8iRi ftiSf OpfjfcS iivfifiy- SfMS AS gaods feti at few&i ricds for aask A wcH selectee stool rf Soreiga and Amorican Watches, LaJie GroM WatcLes eiid 6?iaiaJsj so.
he. A large assortment of Clock) headquarters for tiarshes' Patent Accommodation Spectacles; llepairilig done on short notice and all Work Warranted. Call and tfiamiriG for yourselves
jid Opid and i4atcti bella, iUng-s, i'jii'
T
THE HERALD
rub'llsWd every Thursday at
FttATTSMOl'TM, XCRR4SKA.
THE HERALD.
MIEBMA-
EE1AI
A
Anyi:icTisic; kati:s:
n0 Nqtf:ire, (11 lines r Vis) one It.wrl 11 . Hfi,
Iv.wU milise;uellt lil"i(Ttl"ll OL
l'iifi-s.stoiiHl cuds, not exeeetPng mix llnon.'.in.w
Heolutnn per milium 2ii
ieoiiinn t jii.n'ini 4.oc
Hepliunii lo ffci.W
One c(i!iiiun lo 100-od
All BdvcrtNfiiK Mils due quarterly. ,
Transient advertisement must la fVt id
advance.
i lTlce-On Main St., Bet, ;itM and BUr.
Second Story.
OFFKIAL PAPER OF CASS
COUNTY.
J. A. MACMURPHY, Editor.
PERSEVERANCE CONQUERS.
it
TERMS; $2.00 & Year
TermS, In Advance
5a" copy, one year $2.00
?iy, nix month 1.00
copy, three months 50
"Volume 9.
PiattsmoutB, Nebraska, Thursday, August 28, 1873.
Number 22.
Extiia CnviF ok Tiir IIntAi i ifiwl Tf ft.'
J. Mrcitrlit.nl I tie Post outer, mitl l). F.Juua
son, corner of Main and Fifth M.
ATTORNEYS.
XI 1. KEKSE. Attorney at Law. Ofnee on
- ' M;iln Street, over Chapman" Drug Store.
Sc;-l attention given to collection of Claims.
H. WHEKI.KK, J. w. STIJfCIICOMB.
Tf'Iireler & Stliiclicomh,
ATTORNEYS AT LAW,
-iy Plattsmouth. Nebraska.
CaM. M. CHAPMAN. K. T. MAXWELL.
t'liapman & Maxwell.
ATTOKNEYS AT LAW find Solicitors In
v';i.i:: ry. otltee in Fitzgerald's Block, J-lutU-Nebraska.
X f A ' J f ETT, SMITH & STAI'IUKI. Attor
neysaf Law. I'ractice in all the court of
t. Mate. Sceial attention given ta collections
: iiattersof Pmlwte.
en over the I'ost Office, riattsmouth. Xt-b.
PHYSICIANS.
K. LIVINGSTON'. Phyi:lan ami Surgeon,
Tenders his proicHMouat service to the
t!H of t'ass coimtv. lleMdcnee southeast
r of Oak anil Sixtli streets ; ofllce on Main
r. one loor west of Lyn tali's Lumber Yard,
nioiith. Nebraska.
IIAWLINS, Surgeon and Physician
?e a Surireoii-in-t'hicf of the Ariny of the
I'lattHiiioiitn. Neir;isk:i. Office at O.
n's lima Store, Main street.
INsL'HANCE.
iil Kl.KK & BENNETT Ileal Estate and
xtiivintr Agents. Notaries Inihlie. tire
sr.-'. Life Insurance Agents, l'lattsiiiouth. Neb.
;i I I.IS I'AINE tleuenil Insurance Auent,
- i."tesents some of the most reliable t'om-
i in the United States.
HOTELS.
15HOOKS HOUSE,
JOHN FlTZf:KILLI). Proprietor.
Main Street, between Fifth & Sixth.
MISCELLANEOUS.
I'Inttsr.iouMi Willis.
O nEISEL, Iroiirietor. Have recently bnen
- repaired and placed in thorough runniiiK
,.' T. loo.ooo Bushels of Wheat wanted imme-
y for wbitdi the highest market price will
: id.
Abstracts of Title.
THE Nl'M EMCAL SYSTEM The be-t Jn use
For descriptive circulars, address.
ACUES. BLAi'KMAU & CO..
. Burlington. Iowa.
VT.KENIIOUSE AXD
PLANTS.
BEDDING
T".i.i and inonev saved bv orderlnsr of inr. I
(.,,- ' !ie larirtM :ind best Volleetioti of Plants
offered for sale in the West. Catalogues
r- svveet Potato, t 'abhaire. Tomato, and olh--
:'.nts for sale in their season.
iress W. J. 11 ESt? E IS, Plattsmouth, Nib.
Agents Wanted.
POK A BOOK NEEDED BY ALL.
best books published on he Hor and
-i - r Liberal terms. .Money made rapidly
it , iits selling the tienks. Send f'r circu--..
POBTEI; & COATES.
liiblislars, Philadelphia, Pa.
r fNE ART GALLERY.
f7"'IiotoKrarb.s, Ambrotrpes and copies
.i : o'd pictures, plain or colored, either in ink
;-.- r oil. All work neatly executed and war-
. ' i to Kke satisfaction.
V. V: l.'-iOXABD. Artist.
Hi "dain St., Plattsmouth, Neb.
?SW DRUG STORE.
