Huntington independent. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1871-1874, 1873-09-18
A Western Correspondence.
KEARNEY, JUNCTION,
August. 25th 1873.


PLY surprised in finding a locality Sc
far superior to the prevailing no ion:
of many Of our old friends, who
traversed these prairies, in the old
overland route to California, in those
good old times" which are now for
ever gone.
The changes that t is country has
undergone during these last few
years, il truly marvellous. As we
look over these broad prairies, and
| remeu Der that only two years ago
this was almost a manless region, that
the prairies which are now spotted
with farm houses, and even the
grounds upon which Fort Kearney
is located, were open for preemptiOn,
we are lead, more and more, to won
Ter at the mighty W rks of man, and
we scarcely know what to think, or
how to express ouselyes, amidst these
wonderful improvements and the IN
usual developments Of great nation.
BY way of the B. & NJ, railroad
oue of the most gigantic institutions
Of the age-we passed over the Platte,
yesterday at 6 T. N. Here we find a
gently flowing river, with water al
most as clear, pure and beautiful as
can be found anywhere. . The river
is shallow and this as a result Of
many water courses is fordable al
different points. The Platt river at
this Junction has never been known
to overflow. The width Of the strea N
prevents any disastrous consequences
from this source.
LOCATION sc.
1t is probably we'll known to the
readers of the Independent that this
city-the population at present being
about eight hundred is located at
the junction Of the Burlington aud
Missouri, with the Union Pacific
railroad; and to the intelligent reader,
this is probably enough. A city,
beautifully situated, central in the
county as well as in the State, and
surrounded with a rich and well
wa;ered county, and in a country
possessing the advantages that this
does, agriculturally FIR it, We can
not anticipate too much. Already it
may be considered great railroad
centre; and We have said it is a cent
raj point In the State Is il not
known, too, that i, is the geographic
al center OF the United States?
1t is not our intention in this let
ter to present exaggerated ac-
count Of this locality; we wish sim
ply as We have hitherto done, to
give f.cts as thcy are; and it is not
our intentions to give any Inflated
descriptions Of the placo-there is no
reason ,chy We should thus write.
ERRONEOUS NOTIONS.
There is probably no country in
the west that has been referred to
in our eastern papers, more frequent
y, than Fort Kesrney; and perhaps
there is 10 locality that has beeu
more emphaticuIly, aud more univer-
sally misrePreseOted than this. a
few years ago these erroneous notions
appeared thoroughly fz,d in the
minds Of thousands; and the maps o.!
our earlier schoOl-boy days came
out with a Great American Desert" +"
thousand miles square, the thougts
of which, COW, is simply lnughoble.
/ Bnt in these later days, this terrible
desert has oeep narrowed down to on
area EN- mbrecing only f,w thousand
acres, or about one county or so; and
hat Is right here, in the vicinity Of
Fort Kearney,
In consideration of these false in
pressions that have gone the rounds
of many cf our eastern Prpers, VIC
are prom pied to set forth the facts.
As we are here and have seen for
ourselves. we know whereof sc al
firm; and eswe have sid, We are hap
pilg surprised in fndiug couGtry
possessing such superior facilities fot
agriouI,urisl persuits. We have ia.
ken tie psins to 90 into the corn
fields, and potato patches, aud ex'
anime for ourselves. We foa ez
ceHeht crops in this immediate g,cir :,
ty. The soil i. ofa rich Vegetable
mould, varying from two, 10 four fee
in depth. Good water can be obtain
ed, by digging, at depth from six
teen to forty feet. 1t is true We have
within feS miles Of the Junction
some sand hills. These eubraci
quite an area of country, Beginning
at point some miles South. As
General thing, these are supposed t
be Of little use for farming purposes
and so, indeed, We are inclined
think. But even on those iamou
sand hills, We have seen potstoe