The huntsman's echo. [volume] (Wood River, Buffalo County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1860-1861, 1861-04-25
TSe~ool River Region.

through which to reply, thus saving the
labor of q score of letters.
"Issyour locality healthy ?"
AS much so rs any region in the UNI
ted States, as there is no prevailing dis
case, and at the present, not a sick per-
son we know of in the whole region.
"How long since the first settlement"
DIR. IA. Henry built the FIRST house
in this settlement icss than three years
ago.
"What is the quality of the soil 2''
A brown sandy loan, very fertile and
exceedingly easy of cultivation ; with
substrata of clay five feet thick, and
eight feet sand when you.,trike the wa
ter in gravel.
"Have you good wster?"
AS fine, cool, and clear from wells II
to Is feet deep, as was ever tasted. Al
SO fine clear creeks, with quick cur
rents and sand and gravel beds.
600 you produce good crops therc? :"
Yes. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley,
potatoes, and oil sorts of vegetables and.
roots grow to perfection. For melons
and other vines, the fruit is almost
spontaneous ; we never saw so sweet
grown. Corn, wheat or other grains are
produced equal in crop to Iowa or Hi.
nois. ~
"How ! ong are your winters?
"We have about three months cold
weather, of, zen not snow enough for
sleighing in winter. Our stock that is
not worked are turned out and'get their
own living and have been fed nothing
for the two winters we have been acre.
"What are the chanes for settlers ? " /,
First rate. There are thousands of
the finest farm claims all around. US,
North and South. limb er enough for
all practical or necessary purposes for a
large population.
"Hayc you water power?"
Yes. Wood River will afford an aver
age of a mill site every mile. for Fifty
miles up and Gown.
''Have you any mills?"
One saw mill Is miles below. Lum-
Der $50 per NJ. A some horse'' grist
MI, here. there will be mills erected
as soon as patronage will pay.
"What facilities To- stock g~rowng9"
First ,rate-no better an, where.
"Wbai will wild grass turn of 10 the
tere?"
From 2to S tons, as per quality.
"Whst are your markets a2d price of
grain ?"
The vast emigration going up this
is not one tenth Ruppicd hcrc yet,
and we are oslyl7 miles from 1T Ke%rney
and ls from Kearney City. Everything
is high.-Corn $l,25 to $3.50. Flour
$500 to 800. Potatoes $500. But
ter Is cts. Eggs 25 cts. per dozen, and
every thing we produce, in pro-
portion.
"What kinds of timber have you?"
Cottonwood, Elm, Ash, blackberry,
elder and Oak.
"What kinds of wild fruit?"
We have abundance of the finest Of
Plums, Grapes, G~ooseberries, Black
Currants, Choke Cherries and Sand
Cherries.
600 you raise tame fruits ?"
We have growing, Apple, Peach: En-
glish Gooseberry, Currants, Raspberries
and Strawberries, set out last year
They stood the winter we'll and look
6ne.
care Indians troublesome?
Not at all. We seldom see one and
are always peaceful civil and quiet,
but great beggars.
"What wild game have you?"
Wehaye multitudes, of Buffalo, Ante
lope and wild fowl, to say nothing of
the river bank being lined with Beaver
and Otter, the p%rairies with wolves and
occasionally a herd of elk.
"What is the geography Of the coun-
try ?"
On the North side of Platte. from the
Fork up for near $50 miles, there
is a wide bottom or plain of from 5 to
20 miles wide. trayersed by several
and streaus, nearly all Of which
is perfectly arabic and fine and exceed
fertile. tseems almost a perfect
level, and covered with grass.
Just opposite to us is Grand Island,
some so miles long, and covered with
From Wood River average dis
lance from the timber, land Platte, is
3 miles. Oak grows about twenty miles
above on Wood River. Upon the whole,
We think this is the garden of Nebraska,
md will be the most important Agri-
district in the Territory. The
,ye never looked out upon a more lovely
.andscape F; q carriage was never driven