The McArthur enquirer. (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1873-1884, 1873-10-08
Western Correspondence.
LETTER FROM j. S. HUM.

will scribble a few thoughts for
your readers, if you will be kind
enough to give them space in your
columns. / left Macarthur on the
night of the 23d, reaching Cincin-
natl next day before noon, being
behind time. Procured a ticket for
the Omaha Excursion,V the l., c.,
q L., the l., b. &'W. and the B., q
Nc. r.. r.; and by "Scrougtng," as
the school-boys say, I made out to
get aboard the 2: Al. P. M. train
which was completely filed and
scores still left behind. | cannot
boast Of our accommodations on
the l., g. d L. Railroad, as we SEEM
ed to be run pretty much rs We used
to be when soldering, no one seem
ing to have charge Of us, and we
were left without lights and water;
but after we reached the b. d M.
Road we had frst-class passage, as
it was advertised to be over all the
roads.
Preached Plattsmouth, Nebraska,
on the Goth, about noon, which was
not so slow for an excursion train.
/ procured ticket over the b. IL M.
Road in Nebraska and started to
see the lands of this Co., which lie
on either side Of this road 20 miles.
AS far as the eye can penetrate
there is one vast plain of prairie,
which seems TO gradually rise to-
ward the South. west, and is here
and there streaked with u narrow
belt of timber, none of which
amounts to much. The soil is a
black loan, very deep, and exceed
ingly rich, as the large PUMPKINS
and sweet "taters" attest. AS a
grazing and farming country, ]
should suppose that it is unsurpass-
ed by any of the western country.
There seems to ne an abundance of
water by going down q few feet be-
low the surface, and they bring it
to the surface by means of wind
pumps which are almost perpetual
ly in motion, as there is no lack of
Wiad in this country. | expected
to 60 to Kearney Junction, the ter
minus of the B. IL NJ. Road, but
found that I would have to lay over
Sunday there, so l got off at Crete,
a beautiful little town Is miles from
Plattsmouth; it is but two or three
years of age, yet it has more inhab-
itants than Macarthur, and there is
more business done here. | return
ed to Lincoln next day to spend the
Sabbath here. 1t is u marvel, and
speaks highly for American skill
and enterprise. 1t is but .f0e gears
old, yet contains about 5000 inhab-
%itants; and there is more business
done in one day here than in tcO
WeekS in Macarthur.
So much for railroads, for it would
not have been n town, only for the
railroad. Only look back ten years
and all this fine country was a wild
place, called the American Desert,
now we would call it the garden of
America. Observe how soon u rail
road can transform Il desert into a
garden.
l wish the people Of Macarthur,
especially the anti-railroad element,
could come to such II place as Lin
coin for n few weeks, and | think
they would become converts to the
railroad enterprise. But there are
other things that contribute to
build up this place. In the first
place, the Il. Il. Co. owned each al
ternate section of land, which they
put at reasonable terms Of sale,
which enabled men Of enterprise,
though of limited means, to secure
homes and business sites; and the
law of the State fixes the rate pI
taxation very high on lands held
by SPECTATORS, so that they do not
labor under the same disadvantages
that many of our eastern towns do.
when u few old fogieS get hold Of
the land and hold it at such eXor
bitant figures that they drive away
all enterprising capitalists, and
they are left to occupy the position
Of the dog In the manger,
Again, these people come from
every State in the Union, almost
and from across the water, and arc
not, as some suppose, the tag enc
of other countries, but are the most
; enterprtstng and Intelligent people
though often in poor circumstances
yet possessing that best of fortunes
> ambition and muscle, with brain
enough to properly invest these
and here the free spirit Of mankind
at length throws its last letters off
and who shall trace q limit to re.