T. L. POTTER,
f.UMS IN PlirCS. MEPTCINES. PAINT?,
JU.S. VAKMSH. PEKl-T MEUY,
STAT ION EltY. NOTIONS,
CTUAKS AND TO
BACCO. ltL
L. GOLDING,
nft'e-r in
wrnivr,. rruNisiHNO coons, ilkts,
CAl'S. BOOTS, SHOES. T1H NKS,
VALISES. CAIil'ET BAOS,
&c, &c., &c, &e.
V of the oldest nnd most ltellable ITouses
n .ttsmouth. Maia street, between Fourth
u - . iftli.
Siy-HEMEMEEU THE PLACE.
NEW STYLES.
XL L. ELSTER,
n Hit C H ANT T AILOR.
Pe a rfcelpt of the finest and
BEST ASSORTMENT
-it MEKES. CLOTHS. VESTINGS. SCOTCH
GOODS, JBISlI FKILSES, &c.
- 'ict the lanrest and best assortment of
. s ever brought to this city, wliich I am
.red to make up in the Latest Styles, fall
i- examine tioods. apnlis.
Mrs- A. Whitcomb,
DRESS AND CLOAK 3IAKER,
" -is three doors est of Brooks House;
' jTTINO AND FITTING 21 ABE
A SPECIALTY.
f Tatterns of all kinds constantly on hand
'JC-iy.
X W. SHANNON'S
J LED, SALE, tC LIVERY STABLE.
Main street, Plaltsmontli, Neb
T aril prep.tred to accommodate tlitf rublic
nes,-Ci-rriaees.
Buggies, "Wagon.
and a No. 1 Hearse.
i bort notice and re.'i tollable terms. A
: :- vi'! run to the Steamboat Landing, Depot
-.:: --artsot the city wiieu uesireu.
:.ilC
Blacksmith Shop.
HAS. 2sr. TIFFANY,
JIT. PLEASANT, NEB.
JV-?s leave to inform the farmers of
-, County that he keeps a good No. 1
JLACKSJIITII SHOP
r mile north of Mt. Pleasant.
.Ml kinds of Iron Wortfc attended to.
; -on repaired. Farm Implements
r aiully mended. Lowest prices, and
work done on short notice;
Griiri received in pavment. , Give
:r-:vtriaJ. ChAs. N Tiffany: .
Official Directory.
CON'tatESSIONAL.
T. W
Tipton. Browtivllle V.
S. Senator.
P. W. Hitchcock, Omaha
V. S. Senator.
L. Croun.se, 1 1. Calhoun
Representative.
EXECUTIVE.
R. Vi. Furnas. Brownvllle
J. .1. Oosper, I.im-oln
if. B. Weston, Beatrice
11. A. Kuntg; Coluuibus
.1. K. Webster. Crete
Governor.
Sec'y of State.
, Auditor.
, . . ..Treasurer.
Att'y (ien.
J. M. McKenzie, Lincoln.. .Sup't Pub. Instruc'n
JUDICIARY,
Geo. B. Lake, Omaha Chief Justice.
lianlcl
&Ss-t;::y' 0.
Samuel
ILATTSSIOUTn.
R. R. Livingston Mayor.
Phelps Paine City Clerk.
Wm. Winterstelii City Treasurer.
I. W. Haines Police Judge.
Mile Morgan Marshal.
D. N. Johnson Street Commissioner.
ALDERMAN.
First Ward. J. Fitzgerald, II. S. Newman.
Sk.coxd Ward. .1. Wavman. C. Nichols.
Thiki Wakii.-K. C. CiLshing.Thos. Pollock.
FotKi'ii Ward. U. Vivian, L. F.Johnson.
CASS COUNTY.
II. F. Ellison
DanT Mi'Kinnon...
W. L. Hol.bs
C. W. Wise
Jacob Vallery, 1
T.Clarke. V...
Lyman James, )
J. W. Thomas
Probate Judpe.
County Clerk.
Treasurer.
...Sup't Pub. Instruct 'n.
-County Comml.ssior.ers.
Coroner.
Churches.
TAPT1ST On the corner of Main and Ninth,
Rev. T. J. Arnold. Pastor. Services every
Sabbath, at 11 a. m. and 7 ). m. Sabbath Sehool
at a. m. Prayer meeting every Wednesday
evening.
f MIKISTIAT-f Service in Congregation Church
at 11 a. in. and 6 : .' i. in: Corner of 1icust
and nth streets. Cordial invitation extended to
all classes to attend.
P PI SCO FA L Corner Vine and Third streets,
-- Minister. Services every Sunday at
11 :a. in. and 8 p. in. Sunday school at 3 p. m:
CATHOLIC North side nf Public Square, Rev.
Father Bobal. First Mass every Sabbath at
8-30 a. in.. Second Mrm :i'id .sermon at 10-:),
Vespers and Benediction, at 7 p. m. Mass at
8 a. ni. every week day.
THIRST PRESBYTERIAN North side of Main
- street, west of CtU, Rev. W. T. Battle ; Ser
vices every Sabbath at 11 a. in. audi p.m.
Sabbath School at -:i a. in. Irayer meeting
every Wednesday evening at 8 o'clock.
-lETHODIST EPISl'tlPAL West side of nth
street south if Main. Rev. C. MeKelviey
l'astor. Services every Sabbath, at to ::w a. m.,
and 7 p. in. l'rayer meeting every Thursday
evening. Class meeting every Monday evening,
and immediately alter close of Sabbath morn
ing services. Sabbath School at i! :30, M. B.
Reese, Suierllitendaiit.
