Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-04-17
Correspondence of the JOURNAL"


DEAR w:-This beautiful morning
finds me still alive and able TO digest fat
prairie fowls and ginger bread-and hoping
| that good appetite and plenty to eat and
drink may be the happy lot of all hands,
and cook, " Of the JOURNAL; and may they
always be able to supply spicy rations for the
whole nest of 'Snaix." When the great
| doctor of the reptile race has ceased to
squirm after being swallowed up in his own
greatness, may the JOURNAL yet live to re-
cord the death Of the last yellow spotted
'hanimal.
The Cops of Nebraska are in terrible
dilemma just now Their every day prayer
is ''nigger;" they swear ''nigger," talk
''nigger, and their every thought is mig
ger, and yet they can scarcely think of
| swallowing the less dangerous dose Of mig
ger votes. On the State Constitution
question they have succumbed at last. Good
reason, eh
This has been the longest, severest and
closest winter that has been experienced
here since that Of 1851, snew lying, at
times, to the depth of from II to Is inches
in the vicinity of Omaha and the lower
Platte And West of the Tooth lncredian
from 4 to 10 feet deep; the snow never
having entirely disappeared from the ravines
and other driited localities since the begin
ming Of the present year, but the weather
for the last few days has been very mild,
and the snow Is fast disappearing under the
warm rays OF the sun, and from present
prospects the ground will be sufficiently dry
and warm for thefeception Of seeds III
short time.
hmlgrants are pouring into this couHtry
of promise at a rate far in excess of any
former period since my arrival here, and L
hesitate not to predict that our population,
IN year hence, will be near-two hundred
thousand. There are comparatively few
who are not fully satisfied with the country
in general, and proceed to make it their
home and abiding place. a few, however,
are disappointed, and they invariably prove
to be such as started westward with hopes
and expectations wrought up by an imag ina
ton bred with fiction, and after tasting u
reality, founded on principles Of reason.
they become discouraged and return, to
clothe country that will not enrich sloth
fui man, IN the darkest shades of disgust.
There is but little doing on the Union
Pacific Railroad, as yet, but the company
expect to commence operations in the course
of few weeks. Ehe locality for the bridge
across the Missouri River has not yet been
fully decided on but the present prospects
indicate its location at Bellvue, the county
seat of Sarpy county, and will, consequently,
leave Omaha to be supplied By switch or
branch road.
The populace of Nebraska are strongly in
favor Of the removal of the State Capitol to
a more central part OF the State, probably
Lancaster City or Fremont, but this may
not occur Tor few years yet. Prices OF
produce are tending upward, and are as fol-
lows Wheat 81 40 ca 81 60; corn, 65 ca
soc pr. bu. oats. 30 "a 6Oc; potatoes, per
bu., 80 90 a. 81 80; rye, 81 10: eggs, per
doz, SOC; butter, per 10 As ca 55c; bacon,
Is a. 20c. Dry goods are slightly on the
decline since the iron horse has again re-
sumed his journeys to aud from the eastern
markets Groceries are also declining in
prices, and more rapidly than dry goods.
Lumber is being shipped to Omaha, and
prices falling at a rapid rate, but as there
will be an unprecedented demand Tor that
article, the coming season, it may not de-
cline as rapidly as the consumers might
desire Prices for the present are as fol-
lows: white pine flooring, ready worked,
S15 90 (G $50 90, per m; siding, planed,
$40 ca $40 90; paneling, $95 a. 500 90;
culled lumber. pine, S45 "a $50 90; cotton
wood lumber of all descriptions, $50 ca S21-
90; walnut S37 ca $40 90; maple flooring,
$40 90; Basswood siding, S25 (d $50 90,
per IN feet; cord wood, delivered at railroad,
S6 "a So 90 per cord. Wages are good for
all kinds of work and range about as follows:
brick layers, 81 (G So 90 per day plaster
ers, So 90 per day; carpenters. $3 30 (@
s4 90 per day blacksmiths S4 (G IS 90 per
day all other tradesmen at proportionate
rates. Day laborers, 81 so to So 90 per day
according to labor and board arrangements; ;
month labor on farms ranges from $40 to
$50 90 per month boys, of from fourteen
TO twenty years, also demand good wages on
farms ranging from Sl3 to S25 90 per
month. Respectfully yours,
PILGRIM.
q Ha,.1Ey COW. ~.