Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1861-05-24

and Omaha City, the latter place being stu
sted Immediately upon the river. Bott
places have population Of 1900 or 900
souls, and the principal business of each ap
pears to be the fitting out Of emigrants; siz
or eight months Of the year being, therefore
extremely dull months for tho merchants OF
these places. This is obvious from the fact
Of there being no farming region of any con-
sequence surrounding them, and presume
that the trade of the business men Of both
places combined, independent of emigrant
custom, does not exceed that Of one leading
Muscatine firm.
Council Bluffs (the old town of Kanesvile)
is SO called from the very peculiar bluffs at
the foot of which it is built, which do not
rise to very great height, but are broken
INTO every imasinable shape, many of them
resembling rudely thrown up batteries, and
others forts or castles, rendering the scenery
in the vicinity picturesque in the highest de-.
gree. The town has some very fine business
houses and elegant residences.
Omaha City, the Capital Of Nebraska Ter
ritory, is on beautiful bluff, which gradual
ly descends to the river, and in this respect
her location is altogether superior to that Of
Council Bluffs. The State House is very
large, comlnodious and elegant, and is situa.
ted at the top of the bluff above the town,
overlooking the country for m les on either
side Of the river. Ny impressions of Ne
braska are very favorable, the only drawback
to her advance in population and material
wealth being the scarcity of good timber. -
However, only speak from a very limited
knowledge of the Territory, and 1 may yet
have occasion to change this opinion some
what.
A short time after starting, on the 18th,
Mrs. Chas. Brandenburg, one of our compa-
ny, in attempting to get into one of the wag-
ons while it was moving, slipped and fell un-
der the hind wheel, and was very nearly run
over, seriously, though not fatally lnjuring
her. am told that an emigrant was run
over in similar way by q wagon, on the
route between the Mississippi and Missouri
this spring, killing him instantly.
While we were encamped at the little vii
lage Of Whitney, in Cass county, on the 9th,
the Fourth Artillery, from Fort Randall,
numbering 176 men, passed. as. They are
composed principally Of foreigners, and are a
fine looking set of men. One of the officers
informed us that no Indian difficulties were
anticipated when they left the frontier, and
that there was ample military force stationed
along the route Of the emigration to secure
the safety OF all who should cross the plains
this season.
And now word to those who may have
occasion, in future to emigrate to California
or Oregon. Pay no attention to any glow
ing descriptions Of the advantages of the
route uia Plattsmouth, up the south side Of
the Platte. There are interested parties
al along the route from Winterset to the
river, who will hesitate at nothing whereby
they can induce emigrants to take the Platts
mouth road, in order to secure to that place
the emigrant trade, which would otherwise
90 to Council Bluffs AMI Omaha. The dis
advantages of this route are that the camp
ing places are few and poor, the grass not SC
good, and the road not so level, nor the
streams so well bridged and ferried. 1t will
be recollected that this was the route by
which tho returning Pixies Peak emigrant'
came who suffered SO terribly, many of then
being frozen, and others starved to DEATH
"A word to the wise is sufficient"
From the most authentic sources of iHfor
nation, and from our daily observation, I an
of the opinion that the emigration to Cali;or
MA, Oregon and Pixies Peak will be As large
if not lar ger, this year, than ever before s.
that it appears that patriotism does not pre-
vent people from trying to benefit their con
dition pecuniarily. No reflection
| Steamboating on the Missouri. unde,
stand, is rather Improbable this spring, an
few boats were seen by Us, while here. Tn
Missouri is the same murky looking rive
"she alters was," apparently holding in ~
ution enough sand to prevent navigation, Il
} say nothing of the snags and other dificu
ties in the way of the pilot, for which tn
"big sandy" has always been SO celebrated
II will endeavor to write you few line
, from Fort Kearney, SHOULD the thievish Paw
nees not succeed in carrying US and our Gait
,, off before we reach that point. "a
Yours, &C., R. W. s.
] TEE SOBER SECOND THouGHT.-It was r
ported . little while ago, that Presidel
/. Lincoln's proclamation calling out 75.O(
D men, was received by the Montgomery CO.
gress with bursts OF laughter. Now, no,
ever, the latest intelligence from these Jul
It liant gentlemen is, that they have united
!. asking JEFF. Davis to appoint day Of fastil
MI 4 ~