COXTA15 den 24 September hat die Deutsche
Ev. Luth. Gemeiiids in ihrem Schulliaus vor
miitags inn It I lir Gotteodienst. l'eberbaut
lindet derselbe von jetzt an receliuaessig alle H
Tagestatt. Minister, Rev. L. Hannawalil.
Sabbath s-hool at 1 p. in., l'rof. d'AUemand,
Superintendent.
Lodges.
I
O. O. F. Regular meetings of Platte Lodge
No. 7. I. O. I ). F. everv Thursdav evenimr at
Odd Fellows' Hall. Transient Brothers are cor
dially Invited to visit.
EE. CUNNINGHAM. N. G.
HALKX. Sciii.k;kl, Secretao''
1
O. O. F. Plattsmoi'th Kntampjifxt No.
X Reirular Convocations the and 41 h
Friday's of each month at Odd Fellows' Hall
corner 3d and Main streets. Transient Patri
archs cordially invited to visit.
H. J, STREIGUT, C. P.
it. .-kw m m, rcrue
M
A SONIC PL VTTSMOITH LOIXiE Xil. 6. A.
I-. & A. M. Keirular liicetinirs at their Hall
on the tlrst and third Monday evenings of each
month. Transient brethren invited to visit.
R. R. LIVINGSTON, W. M.
A. d' A l. i.em and. See,
A COY' LOLGE No. !. A. F. & A. M. Rejru-
Jar meetinirs at "Macov Hall, first .-mil tbinl
Fridays J. N. WISE, W. M.
J. M. Bearhsi.ky, Sec.
"V"EBKAKKA CH A ITER No 3, R. A. M. Reg
ular Con vocations second and fourth Tues
day evenings of each month at T'-i o'clock p. in.
R. K. LIVINGSTON, II. P.
u. jEWMis, sec.
O. G. T. OLIVE BRANCH. No. 2. II. H.
Bedweil. V. C. T. : D. D. Martindale. W.
Sec. ; T. W. Shryock. Ixidge Deputy, meets at
Clark & Plummer's Hall every Wednesday eve
ning. J ravelling Templars re sjectfu!ly invited.
TURXVEREIN. The Turner Soeletv meets at
Tiimerv H:dl In I Itttlini'in'u ltliwV ,n lw
first and third Wednesdays of each month.
a. on seiiwaneuiierg. rresulelit ; Oeorge
Karelier. Vice President : H. Newman. Treas
urer : . Breed. ReconUinr Secretary : Paul
Braidsch. Correspondidg Secretary : "William
Hassler. First Tuni Wart : John Bons, Second
Turn Wart ; Oswald Guthman, Warden.
Purissima et Optima.
Tliis unrivalled Medicine is warranted not to
contain a single particle, of Mercury, or any in
jurious mineral substance, but is
PURELY VEGATABLE.
For forty years it has proved its great value
in all diseases of the Liver. Bowids and Kidneys
Thousands of the good and great In all parts of
the country vouch for its wonderful and peculiar
power in puniving me mood, stimulating I lie
torpid liver and bowels, and imparting new life
and vigor to the whole svstem. Simmons' Liv
er Regulator is acknowledged to have no equal
as a '
LIVER MEDICINE,
It contains four medical elements, never unit
ed in the same happy proportion in anv other
nteiiaratioli. viz : a cntle Cathartic, a wonder
ful Tonic, an un-exceptionable Alterative and a
certain Corrective of all impurities of the body.
Such signal success has attended its use, that it
is now regarded as the
GREAT UNFAILING SPECIFIC,
for Liver Complaint and the painful offspring
thereof. to-wit; Dyspepsia. Constipation,
Depression of Spirits, Sour Stomach, Heart
Burn. fcc. &c.
Regulate the Liver and prevent
CHILLS AND FEVER,
rrep-ared only by J. H. ZEILIN & CO.
Send for a Circular and aa Arcli street,
uniugisis. .Macon.
Ga,
t.
price Si. by mail 1.25
Philadelphia Pa.
For Sale by
jani-wly
J. H. Buttery,
riattsmouth. Neb.
MONEY SAVED
BY
Buying Yonr Gfreenriouse and
Bedding Plants
AT THE
Picnic (wardens.
"TYONT send East for Plants when yon ran get
just as good for less money nearer home.
To m numerous iriends and patrans I would
say that I have the largest and best stock of
plants ever offered for sale in the Wesft, and
ai rcasouauie prices.
Be sure and send for my
IVew 2)e$criptlVe Catalogue.
W.llCtl Will be Sent fre to all Iir onntv for it
Thn give nic your orders, and 1 feel confident I
i can saiisiv vou.
ia llJaMagajla
IsTEBRASKAj
Her Natural Advantages and
Resources.
Continued.
WATER POWER MANUFATUR
ING ADVANTAGES.
There are a number of fine water
powers in the State, already developed.
One of the finest is said to le on the
Blue, at Beatrice, iu Gage count y,
where mills and factories are already
in process of erection. At Falls City,
on the Nemaha, is a fine water Power ;
Weeping Water, in Cass county, fur
nishes several find mill, sites; Salt
Creek, another, at Ashland and at Lin
coln; the Blues and the Republican
are full of water power, if that's all
you want. It only needs capital and
population to develop their resources
in that respect. North of the Platte,
on Logan Creek, there are several fine
mills already iu operation. The Elkhorn
furnishes a fine water power at West
Point, another at Norfolk, while the
whole Platte River bids fair to be used
as a vast water power by a new pro
cess shortly to be matured, and which
consists of building cribs, or vats, near
the edge, in such a manner as to keep
the quick sand out; when the water
can be led through sluices to any point
Inland with sufficient fall.
