in-crease of $1,421,530 over the income from the same field in 1915. Ln this connection it is interesting to note "that while the state's production of wheat in 1916 was 79, OuO bushels less than the production in 1915 the value of the 1916 crop was SI. 361, 400 greater than that of the 1915 crop, and that while the hay crop fell off 325.000 tons in 1916 the value of this crop was only S7S.6'i0 less than that of the crop of 1915. Fullv as striking is the fact that while the 1916 oats crop was 1.257.000 bushels less than the 1915 oats crop, the value of the 1916 crop was $49,S50 greater than that of the 1915 crop. The extension of tho farmed area of tho state was rapid during 1916, settlement settle-ment on "dry farm" claims being so great the homesteaders Invaded the higher and rougher areas, the settlement of the unwatered portion of which, particularly in localities in the vicinity of railroads, was undertaken during the year for the first time. Cultivation of considerable acreages under the larger irrigation projects, proj-ects, in addition to tiie previously cirt-tivaied cirt-tivaied acreages there, also was a development devel-opment of tiie year, and several thousand acres were brought under cultivation by extension of smaller and individual irrigation irri-gation systems. An outstanding feature of the year for the agricultural industry of the state was the "beet war." so called, which manifested mani-fested itself in November and is continuing. con-tinuing. The second factory In Wyoming for the manufacture of sugar from beets was completed at Lovell, in the Big Horn basin, late in the year, at a cost of about ?S0O.00O. The factory represents the extension ex-tension of the Great Western Sugar company's com-pany's activities Into Wyoming and at the time the plant was authorized, and while it was in construction, it was the assumption of this corporation that it would, without opposition, command the beet production of the Big Horn basin and the fertile Wind River valley to the south. In November, however, tbls plan was rudely upset by the announcement that the Wyoming Sugar company, a sub-! sub-! si diary of the great Amalgamated Sugar 1 company, would build a million-dollar I sugar factory at Worland, sixty miles ! south of lovell, between that place and ! the Wind River valley and in the heart ! of the Big Horn basin. Contracted With Farmers. Before the announcement was made, however, the Wyoming Sugar company had contracted with the farmers of the Worland district for a sufficient suffi-cient acreage of beets to supply the projected factory. Immediately after the announcement the Great Western West-ern Sugar company, apparently with the hope of weaning away from the Wyoming Sugar company the support of the farmers upon whom the latter must depend for its beet supplv, increased its standing price for sugar beets in the Big Horn basin $1 a ton. The counter of the Wyoming Sugar company was a mre thorough invasion in-vasion of the field upon which the Great Western had expected to draw, this invasion in-vasion taking the form of offers to the towns of Lander and Rlverton, in the Wind River valley, to erect a sugar factor fac-tor v In each of them provided the surrounding sur-rounding farmers would enter Into agreements agree-ments similar to that made with the Worland farmers. As the year closed the lender and Riverton farmers were signing sign-ing up In order to secure the proffered factories and the prospect was that 1917 would see Wyoming raising several times the acreage of sugar beets raised in 1916. Important progress on the side of scientific scien-tific farming was made during 1916 by the extension of the', benefits of the Smith-Ivevcr federal act to all of Ihe counties of the state. Each of the twenty-one counties now employs a county agricultural agent, whose duty is to promote pro-mote more efficient farm methods and. bref as has been the period of work of this character, its results already are showing. Irrigation Progresses. Work continued durins 1916 on the Shoshone Sho-shone and Pathfinder irrigation projects of the federal government, the work consisting con-sisting of the construction of main-line canals to carry water to additional acreages. acre-ages. During the year ninety-two original orig-inal homestead entries, aggregating an acreage of 6 (35, were made under the S-hoshone project, leaving fifty farm units avallnble to settlers. The extension of the North Platte (Pathfinder) project will make several hundred additional units available under this project. The federal government also continued work during opments of the year was the settlement of the long-standing controversy between the Wyoming Central Irrigation company and the settlers under the corporation's canal, known as the Riverton ditch. Litigation Liti-gation between the company aud the settlers set-tlers was compromised and title to the ditch, which covers about l5,0ou acres of the most fertile land in the state, was conveyed to the set tiers. No progress was the year on extensions of the irrigation system of the Wind Kiver Indian reservation. reser-vation. The department of the interior estimates that the following amounts will be required for work which Is planned on these projects during 1917: Shoshone project, $252,000; Pathfinder project, $1,-170,1)00; $1,-170,1)00; Wind River system. ?25.0no. Among the Important irrigation devel-made devel-made during the year toward bringing about reclamation of the 200.000 additional acres covered by the water rights of the Wyoming- Central company. Several