The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-01-15


COUNCIL Brurrs, Iowa, Dec. 80, 1858.
Mr.. DrSuaM-Sir: | have noticed an
editorial or two in tho Daily Hawk Eye,
recomm ending emigrants to the Platte
River Gold Mines, to cross the Missouri
River at Plattsmouth, and from thence to
keep up the south side Of the Platte river.
think you must be unaequainted with
the geography of the country west OF the
Missouri river, or you would not advise en-
igrants to take that route. Strange as it may
seem, vet it is none the less true, that the
road from Plattsmouth to Fort kearney (at
which point all the roads must center) Is
6fty miles longer than from Council Bluffs
to the same point The actual distance
from Pattsmouth to Fort kearney is 235
miles, from Nebraska City $50 miles, from
St. Joseph 2SS miles, from Leavenworth
City 800 miles, while from Council Bluffs it
is but l64 milcs-actual measurement
The roads from St. Joseph and Lcav enworth
City to Fort kearney run over upland pral-
RE, and arc necessarily very crooked and
billy. The road from Plattsmouth strikes
the Valley Of Platte about Is miles due
west Of this place, after running distance
of l25 miles over ridges and divides be-
tween streams. The road from Nebraska
City strikes the Valley at the same point,
and is fifteen miles longer than the route
from Portsmouth The Valley on the
south side of the Platte is too narrow to ad-
nit of road in it below the point at which
these roads approach it. From Council
Bluffs the road takes bee line westward,
stretching from the valley % miles west Of
the Missouri river, and from thence on to
Fort kearney; and on to the gold mines it
is one continuous level plain. A military
road was laid out two years ago from this
point to Fort Kearney by the order Of gov
eminent, and measured accurately and found
to be ISL miles long. This fall the West.
ern Stage Co., prior to putting on a line of
stages, selected the nearest and best route
and had it chained, and made it two miles
less (lS2) than the government survey. All
the streams on the north side to Fort kear-
ney are well bridged, except the Loup Fork,
which is crossed by means of ferries at seye-
raj points. Platte river is always fordable
ut Fort kearncy, except IN time OF great
freshet, and is never impossible more than
three or four days. But emigrants need
never wait there on account of high water,
rs the road mp the north side is fully as
good as on the south, and and the grass al
WAYS better. From the Fort to the forks of
Platte it is | Is miles, and the crossing good
ut every point. SO that should emigrants
find the river too full to cross at the Fort
they would not fail to find it low enough
before reaching the Forks. The writer of
this article went to California in lS50.-
crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph,
and speaks from actual knowledge when he
says there was no time that spring, while he
was in the Valley of Platte, that the river
was not fordab'e ut any point.
1t Is but natural that the business men i'll
the towns on the Missouri river should use
their influence in making their point the
crossing and out fitting rendezvous.
As an out-titting point Council Bluffs has
no rival above St. Joseph. Everything in
the way Of out-ftting goods and provisions
that can be got in st. Louis can be had here.
Corn is abundant at p cents per buShc.-
large amount of pork is being put up by
our merchants. Flour will be plenty,
though u little higher than at st. Joseph
There is a great deal of competition in the
dry-gOodS business: so that goods can be
bought ut a small advance above St. Louis
prices.