Nebraska advertiser., 1866-12-27

to east in Nebraska.
The coil of this region is as fertile as
any in the west. Difers.nt kind Of rock
crop cut in various places, n Of which
is a pale yellow, and must be excellent
for bsilding purposes. There are great
bodies Of chalk, also, biluminous shale,
or slate, and ii is reasonable to suppose
that there is coal in abundance.
There is more timber in this Valley,
than there is on the Valley of any other
river in Nebraska.
Onlhe boltOmElands the principal growth
is Cottonwood. 1t is in fact, "the Valley
where the Cottonwood grows"
On the secsnd bOtt ON, on the upland
and on the tributaries of this river, there
is Burr Oak, Ash, Elm and other vari.
cites of timber. OF fruits, there are
Grapes, PIums and Cherries.
The river is about one hundred and
fifty yards wide. The banks ten OF
twelve feet high. The bottoms are from
two 10 four miles wide. There is a sec.
ond bottom, or shelf, about twenty OF
thi rtY feet higher than the main bottom.
This shelf, in some places extends, fol
miles, almost as level as a floor.
On the north side there are no large
tributaries east Of White Mans Fork,
though there are mall streams emptying
into the river every two or three miles.
On the south side, Beaver creek joins
the river in range 19, and Prairie Dog
creek in range II,
There is no other stream of any size
joins it in Nebraska, as White RocL
creek Gin Kansas flows parallel with,
and about ten miles distant from the Re-
publican, which it also empties into al tx
lower end Of the great bend.
The old maps and biographies rep
resented this country as a vast desert
Many late writer's call it a place where
rain seldom falls. In July 1865, l wa;
In the Republican Valley twelve days
1t rained three lines during that period
The last time for two days.
In Augusl,-same year, travelled
south from Plum creek, and on the ia.
bic land, between the Platte and RepuI
lican rivers, passed several ponds, some
some Of them acres in extent, caused BY
late rains. When l returned, four weeks
later, they were dried up, there having
been no heavy rains during that month
The Republican Valley, is sparsel!
settled up to the great bend. Above lha
there are no settlements as yet.
The land is surveyed in sections t.
include range l6, and in townships Il
include range "a, and is open for set
Element under the ~pre.emptiO6 anc
homestead laws.
do not believe that game is of bene
ftto a new Country,-so many men ma
king a precarious living by hunting, in
stead of cultivating the soil,-still l mus
state, that there are great quantities Of
game there. There b eng an abundance
of Elk, Antelope, Turkeys &C., and a
certain seasons of the year, Buffalo o.
fur bearing ANIMALS, the principal is the
Bear
The streams abound with fish of vari-
Gus kinds
Here is a region of Country. that ha.
soil, Rock, Timber, water, Fruit and
Game. The land can be had for aImos
nothing, Sl4 for 100 acres
There is no doubt but that in a few
years it will be densley populated b!
wealthy communities, who viii draw
their wealth from the natural produt
:s;cc2s Of the land.
But, it will be asked, is it safe to set
tie there ?
Will not the Indians murder the set
tiers!
l believe it is as safe to settle there,
as at any other place on the frontier.
fupher believe, that if proper represen
tations were made at headquarters that {
Military Post would be established in
Valley, to protec. the settlers. This Val,
ley will be settled, danger or no danger,
and those who go first, will have choice
of land. w. A. P.