thousand acres were added to the Irrigated area of the stato during the year by individual and small community enterprises. Engineer's Report. The biennial report of the state Engineer for the two years ending September 30 relates that during that period 1671 permits per-mits for irrigation were issued, covering 277,289.63 acres. Utilization of these permits per-mits involved the construction of 1951 miles of canals and ditches. During the same period 303 reservoir permits were issued for 66,727 acre-feet of storage water. wa-ter. The Jackson lake lam of the federal reclamation service, a monumental work, was completed during 1916. but this development de-velopment was of no importance to Wyoming. Wyo-ming. Inasmuch as all of the water conserved con-served by the dam is utilized for the reclamation rec-lamation of lands lying in Idaho. At the close of 1916 the Wyoming-Colorado Wyoming-Colorado water case, involving the question ques-tion of riparian and priority rights, is under advisement In the supreme court of the United Stales, having been argued ar-gued in December. The decision of the court will be of far-reaching importance, not only to Wyoming and Colorado, but to all other western states. No accurate system of keeping records and compiling statistics relative, to Wyoming's Wy-oming's livestock industry is maintained, officially or otherwise, and figures regarding" re-garding" the livestock industry in the state necessarily are more or less problematical. problemati-cal. The 'available sources of information Indicate that the livestock industry of the state produced during 1916 an income of $29.S21.3."iO, as against an income of $24.-eoo.uOO $24.-eoo.uOO in 1915, the increase shown by the last, year being S5.2. 1 .350. Nearly one-half one-half of this increase is accounted for by the Increase in the state's wool production produc-tion and the remarkable increase in th value of the wool ciip. and much of the remainder was due to the increased number num-ber of cattle exported as a result of a shortage of forage crops and of first-class first-class market conditions. Cattle Exported. v During 1916. on the basis of the best obtainable Information. Wyoming stockmen stock-men exported 150. uOO head of cattle, valued val-ued at SlO.Si'O.O'iO. The exports in li'l5 totaled 120.000 head, valued at $5,400 00m. The 1916 income, therefore, was $2,100, 000 greater than the 1915 income. The number of horses and mules exported ex-ported from tho state during 1916 was less than the number exported in 19 1 5, the decrease resulting from the decreased (j demand for these varieties of livestock on the part of the European belligerents. During 1916 Wyoming exported I2,n00 head of horses and mules, valued at $1,-680.00O. $1,-680.00O. In 1915 Ihe horse and mule ox-ports ox-ports totaled 15.0no head, valued at J2.-100.000. J2.-100.000. The 1916 income from this (Continued on Following Page.) PROSPERITY IN " WYOMING GREAT IN PASJ YEAR Mining Development Takes First Place, While Second Sec-ond Goes to Agricultural Agricul-tural Activity. (Continued Prom Preceding Page.) source, therefore, was S420.OO0 less thin the 1915 income from t lie s.'ime source Tlie number of swine exported in i'HS was 13,000 head and the value thereof 1 S211,3r,0. The number of swine exported in 1515 was 12,000 and the value thereof I SlSo.OOO. Therefore, the 1'jlo exoo-ts weie I Sis.3i(l prreater in value than were the .' 1515 exports. - r The value of sheep exported during 1016 probably reached ?6.5u0,ui)0, as against a fl value or such exports in 1315 of te 000 -O'.pO, the increase for the year Uls beln's wT $500,000. Poultry and dairy products of the state during 151b probably totaled In value SI - 500,000. an increase of S3O0.000 in value over the output of the same products In ' 1515. The value of hides sold during the past year probably was $210,000, an Increase In-crease of $15,000 over the value of hides ' soid during" 1516. i Increase From Wool. j Nearly one-third of the income from , uvcoi.,..K iMunMiv in ine state during 1316 was derived from wool, the increase in the value of which over the value of . the same product in the prece lins vear J might be described as spectacular." While the 31,000, 000-pound clip of the state in 1315 sold for an average price of about 21 cents a pound and brought S6 -610.000, the 32.000, 000-pound clip 'of 1316 sold for an aveiase price of 29 cents a pound and brought $5,220,000. The Increase In-crease in income from the state's wool in 316 over tile income from the same sou-ce in 1915 was $2,710,000. Several of the large individual clips of 1316 were sold for better than S3 cents a pound and 'three pounds for a dollar" became a slogan with the sheepmen of the state. There was little disease among the l;ve-stock l;ve-stock of the state during the year and conditions generally wie propitious. The biennial report of the state veterinarian veteri-narian relates tiiat during 1915-16 thorc were imported into Wyoming ITS. -152 held of cattle. 