Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1868-07-31

from three to seven miles i'm width
and Is bounded on either side by O
high rolling prairie and unpretend-
ing bluffs. Most of the way the riv.
er keeps near the south edge of the
valley. al
Night overtakes us mt Columbus,
ninety-one miles west of Omaha and
we retire to sleeping car for rest
During the night we pass Fort Kear-
ney, an old military post, one hun
dred and ninety-one miles from Oma-
no, and Plum Creek, still further out
the scene Of so many Indian depre.
dations. -
Morning finds us Mt North Platte,
small town OF five hundred inhabi-
tants, where it requires one dollar
and a quarter to satisfy the demands
of the "hotelist." We are now i'm a
barren country. The water tastes OF
Alkali and the short, stubbed grass
which covers the valley and the high
plains on either side, gives conclusive
evidence that this section Of country
can never be inhabited by man ex-
cept in sufficient numbers to manage
the great international thorough-fare
which is to bind together the two
oceans. North Platte River, after
which the town is named, is now
crossed twice by the U. p. r. r.,
once near Benton, seven hundred
miles west of Omaha, and again at
this place. From Benton it runs to
the northeast, passing ninety miles
to the north of Cheyenne, thence in
south-easterly direction to its con-
fiuence with the South Platte. Here
and Mt every station to the west we
find from eight to ten u. 5. soldiers
on guard, to protect lives and proper
ty from the assaults of vicious red
men.
Sod Forts ere constructed ut many
of the stations. These Forts are con-
nected with the station houses by
means of underground passages. AT
these forts the old saying that Zone
can chase q thousand and two can put
ten thousand to flight" Is practically
illustrated whenever the red devils
make their appearance.
We pass up the Platte Valley ut the
rate of about twenty-five miles per
hour, with nothing to relieve the
monotony except it be the occasional
view of a village Of Prairie Dogs, or
few antelopes; ar you will pardon
us for saying that the illustrations of
these illustrious animals given occa-
sionally i'm our illustrated weeklies
are great improvements upon the
original views.
Tired of the monotonous scene we
fall into doze to be awakened by
hearing the conductor singing out
"Julesburg." Who has not heard of
Julesburg? Last season that place
numbered one thousand population,
the result Of six weeks growth
Business houses were established, o
newspaper published and gambling
houses, Dance houses, and hell-holes
in large numbers were there to be
found. In one short week nearly
everything was moved away, the
buildings boing mostly taken to
Cheyenne, one hundred and thirty
nine miles farther west. Now all
that remains of its former greatness
is half a dozen shanties, none of
which excel in point of architecture
q common Iowa barn.
A few miles east of Julesburg. we
leave the Platte River and follow up
Lodge Pole Greek to near Cheyenne.
AT this time of the year the bed OF
this creek is dry for upwards of one
hundred miles, the Rail Road keep
ing in its valley the entire distance,
crossing and re-crossing it several
times.
The country up this valley Is quite
rugged and more barren, if possible,
than the Platte, high, rocky bluffs
skirting the valley on either side
much of the way.
Nothing of interest occurs until we
reach camp of one thousand, (more
or less) Arrapahoe Indians, located
about three miles east of Cheyenne.
These are friendly Indians. They
will never attack the whites unless
the odds are greatly i'm their favor
They are pedceabie-while drawing
their rations and munitions of war
from the Government, but vicious
whenever they can take a scalp from
the unprotected traveller.
We arrived at the "Magic City" of
the West, Cheyenne, towards night,
and concluded to stop. A glance at
the city and the balance of the trip is
reserved for another letter.
HOLT.
A bout one hundred Ku-Klux- X Ian