The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1854-07-07
Life i'm Ncbra SIX a.

low that the Nebraska and Kansas Bill has
become Law, it may be interesting for read
ers TO accompany US 10 the territory itself, and
see where and what it is who nhabit 1t, Lie
in Nebraska:
In visiting this unorganized territory, about
which there has been much dispute, we must
first go by any route we chOnsc TO The city Of ST.
Louis. Here will take a Steamboat and 0uHt
:nr hundreds Of miles 10 The mouth Of Kansas
river. We land here and i'll the region Of
Nebraska. II we were pleased 20 take another
steamboat, could 60 up the Kansas river,
nearly West, towards The interior.
But let prefer "a :Eer 10 continue voyage
up the Missouri, still BY steamboat, for some hun
.r,ds of miles We are now at the mouth of the
Plate River, or the Nebraska, which means
Shallow Bottom" 1t is rightly named, Tor
though it is from one to three miles wide. il is
generally very shallow, and steamboats, pass up
lis waters for only forty miles. By this river
Col Fremont passed much of the way, on his
rnu'e California and Oregon in 1912 10 his
journals OF his two 'x?rdi'uns, there is probably
Information Nebraska Than be OBJ
tanned from all other bucks.
We find Nebraska 10 br region. By The
Last census it is estimated al 1856, 700 square
miles, Il gon as large New England, New
York, New Jersey, Delaware aud Mari land, and
even Iarg"r. Ii organised Propus, d hy the bill
uf Mr.. Douglass, Inch has been passed by Con-
gr SIS, it. Will he larger STILL /; will embrace
much of what has been known The Indian Ter.
ri:nrv.
We find The Northern part of Nebraska as
cid as New England The interior cold as the
Middle STATES, and the Southern portion With
something oil the nIilIncss of Virginia. There
Is, however, this difference: Nebraska $ more
Asiaiic in is climate and general features. There
vast pfairieS, high Table lands. thousands oi
feet above The level of the sea, and rivers of al.
A. -
huunded hy the Rocky Mountains whose big he<,
peaks are covered with perpetual snow. large
portion OF the great American Desert in This Ter
rlpFy; here many an emIsrau', bound for Cali.
forum, has lam down Ia die, worn down with IA
iIgue and hunger. The s" OF N"bt aska is most
ly fertile, the geological formation bcIhg that ol
imestSue and sandstone, which always indicates
good soil. Il must, in the uture brcome fine
farming region. Already many young farmers
at our country hay" their eyes upon II, and are
bending their steps IhIherward.
Bot who iuhaLit Nebraska Indians, and
hardly any but Indians. 1t is their grandest
hunting ground, and it is supposed that from
as 600 10 so, 900, about onr.sixh part of all
the Indians that yet remain in The United States
roam ills pralri"s aud table lands, pass their
canoes over It's waters, pursue game by It's rivers
and over It's mountains, AND wage war one upon
nnolhcr. Here Christian Indians, such The
D~lawarrs, Stock bridgcs &c ; here the ~id
and warlIkc Sioux aud Cheyenne Indians, that
delight ia scenes of blood; here roam the Man.
dams, the Crows aud Bluckfuots, the Assinbone<,
the Arcares and the Gros Vrutres. Our civil.
zriinn has driven them beyond the Mississippi,
and soon another wave oil civilization will push
them westward, here ii is expected that they
Will be Gr'd to become a part of the body polite,
and be duly represented in Congress.
llunling the buffrio is the great pursuit Of III"
wild Indians of Nrbrasku, and .heir greatest
of r~Gi th.xc IN no fur
traders: but alas the buffaIoes becoming
scarce, under tn" influence Of many rifles
AIMED at them. What will they do when they
gone They must become civilized and ill
the soil : the Christian Indians now do and with
considerable success us wiIl be seen from the fol-
loving statistics:
These lndans, less than 1900 in number that
1--we under the Fort I.""venwurrh agency, North
and South OF the Kansas river. cultivate
1000 acres. From these acres they raised in
single year. 500 bushels Of corn, = 600 bushels
OF wheat, II, 900 bushels of oats, and 200 900
mr!ons of all kinds. They have large numbers
81 hnrs"s and oxen, and live happy and iDd-pend.
Cnt farmers.
OF whites, permanently living in Nebraska.
there but few, and these either military
men stationed at some uf the forts, else Indian
agents, missionaries sent out by the various
hgious denominations o! the States. Ii is true,
there are always more less While travellers
MEXICO, or returning from ,hrncc, which gives no
lncnnSIderablr variety To- the lives Of ihOSe who
are confined there. Indeed, 1t is now stated that
p newspaper i, imme dIateIy to be printed at Fort
krarnCy, aud that post Office is TO be established
only forty miles from 1t, for the benefit of the
cmgrnns, who may write home from that point,
that "ihey have gone far, safe and sound. or
Otherwise, and thst they hope To realize their gold
en- dreams soon. a newspaper and u post office
two Of the most powerful agents of our modern
cNl:zatIon-are now to put forth their strength in
what IS TO be The great heart OF America.
Other wild animals, besides buffaloes abound
IN Nebraska. There are the swirl antelope elk
deer, prairie dogs, wild horses, and occasionally
grizzly bear crosses Inc path OF The traveler-
The prairie dog is allied to the marmot. They
abound west of the Mississippi living by the hun.
dredS together, under ground.
Col. Fremont and purity dug for one IN their
journey, but Gid not succeed 10 End him. These
oogs are about the size Of a rabbit or woodchuck
Inrlr bark is sharp, like that of small dog
Ii The emigrant is hungry, he mounts his horse, |
gives chase 10 herd OF bafflloes il so, he can |