Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-04-17
miscellaneous Geleftions.
Life ira Nebraska,

Now that Congress, the politician:
and the people are talking of Nebraska
il may he interesting for our readers tx
accompany US TO the territory itself, ant
see where and what it is, who inhabit it
or life in Nebraska.
In visiting this unorganized territory,
upon which there is now so much dis
pute, we must first go by any route we
choose to the city Of St. Louis. Here
we will take steamboat and float for
hundreds of miles TO the mouth of the
Kansas river. We land here. and are
in the region called Nebraska. If we
were pleased 10 take another steamboat.
we could go up the Kansas river. or
nearly west, towards the interior.
But let us prefer rather TO continue
our voyage up the Missouri, still BY
steamboat, for some hundreds of miles.
we are now at the mouth of the Platte
river. or the Nebraska, which means
Shallow Bottom" It is rightly ma
med, for though it is from one to three
miles wide, it is generally very shallow,
and steamboats, pass VI its waters for
only forty miles. BY this river Col.
Fremont passed much Of the way, on his
route TO California and Oregon in 1912.
In his journals of his two expeditions.
there IS, probably, more information on
Nebraska fhan can lie obtained from all
other books.
We find Nebraska 10 be a vast region.
BY The late census it is estimated at
loo, 1GO square miles, or a region rs
large as New England, New York, New
Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, and e.
ven larger. If organized as proposed by
the BILL Of Mr.. Douglas, now pending in
Congress, it will be larger still, as it will
embrace much Of what has been known
as The Indian Territory.
We find the northern part of Nebras-
ka as cold as New England; the interi-
CT as cold as the climate of Middle
States, and the southern portion with
something of the mIdness Of Virginia.
There IS, however, this difference Me-
bfaska is more Asiatic in lis climate and
general features. There are vast prai-
Tes. high table lands, thousands Of miles
above the level Of the sea, rivers of al
mo:t intermiuable length. On the ives,
II IS bounded by the Rocky Mountains,
whose highest peaks are covered with
perpetual snow. 4 large portion Of the
great American desert is in this terrific
fy; here many an emigrant, bound for
California. has lain down TO die, worn
ont with fatigue and hunger. The soil
OF Nebraska is mostly fertile, the geolo-
glcal formation being that of limestone
and sandstone, which always indicates
good soil. |! must, in the future be-
come a i4nc farming region. Already
''a.'y Voting farmers of orr country have
their eyes upon ii, ~,.I .-.:l i 1T,
thiher their steps as soon as Senator
Douglas bill, or any other passes, Or
ganizing the territories.
But who inhabit Nebraska? Indians,
and hardly any but Italians. IT is their
grandast hunting ground, and it is sup
posed that from $1,000 to $4,000, or d
bout one sixth part Of all the Indians
that yet remain in the United States,
roam over its prairics and tabla lands,
pass their canoes over It's waters, pursue
game by rivers, and over mountains, and
wage war one upon another. Here are
Christian Indians, 50 called, such as the
Delawares, Slockbridges, etc. here are
The wild and warlikc Sioux, and Chey-
enne Indians that delight in scenes Of
blood here roam the Crows and Black
foots, the Assinib,nes, the Aricares, the
eros Fentaes, and the Mandans. Our
civilization has driven them beyond the
Mississippi, and soou another wave Of
civilization will push them westward,
where it is expected that they will be
ttted to become par. oi he bo3y-poli-
tic, and 10 be duly represented in Con-
greSs.
Hunting TIE buffalo is tho great pur-
suit Of the wild Indians of Nebraska, and
their greatest source Of profit. Their
skins they sell 10 the fur traders; but,
alas the bnf{a,oes are becoming scarce
under the influence Of the many rifles
that are aimed at them. What will they
DO when they are gone? They must
become civilized and till TIE soil, as the
Christian Indians now do, and with con-
siderable success, as will be seen from
The following statistics:
These Indians, less than 5000 in
number, that live under the Fort Lea
venworth agency. north and south of the
Kansas river, cultivate more than 1000
acres. From these acres they raised, in
single year. so bushels of corn, $3.50
Of wheat, $4,000 Of oats. and 100000
melons OF ali kinds. They have large
numbers Of horses and oxen, and live
like happy and independent farmers.
OF whites permanently living in Ne
braska, there are but few, and these are
either military men stationed at some of
the forts, or else Indian agents, or else.
missionaries sent out by the various re-
llgious denominations OF The States. Ii
Is true, there are always more or less
white travellers passing to California, TO
Oregon, 10 Utah, or New Mexico, or re-
turning from thence, which gives no in
considerable variety to the lives of those
who Sse confined there. Indeed, it is
now stated that n newspaper is immedi-
aley to be printed at old Fort Kearney,
and that post-off;oc is to be established
0hy forty miles from it, for the benefit
u The emigranis, who may write home
IL