The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-11-15
LETTER FROM NEBRASKA.
Fonr KEARxEY, NEBRAsKAA.

L En- l. 4ASA4
FoRT KEARSEY, NEBRAsEA:
November z, 1870.
so,elal Correspondence Of LattllOsnesr. "a
Since | last wrote you, ] have explored
or rniLcr visited the north and western
,,or,ions n Nebrnska, as far as NORTH
SIs,ISon ihe Union Pacific railroad, and
C,"I Il rWIssibIc u finer country than tue
nont nj mari OF the State. From Omaha,
,S'o cosirrn terminus oil the U. T. Road,
Which il a handsome little city Of 1900
inhabItants, and as prosperous and pro-
grcssiye us city Of It's age can be, up the
Rlntte valley TO North Platte, Is US nice
nnl fertile country Us can be found In
0iIr national domain. The valley Of the
Platte Is FROM, 6 10 10 miles In width; Is as
level, perhaps, as land can well be; Is rich
md In every case where the soil has
been tested, produces the, very best
or wheat, corn, ,oats, potatoes cabbage,
&c; Without Irrigation. There arc quite
u liumbeFoI little towns along the road
with populations ranging from 80 to 1000
inhabitants, exhibiting . degree Of thrift
unL prosperity astonishing 10 the Eastern
traveller. or these new towns, Fremont
and Columbus Are the largest and most
Drs,HrOuS. Tho former being at the
iuncliuul0fiIhe Dubuque and Sioux city
railr,nd and tho latter, tho prospective
terminus OF u railroad from Nebraska city,
passing through Lincoln to that point. 1t
Is ulsO the contemplated point, where tue
Texas cattle trade willtap the U. T. Rail.
road, which Of itself will, in time, mako
the place leading city in the West
.r.. .t.fEpl Mr.. LOl ''3Fu
The Pawnee Indian reservation lies
about twenty miles north Of Z Ooluul.
bus, and not q train passes
this little town that you cannot see
from one to. fiIty-of- these Aborigines
skirting tho railroad, with buffalo robes
drawn closely around tho shoulders, GOV.
ering also a. portion of the head and face,
us iftOwarti oil approaching danger 1t
Is remarkable that, although these Indians
arc not hostile and are well treated by
the ''palclacc," yet they entertain q secret
fear Of the white man, md Qre continually
on the watch, lest some ono may take their
lives. They are also quite fearful ofdan-
ger from locomotives. II Is very rare
That you can get one near the railroad
truck, and then they appear horror strick'
en- Their natures evidently are oil the
widest character, and they can never
feel safe and mt casc, unless they arc far
from civilization In the wildS OF the
rrniriCs. At Columbus, saw over hun.
bred 81 this tribe going South, with their
Donics loaded with tents and tent.poles,
on a buffalo hunt, to procure meat for the
winter. They will remain on this, one OF
their regular hunts, until they procure
buffalo Ind other game sufficient 10 last
them until spring. I also saw IL gang"
of OmalIas leaving Fremont on IN Gxcur.
sion OF the same kind. The PawnGes and
OnalIas adhere very closely on these
regular hunts; rs tho Sioux, u very pow
erlul tribe, arr their deadly enemies, and
1t takes both the P0wncGs and Omahas to
cope with them ia battle. On these hunts
quito as many SquAws us men arc In
Cluictl. The SQuawS guard tho camps
and do all tho work, while the
men do tho hunting. 1t is strange, but
true, l am informed, that the women pos
sess even greater powers OfGnduranCc, than
the strongest and most powerful warriors
and hunters. In fact they dOHll the farm
work necessary u rniSG corn, DC, for the
various tribes. They regard It, however,
us u part Of their duty and hence perform
It without murmur.
These redskins, once the owners ind
SOverCignB Of NIL Of our country, arc Inst
disappearing. Once living where tue sun
rises upon our lands, they can now only
be found, and that too in very small bands,
where the same bright lulninary SETS upon
our possessions. Once EIst, now West;
once millions, now tlOusands-stIcE seems
To he their destiny-Sucll they ARE passing
away. Ere century rolls around, the
track Of the red man, tllat now checkers
our western Wills, will grow green with
gruss, while the warrior, the Squaw and
papOOse will he known only in the history
Of the past Their destiny has been seal.
cd. They have been pulvCriZcd, as II
were, in the great CruciOlc Of revolution
by the pestle Of progression, and like the
Babyl0nians, the Romans and the CarthH.
gcnians-0ncc great hut now extinct
they too must pass into oblivion. II Is,
however, written upon every man, every
city, every nation, md Is as inex0rablC us
Gate-"paSsing away"
Bit, rs I am writing from Fort kCArney,
I must ConRnc myself more closely to the
Fort and vicinity. -..,.y
THE FORT.
Fort EcArncy is located on the Platte
river, 100 miles west OF OmahR, on u mil.
itary reservation Of ten miles SQUARE. and
four miles from the Union Pacific railroad.
1t was established many years ago for the
prolectim Of "crnIgrants passing "Oyef.
land" 10 the lar.West. There nre now
about fifty United States soldiers at the
Fort, md they arc n great bcue6t to the
settlers in that locality. and for ftty miles
or more around il. Tue. IpdiAns fear II
soldier us the Nncicnts dreaded the dismal
region beyond the river Of Styx. The
sight Of n "blue; jacket" throws LlIGn al
most into par0xysnlS The land surround
Ing tho F0rt on either side Is the finest oil
level pruiriG, ind Is Of tho best quality for
farming nnd pastoral purposes 1t pro
ducts corn Mt the ratc Of from forty to
sixty bushels per acre; wheat thirty 10
iilly bushels; oats fry 10 BGventy.Avc;
pOtalUcS, barley, cabbage, and all kinds
Of vegetables yields abundant IlArvcsts.
TIMBER.
The timber in this locality, and in fact
all over the State, Is not by my means
abundant, nor IL II Of rs gOOd qualities rs
We find Easl, but still ENillciency can be
found along the Platte river, !Or all nCccs.
sary purposes Cottonwood and Olm arc
the principal trees that grow in this COun.
try. Excellent timber, in lnrgC quantities,
can h. found On Big Blue, Republican,
l.Oup Fork, WO,Nl and ELK Horn rivcrB;
nlso on nll Of tho principal creeks.
Watch;
The winter Is pufc and beautiful. NCIls