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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 11, 1913)
THE NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE. it S K y IK THE "SAND HILLS" OF NEBRASKA OFFERS SPLENDID POSSIBILITIES FOR STOCK RAISING. A Heretofore Neglected Section Which Is Fast Coming to the Front and Attracting the Attention of Stock men and Farmert. (From Carlson's Hural Hevlow.) It has been agreed by the editors find publishers of Nebraska, that dur- lng tho month of September each will wrlto and publish a special article, taking for a subject somo featuro of Nebraska life, production or develop ment. Fearing that ono of the most Interesting districts of Nebraska will bo overlooked by others, I am going to take as my subject for this special article, tho "Sand Hills" of Nebraska. While this namola larcoly a -misnomer as gonerally applied to many parts of tho state, It is usually made to include somo fifteen counties, all located In tho contral northern part of tho state. When I say that tho term "sand hills" Is a misnomer as generally used, I mean that many jiartB of tho so called "Sand Hills" are of a clay formation, and contain no moro sand than is generally found in clay soils, at leaBt no more than !b necossary to make tho clay produc tive of crops. The Sand Hills of Nebraska offer rich field for study. As yet moBt Ncbraskans know little or nothing of this region, nnd ovon our own soil investigators, and soil oxperts, have pasBod over this district of tho stato without any attempt to glvo this dis trict moro than a passim; notice. Moro has boen dono with referonco Band of Ihe Sand Hill district Tho ono element alwayB wanting Is liumuB. This has boon prevented from form ing bocauso of flroB und the moving particles of sand In earlier times. SInco i'-es havo boen prevented tho soil has become bound together with vegetation In tho form of native grassos. Nature Is n great healer, and if Area can bo prevented for a few years more, tho Sand Hills will become ono of tho best grassed coun tries In Amorlca, especially if we con sldor quality of grass. There Is a small area of Sand Ililln extending Into Lincoln county, and also In Dundy county, tho latter extending In to Colorado. For tho purposes of this article only tho district north of tho Platte river is considered. Here tho Sand Hills consist of rounded dunes, saucor-shaped valleys, clay valley lauds, and extensive hay flats, ho latter sublrrlgated with a water table quite near tho surface. Tho Sand Hills differ In agricul tural valuo and Importance as do all other soli formations. In no other one characteristic can the value of Sand Hill soil bo foretold with such certainty as in substrata of water. In tho poorest districts of this region tho water table will bo reached with out encountering anything but sand. In other districts tho water will be reached undornoath a strata of clay. Tho latter Is tho moro general rule of finding water, and In this forma tion the surfaco soil 1b always pro ductive. Agriculturally, tho poorest soil 1b found in tho eastern limit of the Sand Hill area, the soil Increas ing In valuo, as ono goes westward, until tho clay lands of western Ne braska aro roached, oxcopr, that tho rainfall decreases with longitude. There Is also a difference noticed in the productivo value of Sand Hill lands between thoso drained to tho north, and those drained to the south. The Sand Hills of north contral Ne braska drain into tho Niobrara at tho tor? 'r&Mvwz .:Vfc IT .VT WLJ -X. - M Vr"".J2tfssKissr HfcTW. Two Sand Hill Products Note the Size of Corn Ears on Stalks. to studying tho cllmato of this re gion than tho soli and Kb posslbllltcs. It Is doflnitoly known that Wio tomp eraturo decroascB as ono gooa west ward and northward, tho mean tem perature for tho Btato being 48.B do groefl, tho oxtromo wost being two degrees lower than tho oxtromo eaat, and tho oxtromo north slightly' Iobs than six dogroos lower than tho ox tromo south. DoBtructlvo hot winds soldom reach tho Sand Hill region, whllo they aro qulto frequent' hi tho cxtromo eouthorn part of tho state. This year haB given excollont oppor tunity for studying tho hot winds and tiioir effect upon tho crops of tho several parts of tho state. This study dlBclosos tho fact that Boll has much to do with tho dostructlvenoss of thoso hot wlndB. Turnout the stato, without rofproncos to latitude or longltudo, crop's suffered most In the districts of clay