Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-18
Our Western Letter.

Esout west" on the boundless plains A
short time ago we left Milwaukee for
this section of the country, and believing
brief description of the journey hither
and of life on cattle rancho will be in
teresting to your numerous readers,
crave the boon of "a column" and dedi-
tate myself to your service for the time
being. And first the journey hither.
Well, on Friday morning we left the
disreputable and now alas, almost con-
sumed city of Chicago-the great, Won
derful, wicked, eccentric city of Chica-
go,-on the Northwestern road en- route
for Omaha, and the distant realms of the
mighty west. Among the noticeable
passengers in the car, besides ''our
party, was United States Senator from
Maine, a San Francisco Judge, cattle
dealer and a H'englishman, with his in
evitable mutton-chops and opera glasses.
We passed rapidly over the prairies and
rolling country of Illinois, and about
four o'clock in the afternoon we ap-
preached the Father of Waters" the
noble Mississippi. After leaving the
latter river, the eye is constantly de-
lighted with acres and acres-one grand
area of waving corn. In the midst of
the broad, arabic acres, little farm
houses are to be seen, ever and anon,
squatted so to speak, on the plains.
Iowa varies in general appearance be-
tween a level and rolling country, and
resembles in this respect Western Hi
nois. Iowa was soon traversed, and we
arrived Saturday morning at nine o'clock
at the Missouri River and Council Bluffs.
Council Bluffs is the grand central point
of congregation for the three great rail
roads from Chicago, viz: the Chicago
and Rock Island, the Northwestern and
the Burlington and Missouri. And now
one commences to fully realize that he
is in new country. Everything fur
nishes food for thought and wonder,
especially is one interested in the motley
crowd of travellers gathered at this CEN
trail point. Emigrants, Mormons and
pleasure-seekers, all leave the cars at
this place, take their station on the ferry
boat, and prepare to cross the river
Omaha is soon reached, and the depot of
the Union Pacific Railroad. After a
stoppage of three hours at Omaha, we
are soon seated in the cars, gliding along
over the virgin soil of Nebraska. The
inside of our Pullman's palace car pre-
sents most pleasing spectacle. The
Senator" with a nations trouble on his
brow, is reading a paper, the cattle
dealer is talking cattle to his next
neighbor, the judge is doing, while the
H'englishman is wondering on 'ow these
'orrid Yankees can be 50 disgusting
But the picture is soon broken by the
cry of thirty minutes for dinner" and
instantly seats and car are forsaken, and
an entree is made into the linning-room,
where the usual activity and skill in
eating a great deal in a very short time
are developed to the detriment Of the
digestive apparatus. But dinner is soon
over and the journey resumed,
There is not much variation in the
country and scenery, the same immense
corn-fields are to be seen, though the
farm houses and Inhabitants grow fewer
and fewer One thing is especially
noticeable at every town, viz; the
numerous saloons and lawyers signs in
yiew-nOt that the two always 90 to-
gether-by no means, in fact the reverse
should be said, and yet I merely ''rc-
mark and my language is plain, that the
number of both is peculiar, which the
same, am free to maintain"
AS we approach the middle Of .,a
State we hear frequent menu ~ of Lo
Indians-the noble rcd oon-tho ,.,,or
secuted red men," as the New York
i, = |'o5'''' oll0' ,lonately calls them, but
the tt Il, dirty, treacherous rascals. as
Tue settlers out here dcnominato them.
And at this point word about the In
dians. Are the opinions of the TlfJ2yse
and Vincent Colyer correct, or those Of
the settlers out here ? The following
is the information l have cleaned from
the residents of this region. They say
that the Indians are the constant dread of
the cattle dealers, the settlers and the
hunter, The Pawnees are said to be
friendly, and are employed in the service
of the United States, and vet they are
well known to be as treacherous. cruel
and blOod-thirsty as the rest of the In
dians Upon all sides are heard praises
of the military men who visited such
summary punishment on the Piegans,
Cheyennes and Sioux, year or two AGO.
THE Indians" as a gentleman told me.
beautifully remember the lesson to
this day"
The name of General Custer is never
mentioned except in terms of praise.
You see, " said an old hunter to me the
other day, 'the Injins are not much
afeared O the military, fur there's hard
ly an officer would dare to thoroughly
punish 'em after they have committed
because of the bowls and
that would be raised by the
burned fools out east And this is
sample of the general talk out here. | i
do wish some of the eastern gentlemen
who, securely seated in their comforta- |
bic eastern homes, are continually send !
ing forth their pathetic appeals in behalf
Of the abused Indian say | do wish /
some OF these individuals would make a /
journey West, and experience a little in
tercourse, with the red man. Methinks |
the great, humane heart of the New |
! ork philosopher and farmer" would |
visibly contract as regards the Indians, +
in size and pathos, could he be induced |
to camp in the Indian country for few
weeks, Why, the columns of the Tr6-
5"ne would resound for year with
rrarNbif apaC,rto Of