Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XVI.djvu/777

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

WYNDHAM from those of noted observers who had gone before him. His most recent papers relate to archaeological subjects, the last one (read at a meeting of the society of natural history, May 20, 1874) being on the discovery of human re- mains in the fresh-water shell heaps of Florida. WYNDHAM, Sir William, a British statesman, born at Orchard- Wyndham, Somersetshire, in 1687, died in "Wells, July 17, 1740. He was educated at Oxford, and entered the house of commons for his native county. He identi- fied himself with the tories, and was secretary at war in the Oxford and Bolingbroke minis- try in 1711-'13, and chancellor of the exchequer in 1713-'14. In the quarrel between Oxford and Bolingbroke he took the part of the latter, and was suspected of treasonable relations with the pretender. On the outbreak of the rebel- lion in Scotland under the earl of Mar in 1715, he was arrested at his house in Somersetshire, but escaped. A reward of 1,000 was offered for his apprehension, and after lurking for some time in disguise he surrendered himself nnd was committed to the tower. He was finally re- leased without a trial, but remained until his death a leader of the parliamentary opposition to the ministry of Sir Robert Walpole. His son, Sir CHARLES WYNDHAM, who inherited from his mother's brother, the duke of Somer- set, the title of earl of Egremont, was chosen by Fox and Waldegrave to be secretary of state after the dismissal of Pitt by George II. in 1 757 ; but the return of Pitt to office frustrated the arrangement. Egremont however received the place on Pitt's final resignation, Oct. 5, 1761. He died in 1763. WYNRIN DE WORDE. See WORDE. WYOMING, a territory o.f the United States, situated between lat. 41 and 45 N., and Ion. 104 and 111 W., forming nearly a perfect quadrangle; length E. and W. about 350 m., breadth about 275 m. ; area, 97,883 sq. m. It is bounded N. by Montana, E. by Dakota and Nebraska, S. by Colorado and Utah, and W. by Utah, Idaho, and Montana. It is divided into seven counties, viz. : Albany, Carbon, Crook, Laramie, Pease, Sweetwater, and Uintah. The principal places, all of which are small, are Cheyenne, the capital, in Laramie co. ; Laramie City and Sherman, Albany co. ; Rawlins and Carbon, Carbon co.; South Pass City, Rock Springs, Green River City, and Atlantic City, Sweetwater co. ; and Evanston, Uintah co. ; all, except South Pass City and Atlantic City, on the Union Pacific railroad. The popula- tion in 1870 was 9,118, including 183 colored persons, 143 Chinese, and 66 non-tribal In- dians; in 1875, estimated by the governor at 24,000. Of the inhabitants in 1870, 5,605 were native and 3,513 foreign born, 7,219 males and 1,899 females. Of the natives, 293 were born in the territory, 985 in New York, 627 in Pennsylvania, 547 in Ohio, 404 in Illinois, and 319 in Missouri. Of the foreigners, 1,976 were natives of the British isles, including 1,102 Irish, and 652 of Germany. There were WYOMING 749 449 males and 407 females between 5 and 18 years of age, 6,056 males from 18 to 45, and 6,107 males 21 years old and upward. The number of families was 2,248, with an average of 4-06 persons to each; of dwellings, 2,379, with an average of 3-83 to each. Of persons 10 years old and upward, 468 could hot read and 602 could not write; 6,645 were returned as engaged in all occupations, of whom 165 were employed in agriculture, 3,170 in profes- sional and personal services, 1,646 in trade and transportation, and 1,664 in manufactures and mining. There are about 1,800 Shoshone In- dians occupying a reservation of 1,620,000 acres in the W. part of the territory, who maintain tribal relations. The surface of Wy- oming is high and mountainous, the mean elevation being 6,450 ft. The main chain of the Rocky mountains extends across it 8. E. and N. W., entering from Colorado W. of the 105th meridian and passing out at the N. W. corner. Much the larger part of the territory lies N. E. of the "divide." The principal ranges are the Wind River mountains, in the N. W. ; the Big Horn mountains, N. of the centre ; the Black hills in the N. E. ; the Lara- mie mountains S. W. of these, and still fur- ther S. the Medicine Bow mountains, on the Colorado border ; the Bishop mountains, W. of the main chain and also on the border ; and the Rattlesnake hills and Sweetwater moun- tains, in the central portion of the territory, the former N. and the latter on both sides of the Sweetwater river. Fremont's peak, the loftiest summit of the Wind River mountains, about lat, 43 15', Ion. 110', is 13,570 ft. high. The Laramie mountains form the E. boundary of the Laramie plains. Laramie peak is about 10,000 ft, high. The Laramie plains have a length N. W. and S. E. of 90 m. and an aver- age breadth of 75 m., comprising an area of nearly 7,000 sq. m., with an average eleva- tion of 7,000 ft. They are bounded N. W. by the Rattlesnake hills 'and S. by the Medicine Bow mountains, and are drained chiefly by the Laramie and Medicine Bow rivers. The sur- face varies in character and elevation, some portions consisting of beautiful meadow ex- panses, while others are rolling and hilly, with little vegetation. The Black hills (partly be- longing to Wyoming and partly to Dakota) lie between the N. and S. forks of the Chey- enne river, a tributary of the Missouri, chiefly in Dakota, and between the 43d and 45th par- allels and the 103d and 105th meridians, ex- tending N. and S. about 100 m., with a breadth of from 40 to 60 m. The base has an elevation of from 2,500 to 3,000 ft., while the peaks rise to a height of from 6,000 to 7,000 ft. A great- er quantity of rain falls here than in the sur- rounding plains, and the hills are well wooded, chiefly with pine. Valuable pastures exier and there is considerable arable land, uold has recently been discovered. Unsuccessfu attempts have been made to extinpu^l Indian title to the Black hills, but large num-