American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-09-04
THE TERRITORY or NEBRASKA.

no io'io"inB interesting afUcl8 con-
cerning The Territory of NebrsOka. is
copied from late number of the Even
ing Argus r.. rs..L,4,. W .auu. ....H.
The Territory Of Nebraska was once
a part Of the old Province Of Louisi.
ana, pui ichased from The French during
The administ, aiion Of MIR. Jefferson, and
ceded to the United States in 1903 -
a territorial government was organized
in Nebraska in 1864, and Omaha select
ed as the seat ofgovernmen,. The prog.
TESS OF the territory since then has been
gradual. aud il now contains popula-
ton of about $1,000, aud real estate
amounting 10 1000, 600; while Congress
has provided for opening four land of.
ices in tho Territory. The south line
OF Nebraska is the 4Olh parallel, is north
the doth. On one side is Kansas, and
on, the other the British Possessions,
boundary which will one day require
lor'resseo and troops. On the easi is
tho Missouri river. and on the west the
Rocky Mountainb. Its area is 335, 1892
square miles. larger extent Of country
having a government than any other on
the continent, and enough for severel
states. Physically it is divided into
three large portions; the first q TIL
angle, having the Kansas line for it's
base, the Missouri for it's eastern, end
the ninety:ninlh line of longitude for it's
western side. The second is between
that meridian and the Rocky mountains
running mouth from the Kansas line t.
the Black Hills and the Rocky Noun.
tains. 20 the FIRST division are lands of
extraordinary fertility. being a rnixru,e
of SAND aud clay, carbon aud large
quantities of decomposed vegetable mat
ter. forming q porous black mould
The soil is easy of cultivation, and very
lproductive. Two hundred and fifty
bushels of potatoes, and $50 bushels Of
corn, are the products Of single acre.
There are numerous springs aud sire d ms
OF excellent water, every quarter sec
tion of land being we'll irrigated. This
lregion is well timbered with oak and
! black walnut. ash, cotton wood, willow
and cedar. It's rock formation. is prin.
IciPal!y sandstone and limestone. Ii
also possessed AIRED pipe clay, soft when
frst woikedSlbot ON exposure totthe air
becoming as hard as flint. There are
Limestone duarries possessing the same
feature, and prohably y resembling the
famous stone of Caen, which is now be-
Jog Imported in large quantities into the
United States. This circumstance will
at no, distant day, have its due effect
upon the architecture of The Territory
and invite 10 elaborate workmanship in
the construction of public and Private
buildings. in addition to these are large
quantities of white chalk, black band i.
ron ore, and coal and salt in various
sections of the country. s4.. }. ..t
i "lhe second section is not so pro-
ductlve, large portion Of il is repre-
sented as no hetter than a desert. One
OF the most remarkable features of this
section is that of The mGn0u1ses feyrrs
or bad lands, depressed portion of the
surface, that seems 10 have sunk down
from The high praiiies several hundred
feet. leaving everywhere standing pris.
matte aud columuar m asses Of the same
height resembling the ruins Of Hercua-
Deum and T"mpeii, or an old Europe.
an town with narrow streets and lanes,
10 the imagination of tho nomantic
traveller some Of them resemble old
castles in decay, with actual turrets and
buitrosscs, arches, clustered shafts, and
,apering spires. One might imagine
says MIR. Owen he geoingis,, that he
|. was approaching a magnificent city oi
the dead. The third section lies between
The Black Hills and the Rocky noun.
tains, having mild climate and a sue.
cession Of valleys, with ihe,varieties Of
the soil like That in The first section
that on the Yellow Stone being The
most fertile, with here and there evi.
dences Of strong volcanic action, no,
yet entirely ceased.
"lts rivers are important. The Vel.
low Stone is navieable, for s,eamboo,s
300 miles from it's mouth. The Mis-.
souri, also flows along its frontier, and
tho Platte or Nebraska and it's trbu,a.
~. the Sweet Water, so called from lis
delicious taste, arc also importan,
streams, The Platte being naviga able by
steamers between Omaha and lis mouth
distance Of so miles. The "river
which runs' rises in tho bad lands, and
runs an Easterly course for 400 miles.
On its south side the lands are fertile.
Tho winter is cold but short, the sum.
mers are warm, but the air Is tempered
by the cool air from tho prsiries. The
climate is a healthy one. The Govern.
ment has authorized an expedture OF
S5SO,00O for various purposes within
the Territory, such as the military road
FROM OMAHA to Fort Kearney, for tho
| South Pass wagon road, and for the pub,
lie buildings."