soils, and tho purer tho clay tho moro cropB suffer ed. On tho clay Bolls in tho south ern part of tho stuto crops sufforod nil tho way from partial to total Iobb tf crops, ami especially true Is this or corn. In tho Sand Hills nnd thru out north Nobraaka tho corn will bo from CO porcont of a crop to a full, or normal crop. Tho only areas In tho Sand Hills that havo Bufforod from hot wlndB this yoar, aro tho clay soil aroaa. Tho only hot wind destructive of corn in tho Sand 11111b this year occurred on Wodiiosday, tho 27th of August, when corn suffer I'd on, tho clay bottom lands along tho principal streams. It will ho Impossible In an artlclo puch as this to dovoto much Bpaco to tho geology of this district. It may bo woll that this Is bo, slnco there 1b mich a wldo (llttoronco of opinion on tills Biitiject. All nro agroed howovor, that this formation Is tho result of tho erosion nnd decomposition of the Ixiup Fork formation. This forma tion spreads qvor all of western No liraskn and lu composed of bods of clay, sand and limestone, which when thoroly eroded and mixed by tho action of tho winds boc&mos tho flno grazed there ss yc north and into branches of tho Platte toward tho southeast. Immediately south of tho rldgo or highest dunes aro to bo found tho most productive lands, and It is hero ono finds moro of the saucor-shaped valloys, or flats. Most of those flats aro as fertile and productivo as tho high-priced lands of Iowa and Illinois, and many farms on such soils will harvest bettor crops this yoar than will $200 land3 further oast. Another district in tho Sand Hills of Nebraska call for special mention. Theso aro the oxtenslve and valuable hay flats at tho source of the Elk horn river systom. Hero entire townships will bo found, all of a very productivo typo of soil, and with tho water tablo but a few feet below tho surface. It Is such soils that havo lit a da Nowport, Dassott, and other towns known to all AmorlcniiB for thoir lmmcnso output of liny of tho highest quality. There 1b no failure of crop here, always an Incomo, nnd In tho near future such Innds will command a very high price. No district In America surpasses tho Sand Hills In wator, cither In tho quality, or tho easo with which It may bo secured. Tho best of puro soft water, and very cool, may he had nnywhoro In this region nt depths of ton to fifty foot. Tho wator Is al ways found in gravel, and with tho exceptions of n few placos in the ox tromo eastern odgo of tho district, under clay, Tho district Is well wa tored with running streams, which find their way to tho Niobrara or Plutto rivers. In dry hot soasons such as tho pros ont ono, tho agricultural value of a country may bo studied host. Tho proof of tho fact that the Sand Hills district of Nebraska Is to play an Im portant part In tho futuro wealth of tho utnto and country, is aeon this year In tho millions of dollars worth of grass going to wasto for want of cattle to cat It. And this grnas Is of oxcollont quullty, cs seen In tho quali ty and condition of tho cattle being Sand-Hllls cattle have long been known In tho markets of tho country, both feeders and packers being quick and ready buyers of thorn. Thoro aro somo 10,00!) square miles of so-called Sand Hilln In Nebraska. Every squaro mile Is capable of sup porting 100 head or more of cattle. If this region wcro stocked with cat tle) to its full capacity, a million head of cattle could be counted there. This would represent a wealth of forty or fifty million dollars, no mean sum In the wealth or any state, r ir ono was to calculate tho possi bilities or this district by dealing In units of division, tho section or squaro mllo would he the unit, slnco tho farms aro of a section In area at tho present time. On ono section I found a young man handling 112 cows, the calf crop this Bummer numbering 91 head. Theso wcro sold for lato fall delivery for ?25 each, making him an incomo of $2,275 for the year. On nnnt.hrr unction I found 146 head of mixed cattlo supported, and on many sections from 10 to 3D cows woro being milked. In the caso of BectionB with 100 acres or moro of good productivo soil, no part of agri cultural America offers duch oppor tunities for tho man who is willing to work, when the amount of Investment required Is taken Into account. Dairying, cattle, horses, hogs and poultry are tho hopo of this district. Alfalfai, all tho clovers and Mellilotus do well on most of tho soils of the district MillllotUB (sweet clover) will