Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-05-08
Letter from Nebraska.

Orion. York Co.. Neb, April %, 1873.
w H. BENNErr-Dear Sir - hink-
ing that few lines from this country
would be acceptable, | take the present
opportunity of sending few items The
appearance OF the country is rolling
prairie. Objects can be seen at lon:
distances. Timber lines the creek banks,
and consist of Ash, Elm, Box Elder
Cotton Wood and some Oak, with Plums.
Grapes and EIderberries, for fruit The
agricultural productions are chiefly Oats,
Barley, Corn and Wheat Last harvest
Oats yielded about so bushels per acre );
Corn from 40 to Is per acre; Wheat
from Is to 40 All vegetables, such as
potatoes, cabbage, carrots, MELONS,
squash, DC, grow well. The weather
last summer was not warm and sultry
like it is sometimes iu Wisconsin, as
there is a breeze always stirring, which
keeps it quite pleasant. The fail was
short, and winter set in quite early, so
that blowing was stopped by the middle
of November but the weather moderated
SO that it was quite pleasant the most of
December, but at Christmas and New
Years it was very cold. There were sew
eral storms of wind and snow during the
winter. in those storms the wind blows
terrihcaliy; SO that people often lose
their way, and travel is stopped entirely
during their continuance. The last reat
storm commenced on the night of April
18th, with rain. On the morning Of the
18th it was showing and blowing fear
tally, which continued during that day
and night; and on the morning of the
18th it was still showing, with the wind
blowing more fiercely than before and
continued until the morning of the l7tb
when the wind ceased, the clouds cleared
away, and by the evening of the 18th
the snow was gone, and every thing was
nice again. During the storm the stable
OF one Of my neighbors blew away, and
he took four horses into his house, and
his calves, hogs and chickens into the
cellar Most folks had some stock in
their houses. One new settler had eleven
head of cattle and span of mules per-
lsh In the storm another had five head
OF cattle, and many more lost some.
There was a man, with his wife and
three children frozen to death in one
wagon. They had just come into the
country, and were camped on their
claim. Another, boy, had been sent to
feed team about half mile from the
house, lost himself, and was frozen to
death. Another man went q few wards
from the house to get some corn, and in
the binding storm missed his way, and
wandered of, and was found after the
storm, about half mile from his house
frozen to death. Another man lost about
100 sheep that wandered off in the storm
and went into the creek and were
drowned. The loss of property, as well
as persons, was very great, as the storm
came so unexpected at this time of the
year.
But taking it all together the winter
was not unlayorable; some wheat was
planted in January, and considerable in
February, but the bulk of the seeding
was done in the middle of March. Gov-
eminent land is about all taken in this
section of the country; but there il con-
siderable r. r. land here vet 1t is
held at from four to eight dollars per
acre. The Missouri Pacific Railroad
has got along as far as Seward, and it is
expected that it will go west next sum-
mer, and in case it does, it will certainly
90 within few miles of where am
located. W. j. LANYoN.