l«t;e.] ^Qfj [Ihiydcn. 



As .1 fuel for doniestic purposes I am convinced that this coal 

 Avill ranlc next to anthracite and prove snperior to the ordinary 

 hitiiuiinous coals. It is as neat as antliracite, leaving no stains 

 on tlie lingers. It produces no offensive gas or odor, and is 

 superior in a sanitar}- point of view ; and when brought into 

 general use it will be a great favorite for culinary purposes. It 

 contains no destructive elements, leaves ver3' little ash, no clink- 

 ers, and produces no more erosive effects on stove grates or 

 steam-boilers than dry wood. If exposed in the open air it is 

 apt to crumble, but if protected it receives no special injur3\ 

 Dr. Torrey thinks there is no reason why it should not be emi- 

 nently useful for generating steam and for smelting ore. 



In the Laramie Tlain along the line of the Union Pacific Rail 

 Road extensive beds of coal have been opened, and the coal is 

 used for generating steam and for fuel on the cars. It cannot 

 be long before it will come into general use throughout the West. 



August Ibth. Left Cheyenne City with Dr. Curtin, an assist- 

 ant on the Surve}', and Mr. Whitehead, a citizen of Che^'enne 

 City, for the purpose of exploring the Clierrj^-water valley to 

 its head. For the first twenty miles we passed over the light 

 colored marls and sands of the White River Tertiary. As we 

 approached the foot of the mountains we came into a beautiful 

 valley, varying from three to ten miles in width, looking as 

 though it had been scooped out as it were during the Glacial 

 period by forces from the mountain sides. All over this country 

 ai'e marked proofs of a powerful erosion at the close of the Drift 

 period, which gave to the surface of the country its i)resent con- 

 figuration. There are terraces also along the base of the moun- 

 tains as well as along the stream, and the nearer we approach the 

 mountain slopes the more conspicuous these terraces become. 



We camped the night of the 15th on Horse Creek, a branch of 

 the North Platte. This valley can hardly be surpassed for 

 grazing purposes. The water is excellent and the grass good. 

 Near the point where the creek issues from the foot hills of the 

 Laramie range there is a series of upheaved ridges with a strike 

 nearly east and west, the beds inclining from 50^ to tO^. The 

 series of strata seems to be nearly as complete as that observed 

 southward towards Denver. The red arenaceous beds are well 

 shown, but no gypsum was seen. 



In the valley of the Cherr\'-water near the fount whence its 

 branches issue, the rocks are elevated at various angles, and by 

 their great variety of color give a most picturesque appearance 



