The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-02-25
Geographical.
From the Boston POST
Geography Of Nebraska Territory.

be glad to learn the geography Of this rropos-
Cd territory. Where is the region called Ne
baSka VIA; is its climate and productions!
What is lis population and what may he its
future? Looking in vain through all Il c n,ws-
papers to get answers to the questions, the
writer has sought information f,um Other
sources, and here is the result Of his research
iS:
Nebraska is so NAMED from one Of lis large
rivers called Nebraska, AMI also Platte river
1t con aims all the ulorpaniZtd territory of the
United States, il we include within it the IN
dian territory. so called. five inclUdc III
Nebraska what Mr.. Douglas proposes IN his
bill now pending before Congress, it will cX-
tend south to 81 deg. or half degree above
the line established be the compromise Of
1870. Taking this line, considerable por-
ton of llle territory HOW occupied by the In
dams would not come into the Nebraska and
Kansas territories, into which the region pop
uially called Nebraska is 10 be organized, ac-
cordng to the plan before Congress.
We may say, in general, that Nebraska l.;
bounded On thcnorth by Tic parallel of IS de-.
on the cast by the state of Iowa and Missouri
Oh the south by the Indian Territory, or a
portion Of it, by Texas and New Mexico and
OH the west by the Rocky noun aims DO: :
dering upon U,ah and Oregon. According
TO the estimate in iIayward's United States
Gazette, lately published /, this territory con-
alnS l3G, lm square miles, or Il tract larg, /
than all the New England states New York
New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. Some
of the papers estimate that N,baSka is ten
or twelve tins as large as Ohio 1t would
seem that hy tiiS estimate all The Indian ter
ritory must be included, OF more than that
bounded by the Douglas bill.
There have been two previous attempts to
Organize this territory. One was made in
Congress in June, 1915, or soon after the
graphic reports were submitted to that body
by Col Fremont. Ii was then proposed to
make the territory extend to the Rocky
mountains, and II deg. to 43 deg. norlh and
south or quite small affair compared to The
bounds now proposed. Tic second PROPOSE
ton i'll reference to organization came before
Congress in last year. The southern bo,n-
diary was to be the latitude Of Sc deg. and the
northern that Oft degrees. Neither Of these
plans were entertained by Congress.
The information TO bc obtained with regard
TO Nebraska is by no means extensive nor
pc!ic', accurate from its Wilderness state
"llorn'S Overland Guide" to California has
some f,c;s as to the places and roads Of the
route to the state of gold. The book is small
and the information is m,agrc. Through
Owens geological survey of the territory con-
siderable knowledge of its geology has been
acquired.
But The large volume pnbliShcd by Congress,
containing the reports Of Col. Fr,monts en-
petition through this region to California and
Oregon in 1872, - and n, contain by far
the largest amount Of Information, probably,
cXtant on this almost unknown region.
Schoolcraf'S great work on the North .\m,ri
can Indians, contains some valuable stalis les
on the Indians of his region.
From all sources of information now orcn,
we learn that there are but few white settlers
in the Nebraska territory besides the Indian
agents, military occupants, and missionaries
sent out by the various religious d.nomina-
tons of the United States. The whites are
principally located along the Santa Fc road and
the routes leading to California and Oregon
Prominent points for them arc Fort Lcayen-
worth, a military station, and Council Bluffs,
an Indian agency.
1t is estimated that there arc some IS 600
people i'll Nebraska, the greater part Of these
being Indians. 1t is the choicest hunting
ground OF the rcd men, and it is supposed, of
the estimated half Il million of Indians in the
United States. nearly sixth of them are with
in this territory. The Sioux tribes alone arc
supposed to have 1000 lodges, and about 3d.
600 people. Added to these, there are in Ne
braska, the Pawnecs, the Dclawarcs, the
Shawnecs, the kickapoos, the Stockbridscs,
the Grow, Backtoot. Cheyenne, Alicare,
Grosbcntres, Assinbome, the Alondan and 9TH
crlndians. a portion of the Chcrokccs will
fall into this territory, under the bill of Mr.
Douglas. 1t is well known that the American
board Of missions has for many years employ
cd missionaries among those Indians The
Osages would also be included to whom the
same association formerly sent missionaries
The climate of Nebraska is, of course, diff,
tercnt in different parts. Its southern portion
may have about the climate of Virginia, its in
terror of Connecticut. and its extreme north
crn section that OF Maine. Then the prairie
region must be milder than the mountainous
portions oh the western borders. The tops of
its highest mountains are described as covered
with almost perpetual snow.
The soil varies as much as the climate Much
oft is excellent, while other portions arc COM
posed of nothing but sand such as the Great
American Desert, in the central portion of the
territory. The eastern portion is generally
prairie, which, like the tracts on the nmcr-
Gus rivers, is productive. 1t is generally a
greed that the country must be chiefly an
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