The weekly Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1852-1855, 1854-03-16

thing Of The geography ofthe territory, upon
which the question Of slavery or freedom.
may after all turn, and npon which scarcely
anything seems 70 have been published In
the newspapers
The Information on Nebraska Is meapre
at the most. Altogether the fu,lcst and
most accurate account that has met my eye,
is that TO be found 10 The large volume Of
Col. Fremont, containing reports OF his ex.
petitions 20 California and Oregon 10 1872
3 snd4. The volume contains, in addition
70 Fremonl's narrative, reports on the bot
any Of the country, by those having charge
Of these departments; also astronomical Oh.
servations, etc. "HorD's Overland Guide1
to California is a thin book, and It's informa.
ton Is confined to the routes pursued By
lemigrants. Ovens Geological Survey
gives information on The geology Of Nebras-
ka, and Schoolcraft's large work on the In.
diaps gives quite full statistics on the Indi-
an tribes OF the territory.
Nebraska Is so named, from one Of It's
three largest rivers, the Nebraska or Platte.
According TO the returns OF the last census,
1t contains l36, 700 square miles, or a terri
tory as large as New England, New York
and South Carolina. IL should be stated,
however.taking the southern line at 30 deg,
as Mr.. Douglas proposes, the territory, as
thus organized, will be much larger than
the portion that has usually been designat-
cd as Nebraska; embracing a large portion
of the Indian territory, ahd most of the Indi-
an tribes, except the Cboctaws, the Chick
asaws, the Seminoles, and a portion Of the
Cherokees.
Nebraska, as proposed to be organized,
will be vast region, having the various
climates that are enjoyed in Missouri, Iowa,
and Minnesota. that lie on its Eastern bor-
der; only the climate, like the face of the
country,is more Asiatic. The Eastern por-
ton Of it is chiefly prairie and rich a~Iluvial.
The middle is more sandy and barren, con-
tanning the great American desert; and the
western is mountainous, the highest noun
tains being covered with almost perpetual
snow. ss
The inhabitants of Nebraska may be
serenty-fVe thousand. mostly Indians. The
whites are military men, Indian agents, and
mission aries. Within a week, paragraphs
have appeared in the papers, announcing
that a newspaper is about to be established
at old Fort Kearney, called the Nebraska
Democrat, and that a post office is TO be es-
tablished some forty miles from it for the
accommodation of emigrants-two impor-
tant elements to begin the work Of ciVilizing
the territory.
Nebraska is and must ever be mainly an
agricultural region. II ia far from the ocean.
and has no great lakes. The Platte river,
though from one to three miles wide, is on
y navigable for steamboats, forty miles.
From what even the Indians have accom-
plished in agriculture, the county seems to
hold out great hopes to the farmer. The
Indians there are mostly. supported by agri-
culture, and according to returns before me,
four tribes of Christian Indians on the
northern and southern banks of the Kansas,
cultivated four thousand acres. From these
they raised in a late year, $4,000 bushels Of
corn, $500 bushels of wheat, and 1000
bushels Of oats, 1000 hogs, 100000 melons
Of diferen kinds. They keep coo work oxen,
and a large number of horses. The annual
value of their products is put down at $751;
900. The number Of these Indians is plac-
ed at 2702.
The territory is not well wooded. Pop.
lar, elm, birch, willow, pines, white-oak,
naples and orther trees, are found there in
moderate numbers. The cottonwood tree
much aoounds in the river. Wild animals,
such as b%uffalos, deer, wild horses, noun
tain sheep, prairie dogs, wolves, ellis and
antelopes, abound in this country.
PUBIC WoRKs OF OHFo.-No gentleman
conversant with the Senatorial proceedings
in the capital this winter, can have failed to
notice the power and influence OF the Board
OF Public Works, when called into action
for private ends. Such a gathering of canal
walters as flooded the hotels upon the sig
nal for the first caucus fight, was never wit
messed here before. This has been the COM
mon topic Of conversation with prominent
Democrats, and a general wish expressed
that some remedy should be applied.
Peculiarly speaking, the State can be no
loser, even If the canals were Abandoned
So vile an imposition as the report of the
Board for 1853, drew out the most pointed
apprehension. The Cincinnati Enquirer
openly denounced the fraud. What, then, is
to be done! AS the Legislature appears to
have nothing on hand, why not take up this
matter! Let some action be had. And as
our Democratic friends may desire a Demo-
cratic precedent, here is the action of the
Pennsylvania Legislature on a similar call;
journal.
SALE OF THE PENNSYLVANIA PUBLIcWoRKs.
In the Senate of Pennsylvania on Friday,
the first section of the bill providing for the
sale of the public works, passed by a vote OF
Is to 10. This section authorizes the sale
Of the main line at $4,000, 900; the Della
ware division at $4,000, 900, and Susque-
hanna division including the north and west
branches, at SIS, 600, 900 making a total sum
Of $2l 100000.
CURIOUS DINING HALL.-We see, in
London paper, that Prof. Owen was recent
ly entertained at dinner in the garden Of the
Crystal Palace, at S~ydenham, in the mode
of an Iguanadoa. The animal, in whose
mould the dinner was given, was one of tht
former inhabitants of Sussex, several of hi
bones having been found near Horsham.--
His dimensions have been kept strictly with
in the limits of anatomical knowledge. Hi
length from the snout to the end of the tai
was 80 feet; he was IL feet high; the cir
cumterence of his body was % feet; an,
girth Of his fore-leg 6 feet 6 inches. Tween
ty-one gentlemen dined comfortably within
the interior of the creature, and Prof. Owel
sat at his head as a substitute for brains
The Iguanadon, it will be rememhe red, wa
q hugh vegetarian monster, living upon tn
coarse, rank heritage of the epoch whic
witnessed his existence, when no human
being existed on this fair globe.
(tT-I learn tonight from an intimat
friend Of Mr.. Corwin. that the $4,000
2 which he has been charged with having re