grow on the highest hill, and tho seed crop from this plant and alfalfa aro highly profltablo. In tho valleys as good corn will bo harvested this year as can bo seen anywhere In the corn bolt. Vegetables and especially potatoes aro equal to the best that can bo grown anywhere. Tho Sand Hills potato has already made a place for Itself In all tho markets of the country, because of Its excollent quali ty. Nature and tho settlers have work ed wondcrB 'In tho improvement of this country during tho past few years. I first Baw tho Sand Hills In 1871. Then It was a country of Sand Hills, and little else. Annual fires destroyed tho grasses, and tho hills wero llttlo moro than shifting piles of sand. Today ono sees only grass, in tho valleys, on tho hills, every where grass, and for tho most part fow cattlo to consume It, or to con vert It Into ready money. Tho homesteaders for the most part woro mon and women from tho shops and schools and railroads of tho coun try, who possessed no means to Im prove their homes or stocK tneir land, and who possessed no know ledge of tho needs or possibilities of tho country. This makes tho present need of tho district men, with some money 'o stock their land, and who possess somo knowledge of farming nnd stock raising. Tho district will mnko no rapid progresB in the way of producing wealth until a now type of owner recures the land, rhose of tho first Bottlers who camo from the farms and possess somo knowledge of farming and livestock uro making good. Those are Interested in tho very best development of tho country, and are building school houses, making roads, and in many other ways uro proving themselves valuable assets of the district. Another need of this district, as It Is of ovcry other new part of our country, Is a national banking or cur roncy system which does not penalize tho first settlors, and tho first pro ducers, or a new country by compell ing them to pay a higher interest rate than those who do not bo much noed financial aid aro compellod to pay. It seems Impossible for these settlers to obtain money at a lower rate than ten per cent, while the now settlers of Canada, Costa Ulca, Chllo and Ar gentina can obtain financial aid at a flyo per cent rate. No agricultural district, of this country can pay ten per cent interest on the productive capactty of the district, and yet these poor peoplo who noed financial help so much aro compelled to pay a rate no country will Justify. This is re tarding the progress of tho district, and will retard it as can nothing else. No part of the country 1b surer of re turns on Investments than the Sand Hills of Nebraska, and If these people could secure money to finance them solves at just rates their progress would be most rapid. With pther editors In Nebraska I havo long advocated Nebraska Invest ments for Nebraska. Thobo who fol low most closoly to tho linos of their lcavo a country known to them for years for Its certainty of crops for one of which they know nothing is ono of thoso uuoxplainnble things no man can understand, This district by reason of Its rich grasses, puro water, healthful cll mato and cheap lands Is singularly fitted to make homoa for tho renters on high-priced lands further east. There Is no reason why a renter should not becorno his own landlord whllo such opportunities aro his. Thoro Is no better way of solving the landlord and tenant problem in rural America than for renters to buy talB land while It enn be had at a low price. They will not only become their own landlords, but they aro sure of a double profit, the one from tho production of tuo land, the other from tho rise In tho valuo of tho land. in a fow years It will require a large) sum of money to buy a Bectlon In tho Sand Hills of Nebraska. Any laud, anywhere In Amorlca that will pro- duce the wealth theso lands aro capa ble of producing, will not long re main cheap. Today thoso lands can bo had at a very low price. Thoso intending to buy and settle upon these lands will do well tb study tho mnchlnory needs of tho district. Much of tho farm machinery used In Iowa and Illinois will not be needed here. Such .machinery as dairying and stock growing require will bo the machinery ueeded by thorn. This dis trict Is preeminently a livestock coun try, nnd to convert the grasses of the country into money should be the aim of tho farmer here. There Is a placo for a silo In thlB country, and thoy aro being built quite rapidly. Pas turo for