As regards the manufacturing ad
vantages, any ".nil all of these places
would furnish advantages enough if
some one will furnish the money and
the stuff to manufacture. 'That is all
we need.
This ought to be a great sheep coun
try; it must be, in time, but the sheep
men and the woolen mills must work
together and settle up the country at
the same time. We ought to manu
facture chairs, bedsteads, wagons and
buggies, the material being shipped in
"knock downs," and our water power
could be used to aid in that.
0j articles raised at home aside from
grain and wool, we can raise (lax in
abundance; and oil mills, rope walks,
and certain kinds of paper manufac
tories ought to spring up on each of
these streams. We waste and burn up
straw and fiber enough every year to
supply New Vork City with wrapping
paper. Many kinds of canned fruits
and berries could be put up to advan
tage, had we but tke men and means
here, the fruit and berries can be raised
for a" song on land costing S3 per acre,
whereas they are now raised and put
up where land costs from $30 upwards,
and manures, costing almost 513 much
more. We soon shall manufacture
cider in abundance, an?T whiskies from
apples and grain till you can't rest
whether that is a credit or any good to
a Stiite, some will doubt; we merely
mention the fact. Vinegar factories
are springing up all over. A new pro
cess for tanning leather bids fair to
open up a profitable business in that
line. The tanning property being Ob
tained from a hitherto useless weed,
and so cheaply that the only question
seems to be want of hides enough to
keep the mill going. We are manu
facturing a good many pounds of beef
and pork out of corn and things, and
we need several thousands of dollars
invested in the business of manufac
turing said beef and pork into mess
beef and pork, pickled tongues, hams,
shoulders, bacon and such. We have
the finest clays in the world, and large
pottery establishments are needed at
once. Mineral paints abound, and
when we have pure linseed oil of home
manufacture we need a good paint fac
tory and 10,000 good workmen in that
line -to cover up 'these cotton wood
houses with half a dozen coats or so, of
home made paint. All these things we
have mentioned can be carried on
without any great expense for fuel, ex
cept the pottery, perhaps, our numer
ous water powers furnishing ample
motive power. Of the great manufac
turing elements such as iron and steel,
or copper and lead 'works, we have
none, nor yet have we developed suffi
cient amount of fuel to carry them on
even if we had the ores. We have an
immense bed of salt near Lincoln,
which, some day, no doubt, will make
Nebraska salt as famous as Turk's
Island, for some purposes.
In short our advantages for manu
facturing ate endless, could we but in
duce the requisite capital and some
little fortitude and patience on both
sides to come to us.
NAVIGABLE WATERS.
The Missouri River is navigable for
any river steamer the entire length of
the eastern boundary of the State, and
we have no other streams that can be
fairly said to be navigable waters. We
must build a canal from Fremont to
Galveston and turn as much of the
Platte into it as we need to sail barges
on before we can be said to have any
navigable waters.
RAILROADS PRESENT; AND
PROSPECTIVE.
Present "Well do we remember
when it was a problem whether the
poor, forlorn settler, west of the Mis
souri should ever see a railroad train
again, er hear the welcome shriek of a
Locomotive. In the winter of '6G the
writer drove thirty odd miles from the
Missouri river over in Iowa, just to see
a railrcfad train once more, nol hitirg
bad that pleasure for three years pre-
tious. - .
Now wei are belted with them. OrJr
roads iri operation are: The U. P. R:
from Omaha td the Western boundary
of the State, a distance of 400 miles.
The Omaha & Northwestern from
Omaha to Tekama, in Biirt county,
4G miles; the Sioux City and Pacific
railroad, f roni the Missouri river near
Blair to Fremont, 25 miles; the Fre
mont and Elkhorn Valley railroad,
from Fremont to WisneT, up the val
ley of the Eikhorn, 50 miles.
South of the Platte. The great B. &
M. with its leased lines. The main
line runs from Plattsmouth to Kearney
Junction, on the Union Pacific R. R., a
distance of 191 rdiles, through one of
the finest farming countries the eye of
man ever saw. The Omaha & South
western branch from Oreapolis to
'Omaha, 17 miles; the Omaha & South
western branch from Crete to Beatrice,
31 miles.
The Atchison & Nebraska completed
from Atchison in Kansas to Lincoln,
in Nebraska, about 100 miles.
The St. Joe & Denver, from opposite
St Joseph, in Kansas, enters the State
in Jefferson county and is completed
to Hastings, on the line of the B. & M.,
a distance of 80 odd miles.
The Midland Pacific R. R., from Ne
braska City to Lincoln, 58 miles, and
the Brownville & Ft. Kearney have
built from Brownville 12 miles, on the
road to Kearney, but are not in run
ning order as yet.
Thse comprise all the roads actually
built and carrying freight and passen
gers, and any one examining the map
will see that they enter the State at all
points, and completely bisect and in
tersect her best and most available
valleys and lands.
The railroads projected, are-legion.
Each and every one of these lines ex
pects to push on westward or north
ward to some point in the Rocky
Mountains, or on the Missouri River,
but as they are pulled and hauled about
by offers of bonds, houses, lands, town
lots and bridges, and whole cities, as
gifts to run this way or that, for all
the purposes of this history, it would
be useless to yiiess at their respective
routes or real objective points. -
The roads most talked of tis about to
be built are : The Trunk R. It.- from
Omaha to Rulo, on the Missouri river,
and passing through the whole tier of
river counties on the river, thus making
a direct connection with St. Louis to
the south, or Galveston to the South
west. Nebraska city talks of a road
northwest up the Weeping Water to
wards Fremont And southwest to the
Little Blue.
