!
The Conservative *
for themselves a name in the marts of
trade and honorable traffic. Goods
are sold at reasonable rates and at
only a fair profit , and we have no
doubt that clothing and dry goods ,
and in fact everything necessary to
the support of a family , except per
haps the simple article of wheat flour ,
are sold much cheaper here than is
generally supposed at the East. We
here quote the price of a few articles
for the week ending February 26 ,
1858 :
Flour , $4.00 to $4.76 per sack ;
spring wheat flour , $3.50 ; superfine ,
per barrel , $8.00 to $9.00 ; extra super
fine , $9.00 to $9.50 ; wheat 75 ots. per
bushel ; potatoes , 50 to 60 cts per
bushel ; corn , 60 to 75 ots. per
bushel ; hay , $6.50 to $8.00 per ton ;
oats , 60 to 70 cts per bushel ; butter ,
fresh , 85 cts. keg , 80 cts per Ib. ; eggs ,
20 ots. per dozen ; cheese , 20 ofs. per
Ib. ; lard , 15 cts. per Ib. ; tallow , 10
to 11 cts. per Ib. ; pork , 6 to 7 cts.
per Ib. ; bacon , 18 to 20 ots. per
Ib. ; candles , star , 85 ots. , tallow ,
15 to 20 ots. per Ib. ; wood , oak , $8.75
to $4.00 per cord ; beans , $8.00 per
bushel ; corn meal , 75 ots. per bushel.
There are five hotels in the Oity.
And a most elegant brick hotel , one
of the finest in the western country ,
has just been finished and is being
properly stocked and furnished. The
structure would be an ornament to
any place.
Schools and Churches.
These , we are gratified to state are
not neglected. Notwithstanding that
at times speculation has run high , in
the midst of a general scramble for
wealth , the intelligence of her citi
zens has not allowed the youth of Ne
braska Oity to grow up uncouth in
manners and unpolished by the refine
ments and elegancies of a judicial
mental training. Pioneer schools
have been established which form a
basis and ground work for future
operations , and here are planted the
germs and nurseries of future Sem
inaries and Academies and higher
institutions of learning which will
yet bo the pride of Nebraska Oity ,
and one of the "chief titles of honor
to adorn the State. "
Churches. The various religious
denominations are nearly all repre
sented here. We have Presbyterians ,
Methodists , Baptists , Episcopalians ,
German Methodists and Catholics.
The Methodists have a large and
capacious building for holding serv
ices. The Presbyterians have nearly
completed their elegant and commod
ious brick edifice , and wo understand
that the Baptists , Episcopalians and
the other religious bodies are soon to
erect suitable and substantial build
ings for church edifices. Those im
provements andj unmistakabloindioa- _
tious of thrift and enterprise seem
almost fabulous miraculous , when it
is remembered that but four years
ago on this very ground the wild war
whoop of the Indian alone broke the
solemn stillness of the Sabbath ,
where now the "church going bell"
calls hundreds of willine worshippers
to the temple for the worship of the
only true God. Hero wo see exempli
fied upon the western border of the
Missouri and rendered into prose and
fact the poetry of the lines :
"at evening's mellow close
Mustered here the savage foes
But when the morning sun arose
Cities filled the land. "
cities of churches and schools , of
elegant courtesies and refined man
ners. The society of the place is most
desirable , and in point of intelligence
will compare favorably with towns of
equal size at the east , while there is
a cordiality , a freedom from affecta
tion , and genial good will unknown to
eastern society. Kentucky with her
hospitality , Virginia with her gen
erosity and magnanimity , and New
England thrift and enterprise are
hero represented and happily blended
into a "unity in variety. " The
courso'of lectures now being delivered
in this city are attended by as intelli
gent audiences and are characterized
by as much ability and worth as
many for which the writer has fre
quently paid his "quarters" at the
East.
Banking Inntltution and Printing Press.
The writer of this "Sketch" has
frequently felt it his duty to "travel
out of the record' ' to enter his pro
test against Banks and Banking Insti
tutions inflated credit of every de
scription and paltry "promises to
pay. ' ' Yet he would bo doing an in
justice to faithful public servants did
he fail in this connection to speak a
kind word of commendation of the
honorable manner in which the
affairs of the Platte Valley Bank , lo
cated at Nebraska Oity , have been
conducted. Much credit is due the
officers of this bank for their safe and
creditable management of its con
cerns. The institution it is believed
is perfectly sound and reliable.
The Nebraska News the oldest pa
per in the Territory is published at
Nebraska Oity. It was established in
November , 1854 has ever been a
faithful champion of Squatter rights
and an inflexible opponent to bribery
and corruption whether private or
official. It was edited for about three
years in the old Block House , by
Hon. J. Sterling Morton it is now
edited by Milton W. Reynolds , and
published from third story of Bank
Buildings by Thos. Morton & Co. It
is an unswerving Democratic Journal
and supportflj.with zeal and earnest
ness the Administration of Jauies Bu
chanan.
Land Office.
The Land Office for the South
Platte District is hero located An
drew Hopkins , of Pennsylvania-Re
gister , and E. A. DesLondes , of Lou
isiana , Receiver. The Office has done
a good business in the way of entries ,
and the gentlemanly officers seem
willing to render all assistance in
their power to aid the boua fide set
tler in "proving up" his pre-emption.
There are still valuable prairie lauds
within ten and twelve miles of the
Oity subject to pre-emption at $1.25
per acre , yet timbered and well
watered "claims" " "
are "taken up"
for fifty or seventy miles west of the
place. We present the following ab
stract of "doings at the Land Office"
for the last two weeks in Septem
ber , 1857 :
Office opened on 14th of September ,
1857.
Office open for pre-emptors on 18th
of September.
Number of acres entered from the 18th
to 80th of September.
By Land Warrants Act of
March , 1855 15,726
By cash 2,100
Act of 1850 190
Number of Declaratory state
ments filed in September. 194
Coal and Building Rock.
Ooal has been found upon the farm of
J. Sterling Morton , one mile west of
town. A stratum of which , ten feet
from the edge of the bank , that has
been drifted , varies , in thickness from
twelve to eighteen inches , and is a very
superior article of Oannel coal. It has
also been found in many other parts of
the county , and undoubtedly exists in
sufficient quantities to furnish a dense
population with fuel for centuries to
come.
Building stone of the very best
quality is found throughout the Terri
tory and especially in the vicinity of
Nebraska Oity. Specimens of it may be
seen in the window caps of the Bank
Buildings and also in the massive pillars
that form the front of the store of
Seigel & Greenebaum.
Selected as a Military Depot and a Point
for Shipping Supplies to the Army
of the West.
During the present month ( Febru
ary ) Mr. Majors , of the firm of Russell ,
Majors & Waddell , Government Con
tractors , and Lieut. DuBarry , of the U.
S. Army , have visited Nebraska Oity ,
among other places on the River , for the
purpose of selecting a Military Depot
and a point for shipping supplies to the
Utah Army. They were cordially re
ceived by our citizens and after a free
and full consultation by public meet
ings and a careful examination of the
