Conservative * 13
commodious laucliug with a storehouse
on it ; largo workshops with abuuclance
of ground around them , and a store
house with offices in it , and mess rooms
are now being built. Ho has also six
hundred and forty acres of land on the
road to Fort Kearney , about four miles
from this place , divided by strong fences
into pastures , cattle yards and cultivated
lands. Ho has now hero over four hun
dred wagons ready for the road and
more than five thousand cattle.
The greatest difficulties seem to be
easily overcome by him , and the smallest
things are not neglected , even to gardens
for his teamsters. The wagons and cat
tle have accumulated unexpectedly by
having had no freight hero since the 9th
instant , and by the returned trains from
Fort Kearney.
The experience of this spring , has
proved beyond any doubt , that this is
the point on the river whence to start
all supplies and troops for Fort Kearney.
Mr. Majors started a train from here
twenty-three days after one from
Leavonworth , which went to Kearney ,
and returning met the Leavenworth
train still two days from the fort. The
cattle in this train hence were in better
order , than when they started , and the
wagon-master stated that those from
Leavenworth were nearly worn out.
In good weather the difference in
time on the round trip will be about
fifteen days in favor of this place over
Leavenworth , and in bad weather about
twenty. In some instances , this year ,
it has exceeded thirty.
The reasons for this difference are
that the distance is about one hundred
miles shorter , there is but one stream to
cross on this road and many on the road
from Leavenworth , and the grass is
abundant on this road , while for many
miles from Leavenworth the lauds are
all fenced in ; this road is also a much
better one to travel no hard hills.
The longest time this spring hence to
Kearney and back has been thirty-one
days , while from Leaven worth they have
taken forty-eight (48) ( ) days to go to
Kearney.
The train that left Mr. Majors' farm
on the 10th instant , he heard by express
yesterday , would be at Kearney today ,
the 26th , only seventeen days going.
The longest time yet required to return
has been eight days. Mr. Majors is
satisfied that where the roads are good
and the teams well broken , he can go to
Fort Kearney and return in twenty
days , and that a single picked train of
twenty-five wagons can go and return
in seventeen days.
My conclusion , general , from the
above , of which I have not the least
doubt , is that all our trains that are used
on the road to Kearney , should be
started from this point.
In connection with this I beg leave to
call your attention to a reserve that was
laid off in Iowa , directly opposite this
point of about two thousand acres of
woodland and meadow. I believe , from
what I have heard here , that this reserve
was laid off by Colonel Swords in 1840.
Certain portions of it were entered by
parties and paid for , but they were af
terward informed from the land office ,
that it was a mistake and they could
come and get their money back ; this
they declined to do and I understand a
bill passed the senate this year confirm
ing their titles ; if this bill failed in the
house , and you will have me informed
of the true state of the case , I will take
immediate steps to reclaim the laud.
It would answer all our necessities in
keeping animals hero , as wood , water
and grass are abundant. In good farm
ing years corn here is only twenty-five
cents per bushel and rarely more than
fifty. Hay now is about $5 per ton.
The only objection is that it is on the
other side of the river , but there is a
steam ferry landing on the reserve and
of course we could get our ferriage free.
There is a blockhouse and a log house
still standing in this town , the remains
of old Fort Kearney. There are persons
hero , who still think this is a reserve ,
but I cannot get any accurate informa
tion on the subject.
Would you please inquire for and send
me copies of the maps and reports of
Lieut. Woodbury of the engineers , of
surveys made by him in 1846 , I believe
of several routes for roads hence to Fort
Kearney ? General , if your attention
has not before been called to Fort Ras-
dall , as a starting point for land trans
portation to Fort Laramie and Utah , I
beg leave now to do it. From a careful
examination of the map , I am satisfied
it is as near Laramie , as is Kearney if
not nearer. If that route has not been
already surveyed , would it not bo worth
while to have it done ?
Since writing the above , I had a con
versation with a Mr. English , who had
charge of this reserve ( old Fort Kearney )
for some time and who says this is still
a reserve.
If ho is right , it should be know at
once , as there are many parties largely
interested in houses , lots and lands here ,
who think or pretend to think their
titles good.
General , I am sorry to have troubled
you with so long a letter , but I could not
make it shorter , without leaving out
some things I thoxight it important you
should know. No corn has yet been de
livered here under the contract made in
your office May 15,1858. I am , general ,
Very respectfully ,
Your Obedt. Servt. ,
JAMES G. MARTIN ,
Captain and Assistant Quartermaster.
Maj. General T. S. Jesup ,
Quartermaster General , U. S. A. ,
Washington , D. 0.
RAILROAD CONTROL IN NEBRASKA.
We have received from the author ,
Mr. Frank Haigh Dixon , of Dartmouth
college , a very valuable pamphlet en-
titled "Railroad Control in Nebraska. "
It is reprinted from the Political Science
Quarterly , Vol. XIII , No. 4.
Every school and every public library
in the state of Nebraska ought to have
access to this instructive dissertation ,
which is historically and economically a
sort of railroad encyclopedia for this
commonwealth. *
Mr. Dixon remarks very properly rela
tive to the intense hostility developed
against railroads in Nebraska :
"In the first place , there is to be noted
the development of a public sentiment
favoring free coinage of silver and gov
ernment ownership and operation of
natural monopolies and of quasi-public
works , and protesting against the growing - '
ing power of the courts. With the or
ganization of a party pledged to these
principles , the political agitator has
come to the front ; and he has succeeded ,
by the very force of liis enthusiasm and
intemperance , in exerting a tremendous
influence xipon the farming community.
He has had no difficulty in making the
fanners believe that the railroads are
their natural enemies and are exploiting
the producing classes for the purpose of
increasing their revenues. All this , however -
over , is only on the surface. This econ- H i
omic discontent is due in part , at least *
to some underlying causes which have
materially lightened the labors of the
agitator. The farmers have suffered
severely from crop disasters , the western
part of the state being especially subject
to drought. Since 1890 , largely as the
result of effective foreign competition ,
there has been a steady fall in the prices
of farm products. "
Mr. Dixon proceeds in order and logi
cally to show that the farmers , under
the circumstances described , have been
easily persuaded to believe that the rail
roads have been responsible for poor
crops , lack of rain and all other misfor
tunes. Mr. Dixon speaks of the New-
berry maximum rate law and of its hav
ing been enacted to take effect on the
1st day of August , 1898. He narrates
everything pertaining to the suits insti
tuted in the circuit court of the United *
States for the district of Nebraska by
the stockholders of the Chicago & North
western , the Union Pacific , the Chicago ,
Burlington and Quincy , the Missouri
Pacific and the Chicago , Rock Island &
Pacific against the railroad companies
and the board to prevent enacted rates *
from becoming operative. He recites
the granting of the temporary injunc
tion in each case and shows that they
were argued in June , 1894 , at Omaha ,
before Justice Brewer of the United
States supreme court , with Judge Dundy
as associate. The decision was rendered
in November. The main question at
issue was the reasonableness of the rates
prescribed by the legislature. Justice
Brewer recognized the difficulty of de
termining a test for reasonableness. A
reasonable percentage on the investment , * *
said Justice Brewer , is not always an