The Omaha & Northwestern has a
portion of her road under contract
northwest into the Lgan Valley, and
undoubtedly will build to a connection
w ith Sioux City or Yankton, in another
year, thus giving us an outlet to the
timber regions north and west of us.
If we have skipped any railroads
made, or projected, we beg pardon of
the owners and projectors; and here
state: .that if so, it is from no ill will
or intention, but solely because they
are multiplying so fast one small man
cannot keep track of them any more.
CHARACTER AND VARIETY OF
SOIL AND CLIMATE.
If it was very desirable to make this
chapter short and'sweet, one might say
in answ er to this query : Good; all over,
and it would cover nearly all the
ground.
The character of the soil is a "black
loam, consisting of silica, clay', vegeta
ble mould, lime, and occasionally some
bi-carbonate of soda. Soil varies in
depth from two to fifteen feet.
"The subsoil consists of silica, clay,
carbonate of liraeand on the western.
borders some bi-carbonate of soda.
Both are so porous that that there is
no trouble about drainage, ine sou
will stand the" longest "wet spell " and
with-stand the hardest drouth. We
could find a much more " elaborate and
lengthy description of the soil, but
prefer to give the old farmer's, as it
fills the bill, and will be understood by
all: "It's as deep as you please, as
black as my hat, and as mellow as an
ash heap."
North of thS Platte, in the eounties
of Washington, Burt, Cuming, and for
some distance westward, there are no
stones near the surface, and in no part
where we have ever traveled are such
things as stony roads or ground cov
ered with small stones or cobbles, that
form any impediment to farming, or
need to be removed to facilitate plow
ing or using the land, nor to make the
roads good. We once took a party of
Jersey boys, north from Omaha, and
were gone several days. On our re
turn one of them was describing the
country, and said : "We drove up on a
high hill and there you could see mil
lions upon millions of acres of the
finest land the sun ever shone on, and
what do you think, we've traveled over
two hundred miles and the buggy never
struck a stone." Brought up on the
stony cobbles of New York and New-
Jersey, this was to him the greatest
wonder of all the rest. There is stone in
many places for building purposes, but
they lie in masses in the bluffs, and in
these counties below the depth of any
plowshare: South of the Platte there
is more stone, and cropping out often
is great boulders as at Weeping Water
Falls, and along the Platte; but the
same thing may be said of the soil no
stone ever interferes with the plow in
any place that mankind are likely to
plow for a century. It would be easy
to enter into a learned dissertation of
the various soils found in the State,
and we have several geological works
and reports before us, but for the uses
of this article our own and neighbors
experience will serve the best. The
only variety we know of for at least
150 miles west of the Missouri Valley,
is, that while all of it is good, some
spot3 are better than good they are
superb, rich iu every alkali, deposit,
salt or gas, that ever was thought of
or invented, to make corn, wheat and
potatoes grow, to say nothing of hemp,
flax, barley, oats, rye and sorghum.
A few spots are full of alkali, in and
around the great salt basin, and west
ward in some of tho counties; now
and then we strike a sandy streak on
the Platte or Elkhorn, but the ma
jority of land is so good that it is safe
to say Nebraska has more really good
soil capable of cultivation, more acres
of good, square farming land to the
same number of square miles than any
other State in the Union. Let him
who gainsays this bring his proofs.
CLIMATE.
At Plattsniotith we are 910 feet
above low water mark in the Gulf of
Mexico, at Kearney Junction 2,114,
and in the western boundary it is 5,020.
It will readily be seen that this forms
one vast slope from our western bound
ary eastward," and this being the fact
it is the most completely drained coun
try in the world. No large bodies of
stagnant water can be found anywhere.
We average 2,000 ft. above ocean level
at New York. The atmosphere is pure
and dry and the prairie winds both
cool and warm the country so that all
in all Nebraska has the finest climate,
taken the year around, of any State in
the Union in the same latitude.
General Cunningham says in his
Land Report for 1871 that observations
made for over six years show an aver
age of 300 clear days each year. Most
folks would call this a very fine climate,
and considered merely as a place to
live in it would constitute one of its
chief charms. To the farmer it might
not look so advantageous, yet strange
to say in all these years we have never
known anything like a failure of crops.
1803-4-5 were very dry years and al
though the crops were short there was
no real serious failure in any part of
the State. Since this report, however,
the climate Ras changed and the
change going on for the past ten years
is very remarkable. Year by year we
have had more rain, and year by yeur
it has come more and more in showers,
every day or two a sprinkle, now and
then a young deluge. In fonder year3
we had long seasons of dry weather
and then from three davs to a week of
wet weather. When it did come it
was a sooJier and everything kept in
doors until the rainy spell was over.
This change has been attributed to
railroads and telegraphs, to the vast
amount of grain and other vegetable
matter under cultivation, and to the
increased growth of timber in the
State since its settlement by "white
folks." Be the causes what they may,
such are the facts. The mean temper
ature for the whole year is 50 degrees,
Fahrenheit. In 1872 the coldest day
reached here was in December, and it
was 13 degrees below zero. The hot
test was in August and was 102 degs.
Thin last winter which was unusiially
severe all over the country, the coldest
day recorded, at Plattsmouth, was 23
degrees below zero, and the hottest, so
far. has been 102. The falls are long
and fine, frost seldom coming before
September, -and we have seen post-holes
dug in December and plowing all
through November.
