The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1854-03-22
Life in Nebraska.

Life in Nebraska. f
| Now that Congress. the politicians and
the people. are talking of Nebraska. it may
be interesting to our readers to accompa-
ny us to the territory itself, and see where
and what it is, who inhabit it, or live in
| Nebraska, 5s
In visiting this unorganized territory,
upon which there is now so much dispute
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 call.
ed Nebraska. If we were pleased to 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 the steam
boat, for some hundreds of miles,. We
are now at the mouth of the Platte river,
or the Nebraska, which means ssShallow
Bottom.'' 1t is rightly named, for though
it is from one to three miles wide, it is
generally very shallow, and steamboats,
pass up its waters for only forty miles. By
this river, Col. Fremont passed much Of
the way, on his route to California and
Oregon in l842. In his journals of his
two expeditions. there is, probably, more
information on. Nebraska. than can be OBJ
tanned from all other books.
We find Nebraska to be a vast region
BY the late census it is estimated at 1867
700 square miles. or a region as large as
New England, New York, New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland, and even larger
If organised as proposed by the bill of Mr..
Douglas. now pending in Congress. it will
be larger still, aSit will embrace much
of what has been known as the Indian
Territory.
We fnd the Northern part of Nebraska
as cold as New England; the interior as
the Middle States, and tine Southern por-
ton with something of the mildness Of
Virginia. There is, however, this differ.
ence; Nebraska is more Asiatic in its eli
mate and general features. There are
vast prairies, high table-lands, thousands
of miles above the level OF the. sea, rivers
of almost interminable length. On the
west it is bounded by the Rocky Noun
tains, whose highest peaks are covered
WV" oAO W "a io' 81 potNOu " tiic SIcat
American desert Is in this territory; here
many an emigrant. bound for California,
has laiti down to die, worn out with fatigue
and hunger. ~.
The soil Of Nebraska is mostly fertile.
the geological formation being that OF lime
stone and sandstone, which always indi-
Gates good soil. it must, in the future,
become a fine farming region. Already,
many young farmers Of our country have
their eyes upon it, and will be bending
|rhither fi,eir steps as soon ass Senator
Douglas btll, or any other passes, or
ganizing the territories ~
Blu. who inhabit Nebraska? Indians.
and hardly any but Indians. II is their
grandest hunting ground, and il is sup
posed that from 75,OOOto 10000, or about
one. sixth part of all the Indians that yet
remain IN the United States. roam over its
prairies and table-lands, pass their canoes
over its waters, pursue game by rivers, and
over mountains, and wage war one upon
another. Here are Christian Indians, so
called, such as the Delawares, Stock.
bridges. ETC.; here are the wild and war
like Sioux and Cheyenne Indians that de
light in scenes of blood; here roam the
Mandans, the Crows. and Blackfoots. the
Assimbones, the Aricares, the Gros Ven.
tres and the Mandans, Our civilization
has driven them beyond the Mississippi.
and soon another wave of civilization will
push them westward, where it is expected
that they will be fitted to become part OF
the body polite, and to be duly represent.
ed in Congress. Y sc .Sgass
Hunting the buffalo is the great pursuit
Of the wild Indians OF Nebraska, and their
greatest source of profit. Their skins they
sell to the fur-traders; but, alas! the buffa-
loes are becoming scarce under the nflu-
ence Of the many rifles that are aimed at
them. What will they do when they are
gone? They must become civilized and
till the soil as the Christian Indians now
do, and with considerable success, as will
be seen from the following statistics: q
These Indians, less than 5000 in mum.
Der, that. live under Fort Leavenwor,h
agency, North and South of the Kansas
river, cultivate more than 1000 aeres.--
From these acres, they raised In a single
year. 80 bushels of corn, $500 of wheat
12 900 of oats, and 2UO 600 melons of all
kinds. They have large numbers Of
horses and oxen. and live happy and in
dependent farmers. agG ggy es7
OF whites, permanently living in Ne
braska there are some OF the forts. or else
Indian agents.. or else missionaries sent
outbty the various religious denominations
of The States, Itis true, there are always
more or less white travellers passing to
California, to Oregon, or to Utah. or New
Mexico, or returning from thence, which
gives no inconsiderable variety TO the lives.
of those who are confined there. Indeed,
it is now stated that q newspaper is i'm
mediately to be printed at old Fort Kear.
Hney, and that a post Office is 10 be estab-
.lisbed only forty miles from it. for the ben.
eft Of the emigrants, who may write home
from that point, ''they have gone SO far,
safe and sound, or otherwise. and:that they
hope to realize their golden dreams soon."
. A newspaper and post .olfice--,wo of the
most powerful agents of our modern civili-
za,ion--are now to put forth their strength
in what's to be the great heart of America.
Other wild animals, besides buffaloes.
NJ 4 Al. r.