Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-09-11
The Territory of Nebraska.

The following interesting article con-.
corning the Territory of Nebraska.is cop-
led from late number of the Evening
Argus: NJ
The Territory was once part of the
old Province of Louisiana, purchased from
the French during the administration of
Mr.. Jefferson, and ceded 10 the United
States in 1908. The territorial govern
ment was organized in Nebraska in 1854,
and Omaha selected as the seat of gov
eminent. The progress OF the territory
since then has been gradual, and it now
contains population of about $1,000,
and real estate amounting to 1000, 900
while Congress has provided for opening
four land Offices in the Territory. The
south line of Nebraska is the 10th paral-
lei. its north the 10th. On one side is
Kansas. and on the other the British Pos
sessions, boundary which will one DAY
require fortresses and troops. On the
east is the Mississippi river, and ON the
west the Rocky Mountains. Its area is
800. o8S square miles. a larger extent of
country having government than any
otnef on the continent. and enough for
several states. Physically it is divided
into three large portions: the first is
triangle, having the Kansas line for its
base, the Missouri for its eastern. and the
ninety>ninth line of longitude for its west
ern side. The second is between that
meridian and the Rocky mountains run
ming north from the Kansas line to the
Black Hills and the Rocky Mountains. In
the first division are lands of extraordina-
ry fertility, being O mixture of sand and
clay, carbon, and large quantities of de-
composed vegetable matter, forming a
porous, black mould. The soil is easy Of
cultivation, and very productive. $50
bushels Of potatoes, aud 100 bushels Of
corn, are the products of single acre.
There are numerous springs and streams
Of excellent water, every quarter section
Of land being we'll irrigated. This region
is well. timbered with oak and black wal
nut, ash. cotton wood, willow and cedar.
Its rock formation is principally sand
stone and lime stone. 1t also possesses
red pipe clay, soft when first worked.
but on exposure to the air becomes as
hard as flint. There are limestone quar-
ries possessing the same feature, and pro-
badly resembling the famous stone of
Caen, which is now being imported in
large quantities into the United States.
This circumstance will at no distant day,
have its effect upon the architecture of
the Territory, and invite to elaborate
workmanship in the construction of pub
lie and private buildings. In addition to
these are large quantities of white chalk,
black band iron ore, and coal and salt in
various sections of the country.
1.-THE second section is not 80 productive,
a large portion of it is represented as no
better than desert. One of the most
remarkable features Of this section is that
Of the man0ulses terres. depressed por.
ton of the surface that seems to have
sunk down from the high prairies several
hundred feet, leaving everywhere stands
ing prismatic and columnar masses Of the
same height resembling the ruins of Her.
culaneum and Tompeii, or an old Euro
pean town with narrow streets and lanes
70 the Imagination Of the romantic trav-
eler, some of them resemble old castles il
decay, with actual terrets and butresses,
clustered shafts. and tapering spires. One
might imagine. says Mr.. Owen, the geol'
ogist. that he was approaching magni6,
cent city Of the dead. The third section
lies between the Black Hills and the
Rocky Mountains, having a mild climate
and succession of valleys. with the va
rieties of soil like that in the first section
that on the Yellow Stone being the mos
/ fertile, with here and there evidences O.
} strong volcanic action, not yet entirely
ceased.
"Its rivers are important. The Vel
} low Stone is navigable for steamboats,
300 miles from his mouth. The Missouri
: also flows along its frontier, and the
Platte or Nebraska and its tributary, the
Sweet Water, so called from its deliciou:
7 taste, are also important streams, the
5 Platte being navigable by steamers be-
tween Omaha and its mouth, distance
of SO miles. The "river which runs" ri
ses in the bad lands, and runs an easter
: ly course for 400 miles. On its south
It. side the lands are fertile. The winter is
t cold, but short, the summers are warm
but the air is tempered by the cool all
: from the prairies. The climate is healthy
: one. The Government has authorized ar
t expenditure of $3.50, 900 for various pur.
3 poses within the Territory, such as the
military road from Omaha to Fort Kear'
! ney, for the South Pass wagon road, and
f for public buildings"
A MOB IN KANsAs.-Oa the 22d ult. {
! Free State Convention was to have been
5 held at Atchison, Kansan, for the pur.
pose of electing delegates to the Grass
. hopper convention, and Gen. Lane had
F.: been invited to deliver an address. Lane,
! it is known, has excited the hatred of the
, pro>slavery party, who. it is said. declar.
ed he should not speak in Atchison. A
) letter to the st. Louis Democrat, dated
the 22d, says:
AT an cary hour this morning the pro.
slavery men in Atchison began to show