Mr. A. L. Childs, of this place, has
kindly furnished fcs with a table of
temperatures for each month during
ten years, but we cannot insert the
whole table here;. we give a portion:
The mean temperature for" 1808 is
48; for 1809,47.9; for 1870,48.3; for
1871, 50.8; for 1872, 48.6; for 1873, un
til May, 30.14.
Dividing tho year into four seasons ;
viz. : winter, December, January, ana
February; Spring, March, April, and
May ; Summer, June, July and August ;
Autumn, September, October and No
vember; the mean temperature for
the seasons has, from 1800 to 1872, been
as follows: Winter, 20.4; Spring; 49.3;
Summer, 73.9; Autumn, 4S.3;
RAIN FALL.
The annual rain fall of the State is
set down at at 20 inches, and in a com
parison with other States we find that
though Nebraska does not receive quite
so many inches iii the year as Missouri,
Indiana or Ohio, she has more during
the agricultural months, or crop-growing
season, and on a close calculation
from 1803 to '09 inclusive, she had an
average of 20.87 inches, while Illinois
only had 20.26 inche3 dunng the
months of April, May, June, July, Au
gust and September. Missouri during
these months had 21.50 and Ohio 22.93,
Mr. Childs gives us the exact rain-fall
for ten years, we extract tha last five
years:
Rain.
32.7 44.
18.
50.5
S0.5
jnow.
36.4
27.3
10.5
30.
9.
Total.
1863
1809
1870
1871
1872
38.3
47.3
17.4
33.9
32.0
Our rain fall is distributed: 8 inches
in the spring, 0 in the summer, and 4
in the fall; from 18 to 20 inches of
snow fall3 iri tho winter and that re
duced to water makes the 20 inches
and some decimals of total rain fall;
These figured are the pTetty scienti&
fellows that measures the thing in lit
tie tubes and fixings. Now Well put
it in plain farm language. Away back
in ,57':8 a lot of us used to sleep in a
long shanty called a hotel, one half of
which was covered with shingles, and
the other half with blue sky and stars,
at night, we slept there nearly all the
months of June, July and August, and
I do not remember of its raining on us
but once.
In '64-5 we put up a great deal of
hay and just as regular as the day
came around the machine went out in
the morning and cut down grass. In
the arternoon it was raked up some
times and hauled in, and if not, next
morning as soon as the dew (and thero
was iittle of that) was off, it was
shoved up in winrows and as fast fts
it could fairly be hauled it was stack
ed. The work went on as regular as
machinery and it does not seem now as
if we lost 5 tons of hay by showers or
rain out of the 500 or COO tons put up
then. In '68, the last 3-ear of our farm
ing operations, it was almost impossi
ble to get the hay up before it was
ruined by rain and I think we lost 40
tons in trying to put up about a hun
dred. There was 38' inches rain fall
in '08.
Of late years there has been all tfie
rain any man could ask, and this spring
we got an over dose.
ADAPTION OF SOIL AND CLI
MATE TO THE VARIOUS
CROPS.
The very best commentory we can
give under this head is to copy the fol
lowing tables:
AVERAGE YIELD OF CORN FOR FIVE
YEARS IN SEVERAL STATES !
Nebraska 32.54 bus. per acre
. New York 28.54 bus.
Pennsylvania 34.8 bua
Missouri 30.82 bus.
Illinois 31.52 bus.
Iowa 30.31 bus.
AVER AG J? YIELD OF WHEAT FOR SAME
TIME.
Nebraska 17.70 bus. per acre.
Kansas 15.43 bus.
Minnesota 15.30 bus.
New York 14.50 bus.
That settles the corn and wheat bus
iness, for be it remembered that these
tables are taken from the United
States census table and in taking an
average of the whole State you must
bear in mind that sod-corn, all the fail
ures in crops from late planting by
homesteaders just come, and all the
ignorance and folly of strange farm
ing in a strange country has to be ac
counted for nnd is computed in the
general average. If you want to know
Just what Nebraska can do, read the
report for Cass County in 1872.
"Q. What number of acres under
cultivation?
A. 107,000.
Q. Name the variety of crops.
A. Wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye,
beans, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes,
peas, turnips, and peanuts.
Q. What was the average yield of
each per acre ?
A. Wheat, 26 bushels; ,corn, 80;
oats. 65; barley, 55; beans, ; Irish
potatoes, 230 ; sweet potatoes, 70 ; peas,
70; turnips, 200; peanuts, 100."
If 3011 think this is too favorable we
will take a western county, north cf
the Platte.
Cuming County reports, 83,120 acres
under cultivation. Wheat, corn, rye,
barlej, oaf, potatoes, sweet potatoes,
beans, and onions; and of each they
raise, wheat, 20 bushels of wheat to
the acre ; corn, 50 ; rye, 20 ; barley, 30 ;
oats, 50; iotatoes, 150. As you go
west the average number of bushels
to the acre decrease because new land,
first crops, and bad fanning come in
to lower the average. Not always bad
farming through ignorance or laziness,
but the settler the first year or two
has his house, every out-house and
calf-pen to build, a pasture to fence,
and wells to dig, so that he cannot tend
his croio as lie ought.
