Bellevue gazette. [volume] (Bellevue City, N.T. [i.e. Neb.]) 1856-1858, 1858-07-15
THURSDAY, JULY Is, 1853.

been said about the different towns on The
Missouri River, and their relative i'm
portance as the termini of Rail Roads.
Among these, Omaha City has surpassed,
perhaps, all others. in endeayoring to im-
press the minds of all, far and near, that
it was the point, for the crossing Of the
great Pacific Railway.
admit, that through the patronage of
Goykrhmens and Government Officers,
in-connection with the energetic efforts
of the early proprie,ors of that town, it
has become quite a place, and almost TOO
large for the surrounding country. AS
for its being the point, or even a point
from which to commence a Rail Road
tbesf, l have never believed. Take a few
facts, for to facts and truth we must IN
the end come. nla
/ quote from the Report of Jno. IL.
Dickerson, Capt. United States Army,
and Col. J. ]. Albert. Chief Typographical
Engineers; Message and Documents,
1878, Part g" These persons were
appointed to survey a Military Wagon
Road. He says
"On the 18th I left for Omaha City,
having received your instructions to com
mence the survey at the eastern end OF
the line. l crossed the Missouri River
at Weston, and marched up through Ms
souri, and Io,pd, to Council Bluffs, where
re-crossed the river, and arrived at
Omaha City on the 26lh of June" Pages
525.6. ID
al crossed Big and Little Pappillion,
in what is known as " Winter Quarters
trail" the route usually pursued by Nor
NOR emigrsnts, aud struck Elkhorn river
eighteen miles above its junction with the
Platte, and at a distance OF tDenty.tou NJ
miles from Omaha City" @
"Between the Missouri and Elkhorn
rivers. the country is a high, rolling prai-
RE, elevated three hundred feet above
the Missouri River, and Is very much
broken by ~ravines, which attain a depth
of from thirty to one hundred and forty
feet below the general level" Page 826.
Between the Elkhorn and Missouri
rivers, the country is so broken, that i
(,he road) necessarily follows the divid'
ing ridges. The r~avines, putting into the
Elkhorn, the two PappilIions, and The
Missouri, are numerous, and interlock a
their heads, making this a very circuitou'
route. An approximately straight roat
could not be obtained without, heavy grad
ing, which the appropriation would no
Justify, nor will the travel on the road b
sufficient to demand it." Page 529.
1.-THE country embraced within tn
survey is destitute Of timber, with the ex
ception of what is found along the waite
courses" Page $50.
1.-THE high prairie between the Mis-
souri, and Elkhorn rivers has u rich, high
soil, but much of it is so broken that
cannot be cultivated. West of Elkhorr
the Platte Valley is entered. This va
lev i, from four to twelve miles wide, an
is bordered on either side by well define
bluffs. The southern bluff is higher an
more abrupt than the northern, risln
from fifty to two hundred feet above tn
river, which generally runs near, an
frequently washes it. The space inclose
within the bluffs as uniformly level, al
covered with a rich, black loan." "Tt
Platte generally has timber along !
banks"
Take the above extracts in ~connsctic
with report of Col. Lander, on which !
states that a Rail Road can be complete
from the mouth of the Platte to Fort La
annie in three years. and it will not
hard 10 determine on which side of I
Platte, the road when made will run al
one can as easily determine, that even
one of the road, now crossing Iowa do
make Council Bluffs, as a point, 1t do
not follow that TO oblige a town, it mt
eros, at Omaha City, and pass over tho
"deep rayines' and that " broken count
800 feet above the Missouri River"
reach the Platte Valley, when there is
natural gateway by Bellevue. 1t is iii
emigrants would look at facts, and the
seeking a home in the west, would the
selves examine a little into the truth
the various reports so industriously cir'
lated through the country, and along t
highways. by persons whose interest i
in the accomplishment of their ends.
the extracts l have given have italicis
n few words, to draw attention to lh'
import. Coming to Omaha City til
Iowa and Missouri" the surveyor,
course had no opportunity of learning a