The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1854-03-25
Geography Of the uebra,ta ouestion.

0eography OF the lebraskA Question. ,
The following cxtrscts from an article in the
Boston Post will give our readers some inform.
alton about this territory, concerning which
50 much has been said, politically, and SO little
really known:
Nebraska is so named from one OF the large
rivers called Nebraska, and also Platte river
II contains all the ~unorganized territory Of the
United States, II We include within it the In.
territory, no called. If we include in Ne.
braska what Mr.. Douglas proposes in his bill,
now pending before Congress, it will extend
South to S7o, or half a degree above the line
established by the compromise Of 1920. Ia.
king this line, . considerable portion of the
territory now occupied by the Indians would
not como into the Nebraska and Kansas ter.
%ritories, into which the region, popularity cal.
led Nebraska, Is to DO organized, according TO
the plan before Congress.
Nebraska Is bounded on the north by the par.
Allied oil the Az . on the enst by the State of
low and Missouri, on the south by the Indian
territory, or q portion Of il, by Texas and
New Mexico and OH the west by tho Rocky
mountains bordering upon Utah and Oregon.
According to the estimate in liaywood's Unit
ed States Gazette. lately published, this
territory contains 10000 square miles, or u
tract larger than all the New England States.
New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Mary.
land. Some OF the papers estimate that Ne.
braska is ten or twelve times rs large as Ohio.
1t would Seem that by this estimate, all the In.
dian territory must DO inclnded or 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, 1S45, or noon after these
graphic reports were submitted to that BODY
by Col. Fremont. 1t was then proposed to
mako the territory extend from the Missouri riy-
er to the Rocky Mountains, and from AS to
49o north and south, or quite a small affair
compared to the bounds now proposed.-
The second proposition in reference to organ.
ization came before Congress in March of last
year. Tho southern boundary was to be the
latitude of 8s deg, and the northern that of
Al deg. Neither of these plans were enter.
tanned by Congress. r5H no
From all sources of information now open.
we learn that there are but few white settlers
In the Nebraska territory besides the Indians,
agents, military occupants, and missionaries
sent out by the various religious denomina-
tions of tho United States. The whites are
located along the Santa Fe road, and the Toutes
leading to California and Oregon. Prominent
points for them are Fort Leaycnworth A mill.
tary station and Council Bluffs, IA Indian agcn-
cy. huil. ,l-lh
1t Is estimated that there arc some 10000
people in Nebraska the greater part of these
being Indians. 1t is the choicest hunting.
ground of the red men, and it is supposed, of
the estimated half of q million Of Indians in
the United States nearly a sixth Of them arc
within this territory. The Sioux tribes alone
are supposed to have 5000 lodges, and about
70 1000 people. Added to these, there are in
Nebraska, the Pawnese, the Delawarcs, the
%Shawnesc, tho Kickapoos, the Stock bridges,
the Crow, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Aricarc, Gros-
bentrcs, Assinebonc, the Mondan aud other
Indians. A portion of the Cherokees will fall
in to this territory, under the bill of Mr.. Doug
las. 1t is well known that the American
Board of Missions has, for many years, en-.
ployed missionaries among those indians.--
Tho Osagcs would also be included, TO whom
the same association formerly sent missionaries
The climate Of Nebraska is, Of course, differ
cnt in different parts. It's southern portion
may have about tho climate of Virginia, its in.
terror Of Connecticut, and it's extreme north.
ern section that Of Maine, Then the prairie
region must be milder than the mountain.
GUS portions on the western borders. The tops
of its highest mountains are dccribed as cover
ed with almost perpetual snow.
The soil varies rs much as the climate
'hoN's ~ ~ - NS'tNi titlC tuC DOTlOnS
are composed of nothing but sand, such as the
Great American Desert, in tho central portion
of the territory. The eastern portion il gen
orally prairie, which, like the tracts on the
numerous rivers, is productive. 1t il general.
ly agreed that the country mus be chiefly an
agricultural one. Manufacturers may flourish
to some extent, and commerce hardly at oil. as
it Is far from oceans and has no great lakes
leading thereto.
The agricultural powers Of the country may
be somewhat inferred from the returns Of the
four tribes OF Christian fndians-the Della.
wares, Kickapoos, Shawnccs, and Stockbridges
all living north and south of the Kansas
River. The number of these Indians il 2TO2.
They are mostly supported by agriculture,
and these returns are for a single year. The
numEer of acres cultivated were over 1000
They raised over so, 900 bushels of corn, 269o
bushels Of wheat, and IL, 900 bushels of oats.
They kept over 600 working oxen, aud large
numbers OF horses. OF MELONS Of all kinds
they raised over 800, 900, aud 1000 hogs. The
value OF their products is put down at $sl 600,
Among these Indians civilization aud Chris.
tianily have much advanced. as will be further
indicated 10y the statistics that follow. They
have six schools, seven teachers aud two hun.
dred scholars. Their Sabbath schools arc five.
and their churches the same. of professors of
religion there are 3T2. nearly half Of whom
arr males or a much larger portion than is
usual ia New England. The Nebraska, the
Kansas aud the Arkansas are the three great
rivers. This frat two How from wcs, to cast,
and empty into the Missouri several hundred
miles above its mouth. The branches ar forks
of these rivers are many. The Arkansas risss
the western portion of the territory. and
flows southwest aud ompties, aNer crossing
the State by the same name, into the MiSSiS,
sippl The Nebraska river is lrem oae Go
three mites hruad. II Is fall of Stands cover.
cd with co,,en weod, willow and shrubs. Col.
Long SAys that "ealy forty milcs of il Is opsn
20 Steamboat navigation" The great cunt
grant saais tn Califosnis snd oSegon sllows