This gives the crops raised gi'neially.
but the boil is adapted to flax, hemp,
sugar-leet ; tobacco, in some parts ; all
kinds of vegetables grown in the tem
perate zone; many kind3 of herbs fojJ
medicinal purposes; hops, buckwheat,
and sorghum grows magnificently. We j
should and can raise vast crops of hay
when we have sown tame grasses, said
hay when baled finds a ready market
and is one of the most valuable crop3
raised in this latitude. The hay crop
of the North equals the cottori efop of
the South it is said, besides this when
we raise clover and buckwheat we
ought to raise bees by the million and
honey and beeswax are no mean th'ngs
to export. We should increase our su
gar produce vastly from either beets or
sorghum. Grapes and fruits of course
grow luxuriantly but will be treated
of elsewhere.
COAL AND SALT DEPOSITS.
They used to tell lis there was no
coal here, too ; late discoveries tend to
show that there are coal beds underly
ing the whole State,- but in many cases,
no doubt, there are at too great a
depth to be worked profitably. In bett
ing the Artesian well at Lincoln, un
mistakable veins of coal were found,
but the pressure of water was so great
above that good engineers fear they
could never be mined. Iri Richardson
County; however, they crop out, and
coal is being successfully mined at the
present time near St. Deroift, and but
a short distance from the track of the
A: & N.' H: R.' Newspaper reporters
have' described tho veins as from 24 to
28 inches thick. The Omaha Coal
Company have lately made a purchase
there and expect to push the work rap-'
iillj". Coal has been found in Nemaha,
Johnson, Powell, and Lancaster Coun
ties beside, but from lack of Capital
no veins are being actually worked in
theso counties. Coal has been report
ed in Dakota, Dixon, Burt and other
northern counties, but no mines are in
working order. Later discoveries still
further north and w est, on the waters
emptying into the Nemaha show that
undoubted beds of coal are to be found
there. It is the opinion of Prof. An
ghey that coal is to be found in all the
upper carlioniferous measures which
extend from the Missouri near DeSoto
west a few miles and then south to
the Elkhorn and near the mouth of
Salt Creek, then southwest until they
enter Kansas.
He also thinks that the cretaceous
deposits of the State may contain lig
nite coal.
SALT.
Salt in great abundance is found
in Lancaster count', near Lin
coln. Tho presence of a great
salt basin near tho town site
was the principal object in locat
ing the Capital there. It was
thought then, and is still, that with
proper aid and development our Salt
interests will become a source of
mighty revenue to the State. The re
gion known as the basin is about 12
miles wide and twenty-five long, but
the principal springs are those near
Lincoln, and salt has been manufac
tured there from time to time of great
strength and purit'. Soup; unfortu
nate law suits have prevented their
full developement thus far, but these
bid fair to be settled at last, and when
they are Ave shall no doubt see some of
the largest salt works in the United
States on or near the great salt basin
of Nebraska.
TIMBER AND FRUIT GROWING.
Now we touch a delicate point ; but
a few years since and it was verr con
fidently asserted that we could not
mise fruit here of any consequence,
and as to timber, almost all reports and
essays from this region commence:
"The great want of all this country is
timber;" or, "This country seems to
lack but one thing to make it capabls
of settlement, and that is timber."
- Well, it is a "little short," in some
places, but after all it would surprise a
stranger to find out how much timber
there really is in this country that
shows scarcely a tree on the surface.
In the first place men can get along
with a great deal less timber than one
coining fresh from a forest country can
imagine. The real uses and places
where men must have timber are com
paratively few. After houses and
barns are built, the farmer does not
need so manj acres of big timber to
support him. Rack East, the East that
our folks mostly come from, there are
very few places at present where they
manufacture the lumber for their
houses, barns, or fences, in the neigh
borhood. It is all shippud from afar,
from the great pineries of Canada,
Wisconsin, or Minnesota. The same
obtains here, and we can buy good pine
lumber almost as cheap as they can in
New England, New York, Pennsylva
nia, Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois; not
quite, it is true; but when taken in
connection with Some other things that
are cheaper, we have the advantage;
for instance, a man can buy a good
farm for $5 to $15 per acre, say; 100
acres at $10, per acre is $1,600 that's
the foundation he can build him such
houses and barns as he likes. If he
builds a $1,000 house and a $500 bain,
or vise versa, he has then but $"3,100 in
vested, and his land alone in anything
like the same proximity to schools,
churches, telegraphs and railroads,
would have cost lam $8,000, or $30 per
acre. Fencing is but little needed, as
the Herd-law prevails throughout the
State, and if not, good post and board
fence (cotton wood boards) can be built
for from 83 to 90 cents per rod, in any
of the eastern counties of the State.
Cottonwood lumber sells for $15 to
$20 per thousand, and good jrine house
lumber can be had for $26 per thous
and. The real need of the timber then is
brought down to its uses for fuel, and
sometimes that pinches, way back on
the prairie. The average price of stove
wood here is as low as it is in what are
called timbered countries. In Platts
mouth; oak, walnut, ash and hickory
are $6.50 per cord. Cottonwood, bass
and willow range from $3.50 to $4.30
per cord. In Washington, Burt, Dako
ta and the' northern counties, wood is
even less. Good hard wood sells there
for $5.00 per cord, and cotlonwood at
$2.50 to $3.23. Further back in the
prairie they have the creek bottoms to
20 to. which are all wooded, ami f uc 1
there is as cheap as in the older Strifes,
to those that have to buy. So far, at
least, no settled part of the Statf' has
ever suffered for fuel ; but with a lar
ger and denser iopulation, of course
we need Something else. Coal is sui
posed to underlie the whole State, and
it is now bronght from Iowa at $7 to
$9 jer ton, and from Ft. Scott; Kansas,
at $9 to 711 per ton; rhithraeite is $14
to $19 according to the seasons of the
year, and the railroad competition.