30.912 head of horses and mules and 33,196 head of swine. To Spend Millions. Xo notable railroad construction was done in Wyoming during 1316, but at the close of the year the Union Pacific Railroad Rail-road company is . preparing to expend $.j.o00.O00 in completing the double-tracking of its main line across the state, and this work will be completed during 1917 Also there is talk of the construction during dur-ing the coming year of a Union Pacific-feeder Pacific-feeder to the recently discovered Lost Soldier oil field, forty miles north of the roads main line, and of the possible continuation of this feeder northward to a connection in central Wyoming with the Burlington and the Chicago Northwestern. North-western. Another feeder which it is ru-mored ru-mored may be undertaken during the A. J0!""15 y.ear is a Burlington connection 'F bet"n its central Wyoming main line I a",d ,ts northeastern Wyoming line Such ' a feeder would open a rich oil-hearing and itoek-raising country lying in Xatrona. Converse and Campbell counties. During the year construction progressed intermittently on an independent line from the Burlington at Clearmont to Buffalo, one of the two Inland county seats in the state. About thirty miles of the forty miles of this line has been completed. The construction of several short feeder lines into sugar beet-producing districts during 1917 is projected, as Is also that of a Burlington feeder from Moorcroft or Gillette to Sundance, the second of the inland county seats. The Saratoga & Encampment railway, running from Walcott on the Union Pacific Pa-cific to Encampment, a distance of about sixty miles, was sold during the year by a federal receiver, tile purchaser, a committee com-mittee of bondholders, securing the railroad rail-road and subsidiary concerns with a total capitalization of $3,36S,500 on a bid of only $S5,000. Assessed Valuation. The assessed valuation of taxable property prop-erty In Wyoming In 1916 was $227,619,-310.10. $227,619,-310.10. an increase of S16.!Ul.3l7.21 over tne assessed valuation of 1915, which was $210,677,903.19. The valuation of taxable property In tile state In 1916 is apportioned as follows: fol-lows: Railroads. S55,7SO,lio; telegraph and telephone, 81.343,920.38: car companies. $1,621,853.21: lands. $53.32S.458.22; Improvements Im-provements on lands. $11,045.9S2: town lots. $11,50344.50; improvements on town lots, $18. S3. .834: mineral reservation on railroad lands. S2.363.!03: cattle. $26 238 -S65: horses. SS.S24.860: mules and asses, $242,065: sheep. $10,567,732: swine. $149.-100: $149.-100: goats, S5268: dogs. $4353: carriages, wagons and vehicles other than motor-driven motor-driven vehicles. $775,007: automobiles and motorcvcles. SI. 645. 494. 10: farming utensils uten-sils and mechanics' tools. $986,932; clocks, watches, jewelry, gold and silver plate, precious stones, $65,693; musical Instruments. Instru-ments. $492,101: private libraries. $21,496; law libraries. Sn6,7S7: household furniture. $448,813: capita! emploved in merchandise. merchan-dise. S6.716.93S.17: capital employed In manufactures. $2, 101. 700: stocks and shares In corporations. $4,316,553.09; moneys mon-eys and credits after deducting debts. S301.492; coal output. S5. 099. 510. 50 ; iron output. $533,319.40: cooper output, $55,-260; $55,-260; oil output. $2,572,422: other property not enumerated, $1,779,130.50. Colonization Important. An important suggestion - for Wyoming colonization during 1917 and ensuing vears was put forth late in 1916 bv a board of survey consisting of Dr. Elwood Mead of Berkeley, Cal.. one of the foremost of International In-ternational Irrigation experts and former state engineer of Wyoming: James B. True, stale engineer of Wyoming, and E. G. Hooson of the federal reclamation service. ser-vice. This suggestion, in brief. Is that the state of Wyoming undertake to -inance settlers on lands irrigated by fed-"eral fed-"eral reclamation protects during the period of time necessary to transform the lands for which water Is provided Into paving larms. That the state may be financially in a position to do this, the recommendation recommenda-tion is made that congress grant to Wyo-niing Wyo-niing 4. 000. 000 acres of the federal lands m the state, this grant to be sold to provide pro-vide a fund from which the settlers may be financed. Such a grant, on the basis of tile average value of Wyoming grazing graz-ing lands, would be worth at least $16.-000.000. $16.-000.000. The state, it Is proposed, shall lend the settlers an amount sufficient to develop their claims, this amount to be payable mi installments during a period of thirty or forty years. A further recommendation recom-mendation is that the federal government set aside contiguous to each area of land for which water is provided an additional addi-tional (area ten times as great, this area to be apportioned among the settlers on the basis of ten acres of arid land to one acre of Irrigated land for livestock grazing purposes. The board of survey recommends that the legislature of Wyoming Wyo-ming and congress at once eiffcrt the legislation necessary to put the piln into effect. 1 Wyoming has a steadllv growing manu- i facturing inc'ustry, official statistics re- i garding which for 1916 are not available. Assuming, however, that there was a general gen-eral increase of 10 per cent during the i year, there are now 3S5 manufacturing ! establishments in the state, these estab- : Mshments not including hand trades, bulldirTg trades and neighboring industries. indus-tries. These manufacturing establishments establish-ments during 3916, on the basis of a 10 per cent increase, gave employment to UO0 persons and turned out products val- ; ued at $13,750,000. Three million three . hundred thousand dollars was paid out in i salaries and wages. The industry represents repre-sents S33,00it,000 of capital. Wyoming industrial pursuits other than those otherwise herein stated, these pursuits pur-suits including the increasing lumbering industry, produced durinsr 1916, on the uasis of reasonable estimates, $6,000,000.- , |