The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-07-01
OMAHA, Nebraska,
June, 10Th, 1863.
Editors Journal :


Editors Journal:
GENTLEMEN:-I avail myself of
your kind invitation to write again.
Since last wrote, Omaha has grown
to city of $1,000 inhabitants. The
Union Pacific Railroad has been ex-
tended to the Rocky Mountains,
nearly $50 miles west of US, and is
still progressing at the rate Of about
three miles a day. It is estimated
that the entire road to San Francisco
will be finished in August 1869. A
branch of the u. P. Railroad is now
being constructed to Denver, Colo
RADIO, which will be completed
this Fall. The Hannibal and St.
10. Railroad will be completed TO that
place within month. The Rock
Island & Pacific Road is progressing
rapidly, and will be completed by the
end OF the year. Other roads are be-
ing rapidly extended to connect with
the Union Pacific Railroad at this
place; so you will see that we are fast
becoming a railroad centre. The
great railroad bridge across the Mis-
souri, River is located here, and will
be commenced this Fall. The cost of
its construction will be about tioO
millions of dollars.
Considerable building Is in prop
resS this season, mostly of wood still
there will be some fine brick business
houses and residences erected.
The retail trade seems to be rather
| dull at present, but the jobbing trade
is said to be generally good for the
season, and which Is destined to in
crease as the country west of US set
ties up. This city is naturally stu
| ated to become the distributing center
| for q large portion of the country
I north 8 ID west of us, and which must
| eventually make this an importa MT
/ point. The retail mercantile bust
ness seems to be pretty well taken up
at present. but what we need is man
ulacturing establishments, heavy
! jobbing houses, and men of capt.
tai, Of energy, patience, industry,
| perseverance, and enterprise, men who
| will come here with. the intention of
making this their home, and who are
willing to build up business by pa
/, tient industry, as our ancestors have
done.
We need more farmers-men who
| will come here and cultivate these
/ beautiful prairies, and thus make an
independent fortune in few years.
Plenty of homesteads can still be
had within thirty or forty miles
Of Omaha, and Government and
railroad lands much nearer; and
lands can be bought from indi-
viduaIs at from S. to $15 per acre
within five to six miles of this city.
The principal difficulty with US is the
scarcity of timber, but this is beine
gradually overcome by the cultivation
of timber. which grows very rapidly
in this county. | know of farmers
in this vicinity that have planted from
10000 to 10000 forest trees this
Spring. We have the herd laws here,
which will enable farmers to raise
their crops without fencing. While the
grasshoppers have done considerable
damage to a portion of the crops
taking all in all we will still have
considerable over an average crop
The corn could not be better; the
grass is very fine. One fac
J that should be borne IL
/ mind Is that NebrGsk1 stands FRS
{ among The States of the Union as :
!, wheat growing State, first in rye anC
oats, and very little behind in the
other staple products For a verif
cation of this statement | refer your
readers to the Agricultural Repor
: for 1866 Farms are being rapidly