summer, alfalfa, mellilotus, and the native hay for winter, supple mented wltli sllago, will Boon develop this district Into a high class of Inde pendent farmers, If good stock bo pro vided to consume this feed. Many of tho first Bottlers now havo bank accounts from the sales of cream and poultry, and some of these had very little to begin with. Settled by men who mean business, who are not afraid of honest labor, who appreciate the futuro possibilities of this district, tho Sand Hills of Nobraska will play an Important part in the production of Nebraska wealth for all time to come. x birt&V$&Wrtftfyev Religion the Supreme Thing in Life Dr REV. J. H. RALSTON ScirUir of Coirrtpcnclrnce Dtpattmrot Mood? 13iU Isitiuila, CWao X TKXT But seek ye llrat tho kingdom pf God and tits rlchteousnpsi. Mutt. C S3. X For tho thor ough Hlble stu dent the text must bo Inter preted in connec tion with certain d 1 b p e n satlonal Ideas suggested by tho term "kingdom of God." But this text can be taken by It self as sugges tive of thought, which, while not confined to the general a u bjoct u n d er consldera moBt practical and timely. Gas. Who first used tho word "gas" and why? Merely becauso of tho supposed resemblance of tho product of burn ing carbon to the chaos af tho Greeks. "This spirit, hitherto un known," wrote tho experimenter Van Holmont In 164S, "I call by tho new name gas, and I call It &o because be ing untamable, It is scarcely distin guishable from tho chaos of the an cients." A glimpse at modern gas de vices will show how far removed from untnmabillty Is the gas of today. Pleasures of the Table. "Then I commended mirth, bocauso a man hath no better thing under the sun than to eat, and to drink, and to bo merry." Ecclcsiastcs, 8:15. "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thltio ease, cat, drink and bo merry.'" Luke 12: 10. "What ad van- tageth It me if tho doad rise not? Let us oat and drink, for tomorrow wo die. I. Corinthians 15:32. "Let us oat and drink, for tomorrow wo shall dlo." Isaiah, 22:13. When You Sneeze. The custom of saying "God bless you" to a person when ho sneezes originated among the ancients, who, fearing danger from it, after sneezing made a short prayer to the gods, as "Jupiter, help me." Tho custom a mentioned by Homer, tho Jewish rab bis and others. Polydoro Vergil says It took its rise nt tho tlmo of tho plague In 558, when the infected fell doad, sneezing, though apparently In good health. Wagon With Sails. In 1C22 ono of tbe wonders to bo seen at Tho Hague was a wagon or a Bhlp or a combination of both. A traveler of that tlmo wrote: "This onglno hath wheels and sails, will hold abovo twenty people and goes with tho wind, being drawn pr moved by nothing else, and will run, tho' wind being good, abovo fifteen miles an hour upon (ho even hard sands." t own latitude and cllmutlc conditions will succeed best In their land invest ments. Million of dollars havo been Invested in lands In tho far south west by farmers living in Nebraska, Couldn't Fool Him. Tho farmer had bought a pair of shoes In tho city shop. "Now, can't I sell you a pair of shoe trees?" sug gested tho clerk. "Don't git fresh with me, sonny," replied tho fanner, bristling up; "I don't believe shoe& kin bo raised on trees any mor'n I be- Iowa and IlllnolB. I was recently ln.llovo rubbers grow on rubber trees or western Oklahoma, and the Panhandle of Texas whoro farmers told mo they had paid up to $25 an aero for land that would not support moro than 25 cows, to tho section of land. Empty elevators, Idle grain mills, abandoned farms, and rivers with no wator, speak with a greater emphasis than can my pen or the folly of such un oysters on oyster plants, b'gosh." my J" wlso investments. Why men A Sensitive Editor. "Well, what do jou think of poom?" "How could you bo so cruel?" "What do you mean?" "Why, in every lino you havo tor tured tho English language until 1 can will almost imagine that I hoar it cry out" Lincoln Highway Endorsed. i Omaha. T. G. Northwall, president of T, G. Northwall company, hnB re turned from Detroit, Toledo and other points In thnt section and was espe cially Interested In tho Increase of travol on tho hlgliwnyB radiating in every direction from thoso cities. Mr. Northwall uttrlbutod tho In crease in tiavol Bololy to tho Improv ed roads. Tho Lincoln highway, ho blnke, is so for reaching In ltu possi bilities that oven the moat enthusias tic does not comprehend i's scope. "It will bo worth millions of