The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-07-18

FREMONT, Nebraska, July Il, 1868.
Editors Journal:
Heat and enaaa combined soon
drove me out of Omaha, thoug- it is
a business town and a lively place.
Some idea of its life may be gath
cred from the fact that the city, half
the size of Evansville, supports two
theaters regularly and a minstrel
troupe about half the time, besides
the Tivoli Gardens, three concert a
looms and beer saloons and tobacco
stands innumerable.
Per contra, be it noted, that the
churches wherever [ attended were
crowded, Sunday schools in a very
fourishing condition, aud In hand
some well dressed ladies the place is
certainly blessed. The large number
of fair complexious met with there
struck me as something remarkable.
Out of a hundred or more ladies' at
church or on the street / remember
but three or four brunettes, and not a
single sallow, complexion. Remark
ing this to a friend, an old resident,
he said it was due to some extent to
the Eastern origin of the people,
more, however, to the mixture OF
Swedes, Norwegians, and North-Ger-
mans, but most of all to the extreme
healthiness of the atmosphere, which
gives this vermllion clearness to the
skin. / am the more surprised at
this, as [ have visited no part of
the Union where there is so much
black dust flying in the atmosphere
as here. Ever on the unbroken pra-
RE at this season, a fine impalpable
powder is constantly settling on ones
clothes and skin, and after two or
three hours walking, without con-
seriousness of dust or inconvenience,
one observes that the pores of his
face and hands are filled and the skin
completely dinged as if rubbed with
smut. In the deepest valleys | have
often parted the tall grass and seen
this powder blowing from the roots
and on the hill sides, opposite the
prevailing winds, have observed it
drifted in little waves an inch or two
in height. 1t yields readily to cold
water, and it seems to me leaves the
complexion fairer than before. Butall
the above enumerated charms could
not detain me during the heated
term, while the thermometer rose
every day to 90, so on the afternoon of
Tuesday the 7th, with staff in hand,
/ few to the hills for refuge. Six
miles northwest of the city, on the
military road-the old California
trail-brought me into the valley of
the Little Papillion, PapeeyOno,
Butterfy,) where / spent the night
with a minister of the German Pres
byterians, irreverently styled by the
Yankees h~ereabouts, the "DefOrmed
Dutch" but remarkably temperate,
industrious people and good citizens,
by whatever name known. They are
quite numerous there. As this has
been a very hot, dry Summer here,
and not a drop of rain had fallen for
three weeks, l was surprised at the
appearance Of their corn. which show
ed no signs whatever of drouth, was
some three or four feet high, of a rich
dark green color, and growing rapid
~. IL seems the crops seldom show
the effect of droutb, though much
less rain falls Ia the course of the
season here than in Indiana. The
hard freeze of Winter makes the soil
pulveriZe completely, and it Is dry
enough to pillow as soon as the frost is
out. The surface soil continues the
same for some twelve or fifteen feet
! deep, when a bed of wet sand is
reached, which may have some ef-
feet IN keeping the soil moist.
In digging wells | notice nOpick is
needed, the spade sinking as easily
anywhere as on the surface. The
ground is as dry in Winter as in Sum
mer, [ am told, and the contemplative
emigrant may ask himself whether it
is better in a man to suffer the stings
and Bullets of these outrageous winds
with entire freedom from mud and
Winter rain or thaw, or to take
refuge in the wooded region of Indi-
ana, avoid the wind and have the
other evils.
Leaving the military road here, |
took my course six miles up the val
ley, and took dinner with a Swede,
who understood just three words of
English, which about equaled my
knowledge of Swedish. Fortunately
he had served as a " m~ercenary" In
France and Italy. and spoke both
languages like a native, and as I had
a dim recollection of some boarding
school French learned eight years
ago, we carried on a lengthy CONVEX
sation in a very barbarous mixture of
French and Latin! He informed me
there had just been a famine in his
native Province, and that every one
here who was able had sent money
to his friends and relations to come
over and stay with him till they could
get homes, which accounted for the
young men and women [ saw at many
houses who did not seem to be part
of the family. | have no means of
determining the number of these emf
grants, but it must be great. There
are several agents in Omaha, and one
of them informed me that his COM
mission on through tickets from
Sweden and Norway amounted to $50
since January LIST. Emigration Of
every kind to this region is great. and
vacant lands in this district have ad-
vanced from 50 to IS this season.
The farmers are buying the vacant
land near them as fast as thew can
command means, in the assured be-
lief that it will double in value in a
year or two. The people seem to have
great faith in the future of their State,
and l confess / agree with them to a
great extent. In climate, soil and
water they have nothing to wish for,
and 1T timber was a little more plenty
the country would be perfect. Groves
are spTlnging up fast on every hand
and add greatly to the beauty Of the
scenery. The idea of a desert here is
absurd. Next Wednesday, by the a
/ purpose starting for the real
desert, if it can be found. Friends
will please take notice accordingly.
and directletters to Cheyenne, Dakota
Territory From the Swedis [ cross
ed over to Fontanelle, in Washington
County, and circulated generally ia
the Eikhorn Valley, travelling morn