Washington sentinel., 1855-02-15
interesting Item. about Nebra.,n.

Interesting Items about Nebraska.
A correspondent Of the Cleveland Herald,
writing from Omaha City, Nebraska Territory,
January 18th, gives the following account of
the country:
The surface Of Iowa il only second edition
OF the soil OF Nebraska. The greater part Of
the Territory is prairie, according to the testi-
mony OF those who have traversed it, especially
those who have been engaged in surveying it.
There is great lack Of timber apparently on
the Missouri, much greater than ! had sup
posed. The chief of it consists Of red elm,
cotton wood, black walnut, white and red oak,
together with bass wood
The river is such shifting, winding stream.
that, like the Irishman's flea, you put your
hand on it and it is gone. No pilot who ascends
it expects to find it following in the same course
in descending, and already part of the city Of
st. Josephs, Missouri, has been washed away
by its violence. AT this season, however, the
water is tolerably clear, and does not possess
that yellow Tiber" color which it has during
the summer / had good drink Of it the
other day as / crossed the ferry.
Boarding here in the city is very high, and
although laborers and mechanics get double or
treble wages to what they do in Cleveland, vet
they are hardly whit better off than there
For instance, carpenters, masons and black
smiths get So or ~ so per day, but boarding
| is as high as from $5 to So per week, and every
hotel and boarding house is crowded at that
The prosperity of the town is much impeded
| by the scarcity of building materials; and COM
mon cotton wood timber is as high as $40 per
| thousand.
| Although we have mill here, running day
and night, yet there are so many teams wait
ing to carry lumber to the country, that it is
very difficult to get hold of it. There are
several other mills around, but they are totally
unable to supply the demand. A contract has
been made with a gentleman from Pough-
keepsie, N. Y, for 100000 of bricks next
spring. Should he come on, the town will
probably increase in size rapidly for hundreds
| wish to emigrate in the spring, and make Ne
braska their home.
Omaha city stands on handsome bluff on
the right bank Of the Missouri. 1t is distant
from Council Bluff city about four miles west,
calling the river mile across The first house
was put up last August; now there are forty.
Among this number may be mentioned the
Capitol, brick building, plain, but neat and
substantially; a steam saw mill, a good frame
hotel, the basement Of another brick one fin
| ished Its situation is a pleasant one.
Florence, or, as it is called by the Mormons,
/
of Omaha city. It's location is better than that
of the latter, inasmuch as the bluff lies nearer
the river, while wide strip Of marshy land
extends from the capitol to the Missouri. I'm.
mediately opposite Florence rocky bottom
extends across the river to the island, which is
said to be the only place where the foundation
| can be laid across the stream for railroad
bridge. The village, however, at present con-
sists of but three houses, two frames and one
log; the rest of the town was pulled down and
burned when the Mormons left, a few years ago.
The n. Palladium thus decribes the capitol
of the Territory of Nebraska, at Omaha City:
"The building in which the session is to be
held is plain, substantial twostory brick edi-
fee, which we should Judge was about 80 by
As feet. The entrance to the building is on
the east side, into a hall, from which the vari-
Gus State apartments, above and below, are
| reached.
AS you enter the hall below, the represen-
tatives' room will be found on the left, and
| the Governors apartment on the right. A
winding staircase leads to the hall above, at the
head Of which, upon the left you enter the Coun-
ell Chamber and the Committee rooms on the
right. The building is neat and substantial
one, but altogether too small for the purpose
| intended:
i The Speakers desk is elevated two or
! three steps above the level of the floor, and
! likewise that of the President of the Council.
The desks are well proportioned and tastefully
| finished.
"The desks for the Representatives and
Coancilmen are designed to accommodate two
members, each having small drag er 10 him.
self, and plain Windsor chair for seat.
The furniture, including the Secretaries and
Speakers decks and chairs, is Of the plainest
character, and yet well suited to the purposes
for which they were designed"
The people that can so soon arrange the
local habitaion for their government, will, we
think, be ready at all times and on all constitu-
tional subjects, claim the right Of selfsoyer.
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