Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-03-17
From the Boston Post
7 IOI1I 01IO DUoIOI I UsL.
Geography of Nebraska Territory.

Now that bill is before the Congress- TO oroanize
the Nebraska Territory, our readers may be glad to
learn the geography of this proposed territory Where
is the region called Nebraska? What is the extent
of What IS lis soil, and productions What is
its population and what may be it's future Looking
in vain through all the newspapers to get answers to
these questions the writer has ght information from
other and here is the result ofhs researches:
Nebraska is so named from of it's large rivers
called Nebraska, and also Platte river 1t contains
all the unorganized territory of the United States if
we include within II the Indian territory. so called
# we include in Nebraska, what Mr.. Douglas pro-
poses in his bill now pending before Congress- it will
extend south to 81 deg, or half degree above the
line established by the compromise of 1920. Taking
this line, considerable portion of the territory now
occupied by the Indians would not come into the
Nebraska and Kansas territories, into which the region
popularIy called Nebraska is to be organized accord
ing to the plan before Congress.
We may say, in general, that Nebraska is bounded
on the north by the parallel of 43 deg, on the east
by the state of Iowa and Missouri on the south by
the Indian territory, or portion of it, by Texas and
New Mexico, and on the west by the Rocky Noun
tains, bordering upon Utah and Oregon. According
to the estimate in HaYward's United States Gazette
lately published this territory contains 1885, square
miles, or tract larger than all the New England
states New YOt K, New Jersey, Delaware and Mary
land Some of the papers estimate that Nebraska is
ten twelve times as large Ohio. 1t would seem
that by this estimate all the Indian tirrtory must be
included, 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
l845 after the graphic reports submitted
to that body by Col. Fremont. It was then proposed
to make the territory extend from the Missouri river
TO the Rocky Mountains, and from Al deg, to 43 deg
north and SOUTH or quite small affair compared to
the bounds now proposed. The second proposition
in reference to organization came before Congress in
March of last year. The southern boundary was to
be the latitude Of Sc deg. and the northern that of
Al deg Neither of these plans were entertained by
Congress-
The information to be obtained with regard to Ne
blaska is by extensive nor perfectly accG-
rate from its wilderness state. g Horns Overland
Guide to California has some facts as to the place
and roads OF the route tc the state of gold The
book IS small and the information is meagre-
Through Owens geological survey of the territory
considerable knowledge of its geology has been &C
quired
But the large volume published by Congress, con-
tanning the reports of Col. Fren2ont's expedition
through this region to California and Oregon in 1912
IS and "A contain by far the largest amount of in
formation, probably, eXtant on this almost unknown
region. Schoolcrats great work on the North Amer
can Indians, contains some valuable statistics on the
Indians of this region
From all sources of information now OPEN we
learn that there but few white settlers in the Ne
occupants, and missionaries sent out by the various
religious denominations of the United States The
whites are principally located along the Sante Fe
road and the routes leading to California and Oregon
Prominent points for them are Fort Leavenworth a
military station and Council Bluffs an Indian agency
1t is estimated that there are some $4,000 people
IN Nebraska, the greater part of these being Indians
1t Is the choicest hunting ground OF the red men,
and 1t Is supposed of the estimated half million Of
Indians IN the United States, nearly sixth of them
are within this territory. The Sioux tribes alone are
supposed to have 5000 lodges and about 80 900 PEG
pie Added to these are in Nebraska, the Pawnees
the Delawares the Shawnees, the Kckapoos, the
Stockbrldges, the Crow, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Ari
care GrOsbenreS, ASsnebOWe the Mandan anC
other Indians. A portion of the Cherokees will fal
INTO this territory under the bill of Mr.. Douglass
IS we'll known that the American board of missions
has for many years employed missionaries among
those Indians. The Osages would also be included
TO whom the association formerly sent mission
aries
The climate of Nebraska is, of course, different il
different parts. It's southern portion may have abou
the climate Of Virginia, its interior of Connecticut
and It's extreme northern section that of Maine
Then the prairie region must be milder than tn
mountainous portions on the western borders. Th
'OPS ol us highest mountains described as cover
eo with almost perpetual snow.
ne SOIL varies much the clmate-Much @
IL IS excellent while other portions are composed 0
IN the central portion of the territory. The eastern
portion is generally prairie, which like the tracts OF
Inc numerous rivers, IS productive. 1t is general.
agreed that the country must be chiefly an ag5icul
tural one. Manufactures may flourish to some ex
lent and commerce hardly at all, it is far from
oceans and has no great akes leading thereto
The agricultural powers of the country may b
somewhat inferred from the returns OF the corps o
the four tribes of Christian Indians-the Delawares
hckapoos, Shawnees and Stockbridges-al iv
ing north and south of the Kansas river The nun
Der OF these Indians is 1902 They mostly sup
portedby agriculture, and these returns for sngl
year The number of acres cultivated were owe
fOoO' They raised over $4,000 bushels of corn, 269
bushels OF wheat and $4,000 bushels of oats The
Kept over 900 working oxen, and large numbers O
horses OF melons of all kinds they raised over 200
OOo' and 400 hogs. The value of their products
put down at $31 900.
Among these Indians civilization and Chrstianit
nave much advanced, and will be further indicate
Dy The statistics that follow. They have six school:
seven teachers, and two hundred scholars. The
SABBATH schools are five, and their churches tn
same. vi professors of religion there are 372 neal