dol- lars to NobraBkn and Omaha," said Mr. Northwall, "when dt Ib complotod. Just as tllo highways leading into De troit und Toledo and Cleveland nnd Chicago, are alive with vehicles, au tomoblloB, bo will tho Lincoln high way bo In my opinion, with this dis tinction, that peoplo who will travol tho Lincoln highway will be transient rathor than local. Thoro will bo peo ple Journeying from tho west to tho oast. Omnha will bo a stop-over point, and, of course, will bo a supply station for these travelers. Enlarg ing on this Idea, peoplo in tho country will build feeders to tho Lincoln high way aud will bo oncouruged to im prove their land bo us to grow mnr kotablo products. Farmero who nro allowing fruit to decay In their or chards will be encouraged to put It on this market J. E. Froclniul is especially inter ested in tho building of the Lincoln highway, Mr. Freeland has always Interested hlniBolf In every move ment for for good roads. Ho has felt all nlong that good roads wero the greatest signs of progress in a corn- citizens. Harry Van Brunt of Council Bluffs is an enthusiastic Lincoln highway man. Ho Is thoroughly familiar with conditions us thoy exist' in Ohio, and ho feols that tho Lincoln highway will bo productivo of as great results to tho entire country as tho Ohio highway is to thnt Btato. T do not think," said Mr. Van Brunt, " that we enn begin to sum up tho vast benefit to be derived from tills project. Good roads do more to improve- the prosperity of a commnn- tlon, is This text suKKOsts religion, the re Hgion of him who spoke tho words, and we desiro to Mslst that this re ligion should bo the supreme thing In life, its lack being promptly acknowl edged. Tho apostle James does not give a definition of religion when ho BayB "pure religion and undeflled boforo God and the fathor Is this, to visit the fatherless and widows In their af fliction, and to keep himself unspot ted from tho world." Two elements of religion only hero appear, that which Is broadly called charity, which with many is nothing moro than al truism, and separation from the world, which has been designated re cently as aloofness. In religion there is something that Is positive, it must go beyond kind deeds to' the needy, and retirement from the world. A great theologian defines religion as the sum or tho relations which man sustains to God, and comprises tho truths, the experiences, tho actions and institutions which correspond to, or grow out or those relations. As thua defined religion must bo the supreme thing ip lire. This life may he of tho community, for no com munity realizes tho acme of social happiness unless It Is in a corporate way respectful to tho elements of re ligion Just presented; but wp desiro to place tho emphasis on tho indi vidual life. We would not do this he cause wo ignore community life, but because reaching the individual lives that make the community we reach tho community In a way that is in finitely moro satisfactory than by reaching It in Its corporate capacity. Wo would not confuse any individual by calling his attention to. religion as Bupreme in tho community, but as su preme In himself. Tho first reason for this is that God commands It as In the text an nounced, as creator, preserver, dally benefactor and guarantor of blessings on man, tho value of which cannot bo measured. This right of God to com mand is denied by many, and not even a word of thanksgiving for tho daily blessings or lire, nor a prayer for their continuance is heard, ex cept from very few. Tho universal belief in the Immor tality of tho soul of man puts em phasis on the valuo of tho perma nent. Religion directly affects the permanent. It emphasizes that which Is beyond this life, yet ono or tho strange things or human experience is that multitudes como to tho end or llfo as ir there was nothing be yond. The old prophet's "prepare to meet thy God" 1b not a mere matter or historical Interest, It should ring In tho ears or every living man and woman. After death there Is Judg ment appointed of God, and tho judge has likewise beon appointed. But what are tho issues of judgment? In shoit, heaven and hell. Yet how cynically these great facts are thought of and spoken about, but rollglon pro vides for the winning of the one, and escaping tho other. If heaven and hell are myths, there must be n re vision not only or the teachings or Jesus Christ and his apostles, but ot the moral philosophy or all the agos. K these groat facts of the