Great beds of coal lie along the Union
Pacific, and it is only a question of
freight, the coal being furnished, loaded
fri carst; at $1:50 to $2.00 per ton'
KAISINO TIMBER.
Before the lime of want comes, how
ever, we have another remedy. Wo
can "riaiso timbci. This looks like it
joke to a man from New York or
Maine, but in this Foil and in this cli
mate a settler can rfttriafiy rai.-k? all the'
timber he needs for fuel, and after" tl o
first five 3'cars he can have an abund
ance. This county (Cass) and many
others in the Stat.e lire acknowledged
by all hands to have more timber to
day than they had ten years ago, in
spite .of all that has been cut, buriiAl
and sold. Cotton woods are planted by
the acre from Mips stuck in the ground,
or young trees pulled up iu the bot
toms. One nian and a buy can plant
10,000 trees in a day.. ,
Honey locust and soft iiiapV grow
well and rapidly. Black Walnut is a
fine timber, and grows from the seed,
readily and surely, and tins whole prai
rie will bo covered, with trees that
grow naturally, when broken up and
the files kept out.
By actual measurement trees can bo
raised as follows:
Years. Hei'hth.
r reu'rf'.ftnee.
Cottonwood 5 18
Locust 5
Walnut 5 10
Manle 7 15
20 inchek.
18 "
14 "
20 u
In ten years cot ton woods have been
grow n to average 33 fe t high, and
measured 3 feet in circumference,'
while individual trees were 50 feet
high and over four feet around. m t
Innumerable farms that we could
meidum, which eight or ten years ago
w ere naked prairie plains, the houses
without tree or shrub about them, now
have a perfect forest of trees and bush
es about the premises. In many cases'
they are too shady for health, and tho
trees need trimming badly. For par-,
ticulars in regard to the best kind of
forest trees to plant, and their grow th;
see J. T. Allan's Esay or' Forest grow
ing. FRUIT RAISING.
With all the evidence of our sensed
that we can raisH fruit, and all the
printed statements publishing and cir
culating the fact, it js almost needless
to dwell on this matter. If any one i?
in doubt let him visit our Fairs and he
can soon satisfy himself or herself
about Nebraska fruit.
Wild grapes ami plum 4 abound tho
finest w ild plums we ever saw coma
from thickets in this State. Raspber
ries, gooseberries and strawberries
w ere natives the straw berry especial
ly' being foumi wild on almost every
hillside. A certain kind of wild cherry
is also kno wn.
Of tame fruits, not native here, that'
we have succeeded in raising, apples,
peaches and pears, thrive remarkably
well. It is a common subject of re
m'irtl: that our fruit looks ro healthy
the skin has a waxy, shiny, clear look
that betokens health and vigor. There
are numerous line orchards in Cass,"
Ot'Je, Neni.dia and Richardson coun
ties. Washington, Burt and Dakota
bounties made a good show in the fi ut
line at our last year's Fair. It is only;
a question of time, all over the State
We venture the prediction that iu less
than fifteen years Nebraska will be
one of the largest fruit raising States
in the Ui.ion, and the statistics of
growth and results can be brought Ul
prove this assertion any day, but are
too long to give here. Grapes grow,
wild, tame, on a bus?ir (( the vine runs
there) or anyhow and anyway yod
will let them grow. At the Nebraska
City State Fair we showed an apple
measuring W)i inches and weighing
29 ounces ; and Mr. Pottenger, last year,'
raised a peach 9J inches in circumfer
ence and weighing 8 ounces.
Tho Democratic party has taken n
action, because it has held no conven
tions on Back Pay. Our opinion is it
will everywhere rebuhe that lold rob
bery of the penp'e. Iltrahl.
The Democrats did hold a State Con
vert ion in Kentucky a few weeks ago,'
but did not dare to rebuke that bold
robbery, because Per corrupt Congres
sional delegation was running tho Con
vention, and that Democratic delega
tion had unanimously voted for and
pocketed thu back pay Ih ei
Three scouts, named respectively,
"Dashing Chailie." "Afraralioe Dick,"
arid Capt. Bartlctt, passed through
Omaha last week on their way to join
Ed. Buntline's dramatic troupe, in New
York. Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack
have left that troupe intending t set
up one of th oil own. n nd these men'
take their places.
Dr. MeCosh hit the nail squarely orf
the head the other day when he criti-'
cised the agricultural eollegcs of tho"
country. Thus far they have proved,
costly failures. M -t of the young
men who graduate from them go into
other pursuits than farming, and could
not be hired to cultivate sin aero of
land with their own hands fur any
sunt. Culture is good for anything.;
Education is of value to a . bricklayer
as v-el' as to a nhvsicfail
But agncnl-
I ture is not a .sekitce that can be taught
in sr-lion!- it is :m art to be acuuired
by practical training in the stable and
on the fields. One model farm liko
that of Mr. Daismore, at Hyde Park
will do more to improve the agricul
ture of a district than any dozen'
agricultural colleges that have beer
established. ,
Editor Tip-Top did not agree id ruri
a foot-race with Lawyer Stinchcomt-;
as the Watchman, asserts. On the ccn'
trary, "Little Mac," of the aforefald
fajier, and the long-legged Lawyer' to
walk a fifty-mile foot-race fttt $1.00, tti
the Fair Ground of Ca33 Courtly: 'I Lt ff
W35 the real barg-tirr
n