The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-09-04

u o'clock Tor st. Joseph, Mo-, and
while on the way shall give you
continuation of my experience in see
ing this portion of the great North
west.4als lg9r Bc If 1oiI3-
The young and thriving city of
Omaha is the great object of interest
In all this section of country, and is
known far and wide as a place des-
tined to achieve considerable Import
ance. It's citizens are very sanguine
of its continued rapid growth, and
denominate it by the pretentions title
of" Chicago of the Northwest They
have had reason thus far to Indulge
in sanguine anticipations !; whether
the place will continue to grow Is an
other question. The prospects are
certainly promising that it win be-
come large city.
The location is favorable to that
end Tits situated 494 miles fcalled
In round numbers 50O from Chicago
by the present through railroad route
By river the distance to st. Louis is,
In round numbers, 800 miles, but in
less than a year there will be g rail-
road connection via st. Joseph and
Kansas City, which will reduce the
distance to about $50 miles. Both
the Omaha and st. Louis papers are
proposing the building of a more
direct route via the North Missouri
Railroad, Brunswick, and Chilli
cothe on the Hannibal & St. 10. R.R.,
which would reduce the distance to
considerably less than 500 miles. ST.
Louis seeks by this means to place
herself nearer than Chicago to Omaha
as the initial point of the Union Pa
cific RR. Omaha is $50 miles from
st. Joseph by river, nearly 300 from
Leavenworth, and about $50 from
Davenport, Burlington, Keokuk, and
Dubuque. So she has no rival near
enough to retard her growth by com
petitiOn. 1si1f. faHa6 n pb ni sliHi
The Missouri River, though a very
difficult stream to navigate, is an
avenue of future wealth for her. 1t
is navigable nearly 800 miles below,
and over 1000 above, and in less than
generation hence will TEEN with a
rich commerce The Nebraska Union
Pacific Railroad, one Of the greatest
enterprises of modern times, is now
In good running order for freight and |
passengers for a377 miles West to
Julesburg, and III a few weeks will be |
open to travel and traffic to Cheyenne,
near the base Of the Rocky Noun
tains. The Northwestern. Railroad,
from Chicago, is already running TO |
point on the Missouri opposite Omaha, |
and making close and regular connec-
ton with the Union Pacific Railroad. |
The Railroad from Chicago vid. Rock !
Island and Davenport is about flush !
ed to Des Moines, the capital of Iowa, /
and sometime next year will, also be
finished to this point-that is, to
Council Bluffs, Iowa, a town of A 900 !
or 80 O inhabitants, sat the base o.! !
the bluffs opposite Omaha, and dis
tant five miles, across the river and i
the wide bottom bordering thereon !
on the Iowa side. There is already a |
connection with this latter road by /
stage from Des Moines to Boone on
the Northwestern Railrdad-40 miles. /
Farther connections viii be made
with Chicago, within a year or SO, .eia |
the Dubuque and the Burlington
routes, and a connection will also be |
made with St. Paul, Mimi. by Some i
indirect route. Then st. Lonis can
also be reached by rail within a year |
ria Council Bluffs and St Joseph, I
and when the road to the latter place /
is completed (it is now partly built at /
each end) a connection will be made \
Uia the Hannibal and St. Joseph with !
the great central routes East, as well |
as withithe Kansas system of rail- ]
roads. Thus it appears, that Omaha ]
is to be not only a railroad crossing. |
but great railroad centre. 80 t'3AH
1.-The site on, which the city is 1ocal |
Ted IL a sbesufifitE ono and Is vvny,a bla |
for business First there is u wide |
bottom bordering On the river, about |
a quarter OF mile wide, suited tothe |
railroad, shipping, and other ihe5yy |
business The riEef, inning west
wardly, makes a. right angle a couple |
OF miles above the city, and ruhhing |
southwardlY past, turns east a mile or |
SO below There is deep water above |
and below, but, unfortunately, oppo-
site the upper part of town there is |
one OF those ugly bars of Mingled mud,
sand and snags, which makes the nav |
lgatlon OF the Missouri so perilous. |
The landing opposite the lower. part
of town is as good as it can be on a I
river where steep, crumbling, shifting |
banks are the rule, and good landings
the exception. ui DGE IN 8t t,e-t> /
Elevated above the bottom ahdnt
fifty feet is a. "bench'1 or plateau RIM
ming for miles along this portion of |
the river. with an leverage widsbbof |
a half mile. On this the .ordi1aTy
business OF Omaha is transacted |
Two OF the principal Streets, Farm
ham and Douglas, are graded down
from this 'ibeneh% to1theg bottbmi and
the ascent and descent are eSsy.91 Nhet
r. II g. Il E