beyond wero a more permanent element in the evangel of the day, that evangel would be far moro effective. Another reason why religion should bo supremo Is that tho worry of men and women over the things of small importance would disappear. In close connection with this ext Jesus spoke ot tho anxious care for food and clothing. That Is what Is eating out the llfo of multitudes today, something entirely unnecessary. If religion la mado supreme, food, cloth ing, housing and tho like, will he add ed by God. God secB to It that thoso who obey his command, and recognize tho purposo of their bplng are pro vided for, for as Father he knows that mon havo need of all theso things, nnd yet supplying them ho nowr puts a promlum on laziness or unthrlft. The word first as used here may bo taken first as referring to Intorest or concern. At this point even n little thought as to what religion can do for man would Increase this concern. But the word may moan first In time, nnd the text might be paraphrased in this way, becorno religious by taking tho Initial step of believing in Jesus Christ, nnd do it without a mo ment's delay. DYI bin. m "Pape's Diapepsin" curc& sick, sour stomachs in five minutes Time itl "Really does" put bad stomachs in order "really doeB" overcome Indiges tion, dyspepsia, gas, heartburn and sourness In flvo minutes that JuBt that makes Papo'a Dlapopaln the lar gest Belling stomach regulator In tho world, if what you eat ferments lntoi stubborn lumps, you belch gas nnd eructato sour, undigested food and acid; head is dizzy and aches; breath, foul; tongue coated; your lnsldcs filled, with bile and lndlgostlblo waste, re member tho moment "Papo'o Dlapop sln" comes In contact with tho stomach all euch distress vanishes. It'o truly astonishing almoBt marvelous, and' the joy Is Its harmloBsneBB. A largo fifty-cent caso of Pnpo's Dia pepsin will give you a hundred dollars' worth of satisfaction. It's worth its weight In gold to mem, and women who can't got their stom achs regulated. It belongs In your home should always bo kept handy in case of a sick, sour, upset stomach, during tho day or at "night. It's the quickest, surest and roost harmless, stomach doctor In the world. Adv. Must Walt a Bit The little group at tho side of the. road waited until Stealthy Stlggin returned from the nearby farmhouse. "Poor pickings," ho muttered as he throw down a scrawny beef bone and a half loaf of bread. "Whero'B dat improvement In hand outs youso promised?" demanded Muggsy Jones. Happy Higgln shook his head re proachfully. "You gotter wait," he said, "till d& public adjusts Itself to do new tariff.' Cleveland Plain Dealer. Important to Mothers Examine carefully overy bottlo ot CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy for infants and children, and see that it "Hnnrn tlm Signature of (Jf&C In Uso For Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher's Castoria Too Mild. "That young reliow told me he had a punch in hi3 play." "Then It must have been a milk punch." Preposterous. Old Party Do you, stop at the Sa voy, my good man? 'Bus Conductor What, mo lady on 30 bob a week! Loudon Opinion. Bo thrifty on llttlo things llko bluing. Don't accept water for bluing. Ask for Bed Cross Ball Blue, tho extra good valuo bluo. Adv., An honest man doesn't strive for tho kind of success that needs an excuse. STOP THAT BACKACHE There's nothing more discouraging than a constant backache. You are lamo when you awake. Pains pierce you when i juu LJGiiu ui Jill. ii a iiaiu iu iesi uuu next day it's the same old story. Pain in the back is nature's warning of kidney ills. Neglect may pave the way to dropsy, gravel, or other serious kidney sickness. Don'tvdelay begin using Doan's Kidney Pills the remedy that has been curing backache and kidney troublo for over fifty years. A TEXAS CASE "ErtrtfPlcturt , if in a awry. J. II. Le, 412 W. Walnut St., Cle burne, Texas, iaya: "For four years I had Intense pains through the small ot my back. I could hardly pass the kid ney secretions and morphine wns the only thins that re lieved mo. I had travel, too. Finally, I began using Doan's Kidney Pills and they permanently cured me. I haven't suffered since." Get Doan's at Any Store, SOe Box DOAN'S'V, FOSTER-MILBURN CO.. BUFFALO. N. Y. 30,500 Bell Telephones in Omaha munlty and tho surest thrift of Its Ity thun over anything olse. Bell Lines Meach 66JJ Nebraska Towns Talk to Omaha Over the Bell Telephone "MllfUMliji IMiiJiMiAJ . Wmm -
